Installing a wood burning stove

[dunketh]

Mine powers the central heating too - well two radiators.
The great thing I find about them is how effective they are.
Nothing else compares for heat output. You could easily stick a pan on top 'aga style' and cook on it.
Chimney fires are virtually unheard of locally despite most of the houses having working chimneys.
Does the age/design of the house have any affect? Houses here are built from blocks of local limsestone and date from the 1800s if that makes a difference?

[rayofleamington]

I'm a bit confused as to why you need a liner

for the same reason that 100% of household mains wiring installed in the 80's does not meet latest regs and cannot be modified or attached to by a qualified sparky, and DIY mods are illegal.

Installing a stove is no longer allowed to be DIY...

Thank goodness for the FBHVC - otherwise we may be facing problems to work on our own cars. It's a shame the rules to catch the cowboys rarely achieve anything more than frustrating the innocent.

[dp]

So does this mean that a sparkie can't fit a new consumer unit with RCDs to a set-up from the '60s where all the wiring is perfectly good and in metal earthed conduit?

[bigginger]

I doubt you'd have found a (reputable) sparky who'd have done that at any time in the last 40 years. AFAIR any wiring over 30 years old should be replaced.

[JimK]

One HETAS engineer [who'd never heard of MICA for the stove windows] said that's impossible to do. He gave a rough quote to line the chimney: call out to quote £50+vat [to be refunded if they do the work] and around £400 for the installation.......OUCH

That quote sounds about right - we were quoted £300 to fit a stove to a good chimney about three years ago.

I don't own my house and it's important I get it done properly.

We also rent, and the landlord vetoed it on insurance grounds. That is to say, he pays for the buildings insurance (as I bet yours does) and his premium would rise. Even though modern wood-burners emit no embers the insurers said it was a fire risk with the thatch.

You _must_ get your landlords permission before modifying their house, and you _must_ get the stove installed by a competent installer. Doing otherwise would likely invalidate your landlords buildings insurance.

But I'm working to a tight budget.

It may pay in the longer term, but it's going to be money up front.

Logs from local park.

As previously noted, you can't do this without getting the chimney cleaned very regularly. Even with seasoned wood (some needs up to two years) you'll have to get the chimney swept twice a year or so, maybe before the first fire of the autumn and after the last in the spring.

[Squiggle]

Hi

I'm sorry I haven't replied sooner and many thanks for all the advice.

Had a long chat with an engineer at Solid Fuel Assoc.

Houses built since 1966 don't have to have a liner. Unless they have defects of course.

HETAS qualified engineers come in more than one category and some are only qualified to service etc and not install.

Could get a local builder to do it and get the local Planning Dept to inspect afterwards. But need to contact them first.

I've got a few numbers to ring and get quotes.

Thanks again.

[kennatt]

this country is going to the dogs,dos'nt matter how competant you are at diy,you can't. Fit windows,do simple electrical work,put drains in,fit your own wood burner,buy celly paint without lying about what you want it for, and numerous other jobs without some young jobs worth sticking his nose in to tell you how to do this or that. They will soon say that it is unlawfull to change a tyre without an engineer checking the tightness of the wheel nuts.On that point my local tyre depot says that if I use one of those seal and inflate canisters,they are unable to then repair the tyre with a patch.Not because the patch won't stick ,because they can't see the original hole to estimate how bad it was.I friend of mine works in the steel industry and he tells me that if they need to reach up to anything above head hight they have to get a scafolder in to rig up a stand.What a load of old tosh. THink I'll emigrate to new zealand,or join bmc up in the wilds can't be that many jobs worths up there in the cold,probably regs against working in below 20 degs End of rant

[grumpygrandad]

when our house was rewired the electricions told me that they are not alllowed to use stepladders but can use hop ups how daft is things getting,, heard the other day farmers can go onto wet fields ,, what was tony blaire on about when he said back to basics farmers can only cut hedges now at certain times of the year things realy dont get better, you cant burn wood with paint on, for give me for living€??????/ i am reg dissabled expect they will have people like me put down no further use ,, grandad