Log burner owners - HELP PLEASE!

Vicky_2012 · 20 March 2018 at 12:28PM

Hi, I wonder if anyone has any advice. We had a multi fuel stove fitted 13.12.2017. This was passed by planning as was on our plans when we had them approved for a back extension, so as part of our building regs we had to have it HETAS certificated. We hired a hetas recommended installer, he did a great job and we have been very happy with it.

We have had difficulties with our neighbours who have accused us of smoke nuisance, this first we knew about it was when we had a visit from environmental health from our Local Council. They were more than happy with everything. A week later we had a knock from that neighbour saying that smoke was getting into her house, the story was ludicrous. They rent the property and so I told her she needs to contact her landlady first!

We agreed to get out fitter back to see if what he had fitted he was happy with since it had been used! He came the next day and was more than happy with this, he said the only thing we could do is add another piece to the top of the flue to bring it up that much higher, (it is already over what it needs to e) but he said it doesn't mean this will fix what they are moaning about though!

The jest of it is we agreed to this, then there was a huge argument with our neighbour a few days later in which we had to call the police due to threatening behaviour towards us! She has since been onto the council reporting black smoke, the council asked an inspector from HETAS to visit, he did the inspection and was again more than happy with everything. We then had a phone call from environmental health a week after this saying they were more than happy with HETAS report but would like us to change the type of wood we are using due to the fact it is bought from a tree surgeon and they cannot say what tree it has come from!

So once again we have agreed to do this, my husband was not happy about it though! Apparently they had evidence of the black smoke. So the weekend just gone we purchased kiln dried logs from B&Q, we have decided to video everything we do with the fire, from lighting to the smoke out of the flue. The frustration is when the fire is up to heat and a new log goes on this, although it catches straight away it still produces some smoke out of the top of the flue, this is mainly light smoke but has swirls of dark grey in this (this is what I think they are claiming is black smoke!), when the log is completely taken this goes back to clear, so not matter what we do there is always going to be some kind of smoke, like the saying there is no smoke without fire.

I just wondered if anyone could give any advice on this, environmental health have said they are keeping the complaint open for 4 more weeks to see if there are anymore complaints, we just get punished for everything although we don't seem to be doing anything wrong!

waamo · 20 March 2018 at 12:51PM

It sounds like your neighbour is the problem rather than the fire or any type of wood you are putting on the fire.

Andy_WSM · 20 March 2018 at 1:46PM

I've been through all this myself. Old git across the road was complaining he could smell my log burner - even when the wind wasn't blowing in his direction. After several months of this and a council inspection (which was all good, HETAS certified, wood stock dry etc) I turned the tables and said that I'd make a complaint for harrasment. Not heard a peep since.

Richmc · 20 March 2018 at 2:51PM

There's a company called Certainly Wood who supply kiln dried logs that are HETAS approved both online and probably local supply, get some logs from them, buddy next door will have to prove there is a problem. Once you have your fire lit close the lower vent and reduce the upper wash vent to minimum, there should be zero smoke as you will be burning the gasses given off from the fuel not the wood itself.
As Andy said make a complaint about the idiot, and send him a bill for the expenses he has caused you, including your time and phone calls etc.

Vicky_2012 · 20 March 2018 at 3:14PM

Thanks for your comments, she could be taking a video when a log first goes up, but I bet it doesn't last long enough to see that once that has reached temperature there is no smoke! We have started filming everything we are doing and I am going to send the previous nights videos to environmental health each day so they can see for themselves we are doing everything correctly but a fire will still produce some smoke some times! We feel that this is the only way that we can prove the neighbour wrong! Provide evidence to show our innocence!

CashStrapped · 20 March 2018 at 3:20PM

I do think that the increase in wood burner use is a bubbling up to become a future issue.

I appreciate that the OP has done everything they can in this instance. I do not have an issue with log burners per se, but I am concerned about the degradation in air quality. It is just a shame the relationship with their neighbour has broken down.

I personally have noticed the increase in the houses in my area using them and certainly notice a change in air quality when the weather gets colder. This must have an impact on the quality of their air we breath and there needs to be a consideration for those with health issues related to breathing, asthma etc.

I can only see this as an issue that is going to get press attention at some point. When we are in the midst of trying to improve air quality in inner cities, this does seem to be a backward step.

You can get Defra approved burners, how much impact this has, I do not know. I also wonder how often the issue is to do with incorrect use of the burner.

A lot more children suffer from asthma these days and I can only imagine that as wood burners grow and grow in popularity, there will be a crackdown at some point.

---

I do think that, at times, we need to consider those living around us. Maybe I am just in the lucky position where I can visit all my neighbours, have a cup of tea and talk about things.

Mojisola · 20 March 2018 at 3:28PM

Vicky_2012 wrote: »

she could be taking a video when a log first goes up, but I bet it doesn't last long enough to see that once that has reached temperature there is no smoke!

We have started filming everything we are doing

You need to video from outside as well so that you can show that the visible smoke doesn't last long.

r2015 · 20 March 2018 at 3:50PM

One of my neighbours has a log burner and it stinks out the whole street.

They should be banned, what happened to smokeless zones?

When I was a teenager I lived in a smokeless zone and my parents had to buy smokeless coal and anthracite as they had central heating from an enclosed coal fire.

Never was the smell as bad from 100's of smokeless fires as the one wood burner of my neighbour.

CashStrapped · 20 March 2018 at 3:56PM

I too am curious how smokeless zones apply to wood burners. Most areas are smokeless zones, but wood burners/multifuel burners seem not to apply.

matelodave · 20 March 2018 at 5:11PM

The Government recently completed a Domestic Wood Use Survey, which underlines the need to burn wood in efficient wood burning stoves. The SIA (Stove Industry Alliance) commented that wood burning stoves are the most popular appliance for burning wood, followed by the much less efficient open fires.

In a world that focuses so much on high-tech advancements, when it comes to renewable energy people tend of think of solar, wind, hydro-electric and other high-tech methods. However, wood is a highly sustainable energy source. If managed from sustainable woodlands, burning wood on a high efficiency wood burning stove, can actually have a lower environmental CO2 impact than if the wood was left to naturally rot on the forest floor.

So it's good for the planet, a bit like diesel cars but perhaps not so good for people, again like diesel cars.

alleycat` · 20 March 2018 at 5:19PM

CashStrapped wrote: »

I too am curious how smokeless zones apply to wood burners. Most areas are smokeless zones, but wood burners/multifuel burners seem not to apply.

They do apply.
If you're in a smoke control zone then you're only allowed / supposed to purchase certain types of stove to burn wood. They are "exempt" on the basis that, if operated correctly, they burn cleanly.

The usual issue is the operator and not the device itself.
The OP has done everything they can / should be doing.

Sadly many think that they are allowed to burn any old !"£$ they can get their hands on (fence posts, tantalized wood, soaking wet wood, coal etc).

Wood from tree surgeons typically needs air drying in a store for 2 years before it's suitable to burn. Even the "kiln dried" stuff is usually still at 20% moisture and soon gets "wet" if it's not correctly stored / transported.

OP - you could try heatlogs (see hotties or verdo as examples). They are typically very low moisture content and easy to stack and store (not typically cheap though).

If you've got a multi-fuel stove then "smokeless" fuel tends to burn hotter for longer (and cheaper) than wood but it leaves much more residual ash to deal with every day.

Log burner owners - HELP PLEASE!

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