A stove is an enclosed heated space. The term is commonly taken to mean an enclosed space in which fuel is burned to provide heating, either to heat the space in which the stove is situated or to heat the stove itself, and items placed on it. This article is principally concerned with enclosed stoves burning solid fuels for room heating.

Enclosed stoves hold out the possibility of greater efficiency, controllability and lower smoke emission than simple open fires. In free air solid fuels burn at a temperature of only about 270°C, too low a temperature for perfect combustion reactions to occur, heat produced through convection is largely lost, smoke particles are evolved without being fully burned and the supply of combustion air cannot be readily controlled. By enclosing the fire in a chamber and connecting it to a chimney draft (draught) is generated pulling fresh air through the burning fuel.

This causes the temperature of combustion to rise to a point (c600°C) where efficient combustion is achieved, the enclosure allows the ingress of air to be regulated and losses by convection are almost eliminated. It also becomes possible, with ingenious design, to direct the flow of burned gasses inside the stove such that smoke particles are heated and destroyed.

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