Costs to convert an open fireplace

[niftysteve]

You can get decent wood burners that fit straight into tge hearth. I put a Esse into our front room, connected the flys liner to and bottom, took less than a day. Although you have to remove the bur.

 

It good although you do loose more heat up the chimney than witha normal wood burner. If that makes sense.[/quote

heres an inset i fitted a few weeks ago into an existing opening

[Paul Smith]

Specflue are ( or were!!) a trade only supplier. Liner from them is high quality, either 316 ( 10yr warr) or 904( 25 yr warr), their warranty deal is unequalled anywhere.

 

Housecoal is NOT a fuel to be used in a stove, that why it says on the bags for use on an open appliance only or not for use in a stove. The reasons for this are twofold, A, it burns very dirtily and will clag up your glass, and B, if burning on a low oxygen setting such as overnight slumbering ( which is not recommended by any stove or flue manufacturer due to the amount of excess soot ( and tar with wood) deposited in the chimney and particulates sent into the atmosphere) then if you get up at say 2am and decide to put a bit more fuel in when you open the door you allow a massive amount of oxygen to enter the stove, an explosion could occur, called backdraft. Firemen here will be familiar with backdraft.

 

In most multifuel stoves you can burn wood, smokeless man made fuel and Anthracite ( natural smokeless coal). Air control settings are different fopr wood and smokeless, your dealer should advise.

 

Whoever is signing the job off as safe to use can be held legally liable if the liner fails and causes damage, death etc. For that reason most good quality installers will not work with customer supplied liner, I have seen web bought liner come unwound when being installed into a chimney before use. Like most things you get what you pay for I am afraid. If you go that route you would probably have to install it yourself ( to building regs) and get it signed off by a local building inspector.

 

If you use 316 grade liner and regularly burn smokeless fuel almost all of this fuel is imported, it has a very high Sulpher content, when it burns it will deposit acidic residues in the flue especially at low temperatures, these will kill 316 liner pretty fast. For any fuel burnt regularly other than wood use 904 liner. 316 will handle wood and occasional use with smokeless only.

 

A

 

Good post!

[tree monkey]

i thought you said it was already lined?

sounds like a big job i did my own for less than 1k

[Alycidon]

You can get decent wood burners that fit straight into tge hearth. I put a Esse into our front room, connected the flys liner to and bottom, took less than a day. Although you have to remove the bur.

 

It good although you do loose more heat up the chimney than witha normal wood burner. If that makes sense.[/quote

heres an inset i fitted a few weeks ago into an existing opening

 

 

Esse 301 inset (5kw) is a convector stove, cold air is drawn in the bottom of teh stove, circulates between the firebox and the outer case through convection and then emerges from the top of the stove as warm air. Very efficient indeed, over 80%, (an open fire is usually between 10% and 20% efficient when working, when its not working it just pulls hot air from your central heating up the chimney giving it an overall efficiency rating of about zero !!).

 

301 is one of my most popular stoves, customers love them. Very easy to install as well and made in Barnoldswick which is in Lancs by hand.

 

A

[djbobbins]

I would probably have gone for an inset stove but we want to get rid of the 1970s stone fireplace which runs about 7 foot along one wall, then round the corner. Plus which, the stonework protrudes about 6 inches from the wall and is uneven, so I didn't think an inset stove would look any good.

 

Including 904 liner, removal of old fireplace, hearth, chop out brickwork, supply and install oak beam, CO detector, certification etc it is going to be about £1700. The stove is available from a place about 45 minutes drive away at £640 including VAT.

 

So... now I've resolved to get it done, looking forward to it being done and finished!

[sasha.p]

Our stove also came from natural heating would recomend too fair prices and good customer service

[Rich2484]

If the chimney even needs to be lined, get a report done on it and see what it comes back with.

 

If the chimney has had it then a liner would be needed, seen a company do one before on a house I worked on. They put what I described as a long balloon down it, inflated it and poured concrete type mix around it, once set had a flue.

 

Fitting a stove is not hard as if you have a flue it's a case of connecting it it up with fittings on stove.

 

Fitted two in bosses house a while ago, used a metal sheet cut to shape of bottom of chimney then cut a hole for first section of flue, must express that the chimney was inspected and was sound.

[Alycidon]

Fitted two in bosses house a while ago, used a metal sheet cut to shape of bottom of chimney then cut a hole for first section of flue, must express that the chimney was inspected and was sound.

 

Assuming you are not Hetas qualified to install and self certify your work if you did not get them signed off as safe to use if he ever has a fire is insurance company will refuse his claim. Suggest if this is the case you get a building inspector in PDQ,

 

A

[Rich2484]

Did that sorry, his wife's dad is a surveyer so he got them checked by one of his contacts. All ok to use. Need checking again soon as they need sweeping.

[skyhuck]

Fitted two in bosses house a while ago, used a metal sheet cut to shape of bottom of chimney then cut a hole for first section of flue, must express that the chimney was inspected and was sound.

 

Assuming you are not Hetas qualified to install and self certify your work if you did not get them signed off as safe to use if he ever has a fire is insurance company will refuse his claim. Suggest if this is the case you get a building inspector in PDQ,

 

A

 

Could you post a link to a documented example of this having happened, or is it just the usual scaremongering