What to look for in a Wood / Multifuel Burner?

MrsCrafty

I have just had one (woodburner) fitted and I bought the bits separately. It was so much cheaper. I bought the stove first and it's a Saltfire one.

I then contacted some chimney sweeps until I found one who was HETAS registered. He filled me in on what I needed and suggested a retailer for my chimney liner kit and vermiculite. I did buy the vermiculite from his recommendation but not the liner kit. This I found online.

I saved myself about £1,000 doing it this way as some local retailers wanted £2,500 for installing and selling the things.

Using it is common sense. Don't put damp or unseasoned wood in it. The sap will stick to the sides of your liner and cause a residue build up which could come alight. You can put coal in my woodburner but it has to be a certain type. Can't remember what but you can.

My only quibble so far is that I wish I had bought one with a bigger top/ ring on top for heating up a kettle, milk, slow cooking a stew.

Apart from that they are brilliant.

crphillips

In all fairness though you can always save a lot of money if you buy a budget stove. B & Q sell stoves for £150.

If you bought the liner online it will most likely be Docherty liner which is far from the best.....but if cheap is the aim of the game then fair enough.

I could supply and install a Saltfire stove, liner and all components for around £1200. Our average install with stove is nearer £2000 though.

MrsCrafty

crphillips wrote: »

In all fairness though you can always save a lot of money if you buy a budget stove. B & Q sell stoves for £150.

If you bought the liner online it will most likely be Docherty liner which is far from the best.....but if cheap is the aim of the game then fair enough.

I could supply and install a Saltfire stove, liner and all components for around £1200. Our average install with stove is nearer £2000 though.

It's the twin 316 grade, which everyone sells anyway so I don't really see the difference. Even several shops said getting the one with 20 years guarantee doesn't make much difference. I did really really research this and I truly believe there are a lot of people ripping people off in this industry.

If hubs was well enough and not scared of heights I would have had him on that Hetas course in a jiffy. One of our other builder friends is doing it as stoves are going to be the way forward and at the moment, being able to install them with the Hetas paperwork is a licence to print money.

I was given so much contradictory information that it made my head spin.

There is a company called stovesonline.co.uk which I didn't buy anything from but in their information bit, they tell you all about it and it's really not hard to research it from there.

One of my neighbours paid £2750 about 2 months ago for virtually the same stove and liner as me and she also thinks she was ripped off.

I would get loads of quotes then source the stuff yourself. Also check out reputable sweeps. A good one will give you loads of advice.

A._Badger

MrsCrafty wrote: »

It's the twin 316 grade, which everyone sells anyway so I don't really see the difference. Even several shops said getting the one with 20 years guarantee doesn't make much difference. I did really really research this and I truly believe there are a lot of people ripping people off in this industry.

You're right about the rip-offs, for sure - also the extremely questionable advice from retailers and the usefulness of sweeps, who often have amassed huge practical experience and knowledge.

crphillips

MrsCrafty wrote: »

It's the twin 316 grade, which everyone sells anyway so I don't really see the difference. Even several shops said getting the one with 20 years guarantee doesn't make much difference. I did really really research this and I truly believe there are a lot of people ripping people off in this industry.

This is my point exactly.........there is a HUGE difference between one companies 316 grade and another companies 316 grade.......316 is purely the grade of stainless steel......it says nothing about the liners construction or how much of the steel is used in manufacturing the liner..............the liner we us has 50% more material in it than another popular brand............i've had liners from a very popular brand fail within 3 years of use! I moved away from that brand and went for the BEST, not the cheapest.

MrsCrafty wrote: »

........it's really not hard to research it from there.

It obviously is though as you got it so wrong with your statement above.

A lot of people don't have a clue and unfortunately on the road to saving money get their blinkers on and will side with many myths just to justify their cheapness. Shame.

When you say your neighbour got virtually the same stove.....what stove was it?

I'd definitely agree on the point of getting several quotes.

w50nky

crphillips wrote: »

This is my point exactly.........there is a HUGE difference between one companies 316 grade and another companies 316 grade.......316 is purely the grade of stainless steel......it says nothing about the liners construction or how much of the steel is used in manufacturing the liner..............the liner we us has 50% more material in it than another popular brand............i've had liners from a very popular brand fail within 3 years of use! I moved away from that brand and went for the BEST, not the cheapest.



It obviously is though as you got it so wrong with your statement above.

A lot of people don't have a clue and unfortunately on the road to saving money get their blinkers on and will side with many myths just to justify their cheapness. Shame.

When you say your neighbour got virtually the same stove.....what stove was it?

I'd definitely agree on the point of getting several quotes.

I have to agree. I installed my own stove and the difference between quality of liners I examined was extreme. I used Rite Vent 904 grade as I intend to stay in this property. I also chose the 904 grade as I will be burning smokeles fuel.

I even looked into the qualities of 316 versus 904 stainless steel online to try to help me decide. But I am a bit sad sometimes!

I still believe that quality pays and does not cost, especially if you shop around and take advise from the experienced posters on this site.

hethmar

We never touch 316 grade, its really not worth it for the small difference in buying 904/904 grade. There IS a lot of difference in the qualities of s/s and we always reject liners if they arrive with any leafing or denting. The only time we used the above mentioned product (during a very busy run up to christmas and our own supplier was out of stock) we rejected their delivery 3 times in a row and never used them again. Dodgey installers will no doubt not worry because the product is "hidden" up the flueway. We dont work like that.

There are also 316/904 grade liners that some people will try to pass off as "904".

Also, if you dont have the installation signed off by your local buildings control or your HETAS installer then the installation isnt legal Im afraid.

welda

crphillips wrote: »

This is my point exactly.........there is a HUGE difference between one companies 316 grade and another companies 316 grade.......316 is purely the grade of stainless steel......it says nothing about the liners construction or how much of the steel is used in manufacturing the liner..............the liner we us has 50% more material in it than another popular brand............i've had liners from a very popular brand fail within 3 years of use! I moved away from that brand and went for the BEST, not the cheapest

Evening Mr CPR, or Mr F . I am genuinely interested in what you mean with reference to the above, have you viewed liner being manufactured, nearest I have come was to view galvi spiral duct being made, and this was single skin. What do you mean "50% more material"? As for grade, 316 is 316, different % chromium/nickel.

I installed 316 outer> 904 inner grade liner, from my research at the time, these grades are supposed to be best suited for multi fuel burners? I can feel a new liner install brewing sooner rather than later

When you state one brand failing compared to another brand, is this due to gauge thickness, or the way liner is manufactured? When I viewed my liner for first time, I did think it is very clever how this stuff is put together, especially when thinking back how much stress I put on mine while we were furiously hauling it down the stack!

Maybe the outer joints vary from one brand name to the other, I would however be very interested if a CD is available to view liner matl being manufactured.

Cheers.......

Ps, how does the 904 element get drawn in, are both grades worked in tandem?

woodstoveman

great piece of information there! No sarcasm! I run a stove retail business and avoid HETAS fitters like the plague. Every installation is carried out professionally and signed of by building control. (Yes, this is slightly more expensive than HETAS, but I just can't stomach paying some guys a lot of money that give me or my customers nothing in return) And absolutely right, before we even see our customers the chimney is checked out by a trusted chimney sweep (who also avoids HETAS like the plague) to make sure the flue is fine etc. etc. To top it all I was recently called out to a fire installed by a registered fitter that I had to condemn as soon as I saw it - profoundly unsafe but signed off by the fitter. Says it all!

woodstoveman

Hi,

The answer could not be simpler. Buy a Jotul F100 - there is nothing out there that could possibly compare. The quality is superb - I sell these stoves by the dozens every month. Just can't fault them at all.

The actual installation is very simple and should never cost you more than £150.00 maximum including sign off under whatever the installer wants to be registered with (does not have to be HETAS, can be any of a great no of organisations all claiming they can guarantee your safety (they can't). Any other work, rendering, plastering etc. would obviously be extra.

Shop around to get the best price. You should get 15% to 20% discount no problem. If the retailer does not want to give you that, don't bother with them.