For the Jachens family near Bremen, the stove is not just the centerpiece of the living room, but of the entire house. The water-bearing stove is not only a real feast for the eyes, it also supplies large parts of the house with cozy warmth and hot water. Thanks to a built-in hot water tank, the water heated above the stove is used for the central hot water supply. Highly efficient and sustainable, as the firewood is used twice.
"We are simply happy with our water-bearing stove, it was absolutely the right choice at the time and it still feels right every day," is how Lars Jachens sums it up, both simply and with conviction. The qualified civil engineer has lived with his wife Astrid and their two children Lenie and Louis in a beautiful brick building with a spacious conservatory since 2016.
As the plans for the new building matured, it quickly became clear to the 51-year-old that he wanted to rely less on fossil fuels and more on a stove as a heating source: "I grew up on an old farm, where the stove stood in the middle of the huge hallway. All the rooms were off to the right and left, all the doors were open and the stove practically heated the whole house. I found that fascinating at the time and wanted a similar solution for our house," Lars Jachens looks back. Initially, he had his sights set on a wood gasification stove.
A REAL EYE-CATCHER - and highly efficient and ecological: the ambiente a4 H2O water-bearing stove
Highly effective: dual use of firewood
Consultations with stove fitters followed. There, the father of the family became aware of the water-bearing stoves. They reminded him strongly of the stove and heat distribution from his childhood and also have the advantage that they can also provide part of the hot water supply. These stoves are highly efficient, as the firewood is used both for radiant heat and for the hot water supply. This dual use of firewood creates independence from fossil fuels and therefore security of supply.
They are also CO2-neutral. However, several stove builders turned their backs on water-bearing stoves when they learned that the couple were planning an open gallery and wanted to heat a living area of around 280 m2. Lars Jachens persevered, however, because he was still in the planning phase with his house plans, was open to all solutions and was able to "build the house around the stove, so to speak".
ENJOYING THEIR CHIMNEY SOLUTION: LARS AND ASTRID JACHENS In times of energy crisis and gas shortages, the couple are largely independent of fossil fuels
With this argument, Stefan Wesenberg from heizwerk® in Hagen im Bremischen was receptive. The complete basement of the house was planned anyway. This meant that the ideal location for a tank could be planned in the cellar - directly under the stove in the living room. It was also important to the client that he got a powerful stove that was also very easy to use and maintain. All arguments in favor of a water-bearing stove.
"Save costs for heating and hot water: With a water-bearing stove, you not only have an efficient heating system with a high heat output, but you also gain additional energy that is used for the hot water supply." - STEFAN WESENBERG, heizwerk®
BEST ADVICE AND EXECUTION: Stefan Wesenberg from heizwerk® in Hagen im Bremischen provided the Jachens family with excellent support.
"As the Jachens came to us at a very early planning stage, we were able to plan everything perfectly. The required combustion chamber size and output had to be calculated - and the large volume, which was the result of the high ceilings and open gallery, had to be taken into account. In addition, a water-bearing fireplace requires more space than other stoves, as there is a heat exchanger above the combustion chamber. This heats the cold heating water," explains Stefan Wesenberg, Managing Director of heizwerk® and master chimney sweep. Necessary core drillings could also be planned as well as pipelines that were laid in the cellar.
In the heizwerk® showrooms, not only were the theoretical foundations for the stove project laid, but the family also found their "dream stove" here. Because the family had specific ideas: Not only was a black, modern stove without a tiled stove look important to the Jachens, they also wanted a large window in order to have an ideal view of the fascinating play of fire. In addition, unlike the large stove on the farmhouse dell, the door should be single-leaf and operated with one hand for reasons of practicality.
The choice fell on the Spartherm ambiente a4 H2O stove, which met these criteria perfectly. At 1,674 mm in size and weighing around 230 kilograms, the stove is certainly no lightweight, but thanks to the early planning, it could be installed without any problems - as could the 1,000 liter water tank located directly below it in the cellar.
Family gathering and supply point
There it has been since 2016, immovable. Crackling and crackling in winter. Provides a fire to look into, to experience. A place where the family comes together. Comes to rest. Cosiness is alive. The stove is a meeting and supply point, without it being obvious. But despite all the romance around the flickering fire, what are the figures? "Perfect," says the homeowner with a smile. "We need just 1,000 m3 of gas a year - with a living space of 280 m2 and a constant room temperature of at least 22 degrees. We have hot water no matter what, because we heat our own water." And how much firewood does the family need per year? Around eight to ten cubic meters. For the huge area, this is considerably cheaper and - an important argument this winter - much more reliable than gas. This amount of firewood and the associated storage capacities are no problem for Lars Jachens thanks to an old stock of trees on his own property. His conclusion is therefore absolutely positive. "The water-bearing stove is a stroke of luck for us. We are - I like to repeat myself - simply happy and have no worries about security of supply and skyrocketing energy costs!"
"The stove really is the heart of our home, as it guarantees us cozy warmth and hot water - and it's all CO2-neutral!" - LARS JACHENS, HOMEOWNER
