Frequently Asked Questions

The most important thing to be mindful of when choosing wood to run in your slow custombustion heater or stove is that the wood is properly seasoned i.e. dried. A good seasoned wood will have been dried over 2-5 years depending on the density. 

If you put wet wood into your firebox (and be remember you can't always tell this from the outside of a log) all the energy produced goes into drying out the wood not producing heat. 

The best Australian hardwood (greybox, yellow box, malley roots, redgum or any common eucalypt) sourced from a professional wood dealer should be dry before sale. 

If you are sourcing your own wood (make sure you have a permit) you should be looking to cut dead limbs or fallen trees. 

If your wood is not properly dired it will not only effect your heat output and energy usage but also effect the heat temperture reached and smoke output.   

Tip: If the bark is still attached or can't be removed easily from the log or branch then it is too green to burn.   

The short answer is YES. Wood is a renewable bioenergy. It is recommended that environmentally aware wood users either buy their wood from FAA members or collect it from permitted areas. As long as you have purchased your wood from sustainable sources, you are actually helping the environment by heating your home with wood instead of gas or electricity. 

A CSIRO study in 2003 showed that firewood is virtually greenhouse neutral and is a useful way to reduce the carbon pollution from gas and coal energy use.

Hydronic Heating is a cost-effective form of in-home heating that combines smart energy with innovative technology to produce the most efficient heating system on the market.

The systems use water to move heat from a source such as a gas boiler or heat pump through piping to each individual room. 

It’s often installed in concrete slabs, radiator panels and/or heated towel rails. 

Yes, most houses can have hydronic central heating retrospectively installed. Contact us for your obligation free quote and to discuss the best option for your home. 

Yes, government rebates are available on WISELIVING Solar Hot Water and CO2 Heat Pumps products. For more information on prices per state please contact our friendly staff. 

All Thermalux Stoves and Dynamic Boilers are finished in a hard wearing, heat resistant painted finish in the following standard colours:

• Metallic Black
• Charcoal
• Golden Fire Brown
• Metallic Blue
• Moss Green Metallic.
• Mojave Red is also available on request for a small extra cost. 

Other colours are available on requests for an additional price.  

A properly installed heater that is being fed the correct fuel should emit very little smoke. If you're experiencing smoke emitting from your heater either when the door is open or closed there will be a simple reason why and an easy way to fix it. 

The flue of any combustion heater is a very important part of the whole heating process. When correctly installed it enables a draught to move air through the fire and up the chimney or flue. This enables the fire to burn rather than just smoulder. When a fire smoulders it creates smoke and does not burn the resins, tar and creosote which naturally occur in all woods. If the flue is not correctly installed, has too many bends or has an incorrect cap and cowl it may create smoke problems. Alternatively, if there is a strong draught running through the firebox the smoke will naturally be drawn through your vents and straight up the flue. 

The type of fuel used and how it is used is also an extremely important factor. Wet or unseasoned wood will create a lot of smoke. Your wood should be dry, cut and stored under cover for at least two years before burning for best results. When loading or refuelling your fire you should have all air controls open to allow as much air as possible to get the fire burning hot. If you use smaller pieces of wood, rather than great logs, and get the fire roaring then you may turn down the air controls. This will help burn off all the resins and creosote and reduce the smoke. 

Many people like to close their fire down at night so they get up to a nice warm room. This is fine but it must be remembered that when there is no or little air allowed into the fire it will smoulder rather than burn. This means it may smoke and not burn off all the resins and creosote. When you go to restart your fire, open all vents and crack the door a small amount for a minute to start the drawing process before reloading and stoking your coals.  

Last but not least; maintanence of your wood stove/cooker/heater is very important. As with any appliance you must clean your smoke pathways regularly so that waste material does not build up and prevent the smoke from leaving the chimney/flue.   

All handles on Thermalux wood heaters and stoves become hot when the fire is lit. Customers of our slow combustion products are provided equipment to allow them to reload safely. 

The handles are designed to close in front of the glass as a reverse-safety feature so owners know they will become hot when in use and remember to use gloves or ovenmits everytime rather than giving a false sense of security and inadvertently burning themselves. 

The door handle also locks infront of the glass to prevent it accidentally being opened by being bumped or a person walking past.