New log burner in original chimney
Discussion
Chimneys don't have to be lined, but how will you know for sure that fumes wont be leaking through cracks in the brickwork and seeping through gaps or cracked plaster in the bedrooms above. Having children meant it wasn't worth taking the risk for me, so I had my chimney lined with the higher grade stainless steel liner. Not cheap, but gives peace of mind.
jinkster said:
We are wanting to install a log burner in the living room. The house as an original chimney which looks in very good condition. It is possible (well it is as been used for years), but legal to use the original chimney as apposed to lining it.
If the chimney is in good condition - have it tested with smoke test/CCTV if you want to be sure - there's no need for a liner. The Empire was built on billions of fires without liners, bah.Jinkster..
This woodburner thing has become a bit of a specialist subject for me. So my credentials: I have had fitted 6 woodburners in various houses over the years. We've had outside flues, chimney liners, cheap ones, expensive ones and we have normal open fires. And.... I have made all the mistakes along the way...
1. A modern woodburner is highly efficient and requires a decent 'draw' as it is using top down air and bottom up air.. and one adjusts it at various stages to get peak performance e.g. efficient combustion and heat.
2. Woodburners now have secondary combustion, redirecting unburnt hydrocarbons back into the fire box... less smoke..
3. Woodburners and their exhaust reach temperatures of 200-300C
This isn't going to happen if you don't have a metal flue all the way up your chimney to the pot. The draw, air and exhaust are calculated in the design of the woodburner...
Yes you can buy a woodburner with 4ft pipe stuck up your chimney, but it won't burn properly, it will smoke the house out and even if you do get it burning properly you could be exposing old brickwork and pointing to much higher temperatures than they were designed for..
Seriously... Consult a good supplier get it all professionally done, full flue in the chimney and you will never have to worry about burning the house down, poisoning yourself with noxious gases ... and you get fantastic efficiency from the woodburner..
Best of luck with it... Look at Stovax
This woodburner thing has become a bit of a specialist subject for me. So my credentials: I have had fitted 6 woodburners in various houses over the years. We've had outside flues, chimney liners, cheap ones, expensive ones and we have normal open fires. And.... I have made all the mistakes along the way...
1. A modern woodburner is highly efficient and requires a decent 'draw' as it is using top down air and bottom up air.. and one adjusts it at various stages to get peak performance e.g. efficient combustion and heat.
2. Woodburners now have secondary combustion, redirecting unburnt hydrocarbons back into the fire box... less smoke..
3. Woodburners and their exhaust reach temperatures of 200-300C
This isn't going to happen if you don't have a metal flue all the way up your chimney to the pot. The draw, air and exhaust are calculated in the design of the woodburner...
Yes you can buy a woodburner with 4ft pipe stuck up your chimney, but it won't burn properly, it will smoke the house out and even if you do get it burning properly you could be exposing old brickwork and pointing to much higher temperatures than they were designed for..
Seriously... Consult a good supplier get it all professionally done, full flue in the chimney and you will never have to worry about burning the house down, poisoning yourself with noxious gases ... and you get fantastic efficiency from the woodburner..
Best of luck with it... Look at Stovax
LeadFarmer said:
how will you know for sure that fumes wont be leaking through cracks in the brickwork and seeping through gaps or cracked plaster in the bedrooms above.
Smoke is both visible and smells, you can't mistake it for anything else.Gas fire emissions? different thing totally.
AndrewCrown said:
Yes you can buy a woodburner with 4ft pipe stuck up your chimney, but it won't burn properly, it will smoke the house out and even if you do get it burning properly you could be exposing old brickwork and pointing to much higher temperatures than they were designed for.
'Depends'. My house is 1988 and the chimney is lined with 'clay pots' (short tubes) about 8" diameter. My Stovax stove works properly, doesn't smoke the house out and there's no old brickwork or pointing. I agree though that if you live in an Elizabethan manor house things may be different.My understanding was that in fact less heat goes up the chimney with a wood burner - and that means the chimney doesn't get properly hot which tends to encourage all kinds of s
te to condense in it.
The point of lining the chimney with an insulated liner is therefore actually to get the flue temperature up so that it draws properly and to avoid the condensation issue.
te to condense in it. The point of lining the chimney with an insulated liner is therefore actually to get the flue temperature up so that it draws properly and to avoid the condensation issue.
Here`s st for you.
I just fitted a liner to a stove due to regulations.
The stove was previously venting straight up the chimney with no problems whatsoever.
In fact in all my years I had never seen a cleaner flue
But A new liner had to be fitted due to insurance conformity.
Result
A cost to the customer of loads of money for no reason whatsoever.
t for you.I just fitted a liner to a stove due to regulations.
The stove was previously venting straight up the chimney with no problems whatsoever.
In fact in all my years I had never seen a cleaner flue
But A new liner had to be fitted due to insurance conformity.
Result
A cost to the customer of loads of money for no reason whatsoever.
albundy89 said:
Result
A cost to the customer of loads of money for no reason whatsoever.
I'm diy'ing 2 over the next few weeks. Luckily brother knows someone who will inspect and sign off for a few quid which will save adding about with the council.
We have this debate every year, last time we had it the one posting up the most nonsense and hot air had his own business fitting flues, so was protecting his own interests by by filling people with 5hit.
Like the examples above, Damp proofing injection and FENSA too, The Great Flue Epidemic is largely using smoke and mirrors to relieve you of your hard earned.
It isn't difficult to Google 'How a chimney works' and get:
"The rising hot gas creates a pressure difference called draft which draws combustion air into the appliance and expels the exhaust gas outside. Two factors affect the amount of draft produced by a chimney. ... Heat: the hotter the gases in the chimney compared to the air outside, the stronger the draft..... Etc.
It's exactly the same principle as hot gasses escaping from an engine down the exhaust.
Like the examples above, Damp proofing injection and FENSA too, The Great Flue Epidemic is largely using smoke and mirrors to relieve you of your hard earned.
It isn't difficult to Google 'How a chimney works' and get:
"The rising hot gas creates a pressure difference called draft which draws combustion air into the appliance and expels the exhaust gas outside. Two factors affect the amount of draft produced by a chimney. ... Heat: the hotter the gases in the chimney compared to the air outside, the stronger the draft..... Etc.
It's exactly the same principle as hot gasses escaping from an engine down the exhaust.
Edited by 227bhp on Saturday 22 October 09:23
Gassing Station | Homes, Gardens and DIY | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff