The wood stove in Markus Hunziker’s home provides radiant warmth to the house while using less wood than a conventional stove or fireplace.
The stove, an Austrian design, was installed earlier this month.
Carl Sidl, who installed the stove, said the stoves, known as Kachelofen in Europe, are efficient, low polluting and low maintenance units.
A fire, run for about an hour twice a day, is enough to provide warmth in the house for up to 24 hours.
“Radiant heating is the same type of warmth that one receives when standing outside on a sunny day,” Sidl said. “You immediately feel the warmth when you stand in the open sun and things exposed to radiant heat and slowly absorb the heat and radiate it back as well. The same concept applies to having a masonry heater. It’s like having a piece of the sun in your home.”
While the stoves are common in Europe, where they have been used for hundreds of years, they are relatively new to Canada.
He said the stoves are the safest wood heating systems available. “It’s a lot different way of experiencing heat,” he said.
Sidl said each stove is individually designed and built for a specific house. The stove in Hunziker’s home is large and will require several weeks before the masonry has completely dried.
