Radiation
Radiation is when heat is emitted as invisible light. These rays travel through the air until they hit a material which absorbs them. This material will become warmer as a result.
This type of heat is ideal in a room with a high ceiling, in buildings with plenty of draughts, or simply if you are looking for rapid direct heat from your fireplace.
When arranging furniture and any other objects, you should remember that it can be extremely hot next to the fireplace. A free-standing heat shield can be used to prevent heat being radiated in particular directions.
Radiated heat
Convection
Convection is when the air around the stove becomes warm, expands and rises. If the stove has a convection chamber (panels at the side with openings at the top and bottom), the air between the stove and the panels heats up more quickly. The heated air will rise and transport heat around the room.
The hot air gathers under the ceiling and it will be possible to blow this down towards the floor using a ceiling fan. Convection takes a little bit longer to heat up the room, compared with radiation.
Convection heat
Both convection and radiation heat
Nearly all fireplaces combine both radiation and convection. From the front of the product, the fire will radiate heat through the glass door.
At the rear, there are usually convection plates fitted to protect the wall. Most often, it is the design on the side walls of the product that determine whether the stove is classified as a radiation or convection stove. In actual fact, almost all products are a combination of both.