have open fire, want to fit log burner

[Matchless]

I have a large open fire but it gets through toooooooo much wood, have been thinking about fitting a log burner, just seen one for sale locally, new, half price! question is can I just poke a length of flue pipe up the existing flue, the existing flue is constructed from precast approved square blocks leaving something like a 10" square hole,

 

[dan treg]

you will need building control approval most areas and appropriate register plate unless installed by the trade organisation whose name eludes me at the moment

 

[pedrobedro]

Make a register plate to fit round the flue and push it up to your square hole to block it off. I used 16g sheet and just put a metre of pipe through it and it's been like it for 20 years no problem.

 

[brightspark]

you will need building control approval most areas and appropriate register plate unless installed by the trade organisation whose name eludes me at the moment

hetas registered

 

[James1979]

Installing a wood burning stove

The guide to buying and installing a wood burning stove. What size to buy? What brand is best? How to choose an installer? What installation materials are needed and at what cost? And much more.

www.stovefitterswarehouse.co.uk

Worth a read. Full of good info and he’s happy to chat on the phone.

Made installing mine easy.

We do have a stove fitter or two on here but I can’t remember who.

 

[gaz1]

you can conserve wood a little but it all depends on your wood stove that you pick

whilst a normal woodstove will chew through wood the secondary air will chew through id say less than a third of what your using now

the same can be said with a downdraft stove however you get twice the heat from the stove from just one load compared to the other versions of normal wood stove and those with secondary air

only one will provide total heat output whilst also using very little wood and that wood be the rocket stove whilst it does not provide a nice looking stove front or the fire inside it will save on the usage of the wood whilst also pouring out loads of heat within a room

note i have done this within a woodstove myself by building a rocket stove inside of a wood stove please do try it but remember its not for perment use it can seriously damage your stove as its really red hot on the output
i would adapt mine by fitting in another firebrick top plate just to protect the top plate of the stove

to give you an idea it would be like firing this at full throttle open against the top of the stove

video unavilable on a link video you can find it using this term below
the video user is burning hardwood

How to build a Rocket Stove insight you'r fireplace​

https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/workshop-build.83872/page-10#post-1262990

stove brand new verona L
all softwood, gives 3hrs worth of burn one load will heat 7x7 sq/m of space enough to just wear a tshirt and work in it

 

[Barking Mat]

Yes, you can !

(Obviously follow every pedants advice about x,y,z, legislation, building control, local authorities blah, blah, blah, smoke control areas, fine particulate emmissions, double lined platinum chimney pipe, etc, etc, etc.)

Sweep chimney every 6 - 8 weeks if you use it every night, burn dry wood, not resinous crap.

Pipe it or flexible conduit, Chinese hat on the top, don't seal around it leave a condensation escape air passage.

And sweep it regularly !!!

 

[julianf]

If you can be bothered to go up on the roof, installing a liner isn't complex, and means that, if you ever do have a chimney fire, it's a case of keeping an eye on it, rather than calling the fire service.

Hetas probably won't sign off somthing they've not made money off, but BC will.

 

[Ali]

Get a multi-fuel, far less faffing around with some decent coal if you just want to leave it alone to heat the place all day / night

 

[James1979]

Peat is good if you can get it.

 

[badabec]

If the fireplace has used with an open fire, why do you need to tell anyone that you've installed a stove?

 

[merryman]

Fireplaces were used for over 500 years without flue liners, for the first 300 years would be burning wood, and I doubt if they sent the boys up the chimney every 8 weeks. So why would you suddenly need a liner and to sweep it every 8 weeks? I made my woodburner and simply stuck the pipe from the fire up the chimney about 8" well away from the sides and put a blanking plate on. Had to sweep it after the first year (Jackdaws) and very little soot came down.

 

[Barking Mat]

Fireplaces were used for over 500 years without flue liners, for the first 300 years would be burning wood, and I doubt if they sent the boys up the chimney every 8 weeks. So why would you suddenly need a liner and to sweep it every 8 weeks? I made my woodburner and simply stuck the pipe from the fire up the chimney about 8" well away from the sides and put a blanking plate on. Had to sweep it after the first year (Jackdaws) and very little soot came down.

I know a few people who have had chimney fires, after advice from the fire service, once a year isn't enough, obviously depends what you're burning, we find even burning (fairly*) dry wood, a regular sweep helps the draw.

*What we're currently burning is 4 years old dry stored, but we shut the Rayburn right down at night, which probably causes bad combustion, but it's still going in the morning.

 

[gaz1]

Fireplaces were used for over 500 years without flue liners, for the first 300 years would be burning wood, and I doubt if they sent the boys up the chimney every 8 weeks. So why would you suddenly need a liner and to sweep it every 8 weeks? I made my woodburner and simply stuck the pipe from the fire up the chimney about 8" well away from the sides and put a blanking plate on. Had to sweep it after the first year (Jackdaws) and very little soot came down.

there was also alot more chimney fires as well due to bad burning practices of owners burning whatever they could get there hands on

its also the reason why we had smog and had high levels of arsenic within it

it certainly turned stone into black material whilst protecting the stone with a good weather proofing substance it was also rather deadly too anyone with lung problems

 

[Ali]

…a regular sweep helps the draw.

Is that because the chimney gets hot I wonder?

 

[Erie Fred]

When I visited Chile, I noticed everyone burning pine, they said that's all they have, and yes
they get creosote, so have to clean the flue regular like.

 

[JOEPRO]

Fireplaces were used for over 500 years without flue liners, for the first 300 years would be burning wood, and I doubt if they sent the boys up the chimney every 8 weeks. So why would you suddenly need a liner and to sweep it every 8 weeks? I made my woodburner and simply stuck the pipe from the fire up the chimney about 8" well away from the sides and put a blanking plate on. Had to sweep it after the first year (Jackdaws) and very little soot came down.

Not many houses are left with no liner anyway. (Clay etc)

Modern stoves are very efficient appliances vastly different than old open fires.

Therefore the flue liner is required due to the cooler gases coming out which would otherwise cause issues within a large chimney. Including increased sooting up etc. Stainless liners are cheap and much safer don't skimp fit em!

Carbon monoxide detectors are imperative also including in any bedrooms above where the chimney is near.

 

[JOEPRO]

My advice on a stove is look for a good known brand. Such as any stove from the Stovax group. Yeoman, Hunter etc. Or Stanley stoves made in Ireland.

Lots of cheap China cast stoves out there which are inefficient and possibly dangerous.

Go for a good brand stove and it will give you decades of service and spare parts availability.

 

[JOEPRO]

This is one of my stoves which is lit every night without fail. Multifuel Stanley Oisin stove



Heat powered stove fan on top circulates the heat very well. Fantastic heat output ticks over on coal doubles and air control is very simple.

 

[the artfull-codger]

I know a few people who have had chimney fires, after advice from the fire service, once a year isn't enough, obviously depends what you're burning, we find even burning (fairly*) dry wood, a regular sweep helps the draw.

*What we're currently burning is 4 years old dry stored, but we shut the Rayburn right down at night, which probably causes bad combustion, but it's still going in the morning.