do i have to line my chimney?

bigblackdog

in my last house i fitted a woodburner and lined the chimney to connect to top of the woodburner .
In my present home there is a rather large fireplace , i could easily fit a woodburner in there with space all round , I have had the chimney swept and checked and it is fine for me to go ahead and have a real fire , but i still need to go out and buy a grate and stuff , i did enjoy having the stove but i dont want to go to all the expense etc of lining the chimney ,
i thought if i maybe got another woodburner and sat it in the fireplace it is practically the same as having a real fire except the smoke just comes out of a hole in the top , anyone done this?

owned_by_2_Siamese

Hi -
I dont think this would comply with building regulations! and I think it would be dangerouse if you didnt have a stove pipe to a register plate (sealing the stove from th eroom so that all smoke etc goes up chimney) I also suspect the stove wouldnt actually work as it would not 'draw' if not connected to a chimney

I have pasted a reply I posted to a similar question re lining - as you can tell I dont think you should install without lining!

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Please think carefully about lining your chimney. I have a new house - 3 years old. We had a 5kw Morso stove professionally installed and were told our concrete 10 inch chimney on the exposed north facing side of the house would not need lining.....

After 12 months, of burning seasoned wood, mindful of all the advice to burn hot and clean, we had a deluge of boiling tar pour out of the register late - onto a hot stove. You have no idea how much mess (and the smell) and of course the danger this caused (Boiling mobile foul flammable tar bubbling and catching light!)

A professional company (not the installer) came to our rescue. Lining a chimney isn't just about inserting a metal liner its also about inserting insulation around it - to keep the chimney hot and prevent tar depositing. The exposed nature of the wall and mass of the construction of the chimney (no different to many others!) meant it never stood a chance of getting hot especially with a clean burn efficient 5kw stove (the most common size!) I would never not have the chimney lined - believe me you only have to live through it once to realise its just not worth the risk!

After a clean up costing a lot! we paid another £1500 to install the liner and reinstall the stove. 2 years on the stove gives out the same heat and burns the same - but we have piece of mind! With a 20 year + life thats about £75 a year... a small cost compared to the possible outcome of not lining. For us being off gas, rural and exposed a wood burner was a viable option, its not a cheap alternative to mains gas!

Good luck - I'm sure there will be many different views - I can only share my exp

jonewer

As I understand the building regs, you dont need to have your chimney lined but you do at least need to have an airtight register plate to seal off the flue from the surrounding room.

I'm not convinced about the need for a flue liner but 2 siamese is right that stoves are not a cheap alternative to gas. They certainly wont be anywhere near as convenient.

I'm planning on getting one as a toy and as part of re-doing a room and restoring character to my period house which has had the laminate-and-magnolia treatment.