woodburning stove advice please

botanical

What's wrong with buying a stove at a good price online then getting a stove-fitter to install it?
We've had out chimney checked and it's fine etc

We were quoted, £4,000, from the stove centre place we visited. They've not visited us, though.

I thought we'd be able to have the job done for £2,000 for a 6KW size stove. Is this cloud cuckoo land?

WillowCat

There's nothing wrong with that providing you can find a good independent Hetas fitter to do the job.

Many of them have strong links to a particular shop, or they don't like the fact that they're not involved the whole way through etc etc.

We had 4 fitters round before we found one we could get on with and was happy to do the job.

I paid £1000 for the fitting including 11m 904/904 liner, cowl etc at top of chimney vermiculite insulation, the connection for the flue to the rigid flue (though I supplied the rigid flue/sweeping point etc) fitting a cowl to another chimney, connecting up and testing the stove.

I had previously had my builder rip out the old 1930's tiled fireplace and render the builders opening, and I had already laid a slate hearth.

With a bit of care and some DIY preparing the opening etc I don't see why it can't be done for £2000 but I recommend you find your fitter first as they will be able to guide you. I used the Hetas find an installer page on their website.

botanical

Thank you very much for that. We weren't sure if the advice we've been receiving from stove shops was impartial or whether they wanted to flog us needless stuff. We do have a chimney expert and Heta stove fitter coming round, so we'll see what he says.
It's a very difficult area to price, because it's an individual job.

hethmar

£4k is a great deal of money - is this an unusual job or a very tall house? A normal, 904 grade flue down the chimney and connected up so you are all set to light up should average about £1200 including HETAS and NACE certification, register plate, stove pipe, bottom adaptor, insert, top plate, clamp and insulation, Co monitor and air vent.

Ah, I think you may be including the cost of the stove in your quote? Still £2k should be ok.

pipsta

I paid £400 fitted and registered. I supplied all materials.
Shops will fob you off because there is not enough mark up on just fitting. Find a local Hetas registered sweep.

thebaldwindowfitter

http://www.wisdomfireplaces.co.uk/

tell them Paul from A6 windows told you to call Martin is the owner and im sure you will get a very good deal

hethmar

Just make sure you get a HETAS compliance certificate at the end of the job (and that its registered with HETAS!) plus your warranty details. Or have the local buildings control out to sign it off as safe. Always surprises us when people tell us that they had a HETAS person do the job but then say they have no certificate or warranty.

blue70

Hethmar

Sorry I know you are always being pestered for advice but you do seem very knowledgable!

We have removed an ugly gas fire to reveal the original 1930s brick fireplace. The plan is to have the flue lined and install a wood or multi-fuel burner, at the moment a Clearview Pioneer 400 is the front runner. We only want to heat the living room and 5kw will manage that.

I've had three firms round to quote (It would have been four but one of them didn't turn up) and we've had one quote through which is £1536 for lining the flue (8-9 metres), insulation with micafil & connecting to stove. This was the only firm where I forgot to ask what type of liner they use (316 or 904) so will have to clarify that with them. Difficult for you to speculate I know but does this sound reasonable?

One of the other firms recommends a company called Specflue (http://www.specflue.com/index.cfm) for supplying flue liners. They tend to use the 316 which is guaranteed for 10yrs but will quote for the 904 as well - my preference. Having looked at their price list I was atsonished to see 904 grade at £149 pm. I then looked at other internet suppliers and from the 4 sites I looked at 9mtrs of 904 Flexible liner was from £314-380. Obviously this is a massive difference so my question is are Specflue overpriced or are the other sites cheap and rubbish??

Any advice that you have is very appreciated.
Thanks

hethmar

Bless you, Im afraid Im not very knowledgeable but Ive been married and been secretary to a man who is and has lined chimneys for over quarter of a century now so I have picked up things on the way.

Specflue is one of the biggest suppliers in the business. However, the price you see on their listings is discounted to the actual lining installers as obviously we buy in bulk. I cant understand why the chap recommended you buy the liners separately as usually there is profit for them in the lining and the discounted costing should be reflected in the price they charge to you.

We only use Specflue 904/904 liners. We have tried other suppliers over the years but have been disappointed with the quality and/or delivery. Its amazing how some installers will use liners which look like they have been dragged down a flueway already and are covered in dents - do check up the flue after the installation and before the stove is fitted to ensure at least the bit you can see is totally sound.

All I can suggest is you look on the NACE and HETAS sites for installers and ask round friends and family or your usual chimney sweep for recommendations.

Make sure you actually get the Hetas cert and product warranty in your hands. Many people never actually receive these documents although promised.

You can always do the job yourself if you feel up to it - and get Buildings Control in to sign the work off - for about £120). TBH, if you are up to it, you will probably do a better job than some installers that we have seen as you will take a lot more care. Remember you must have a carbon monoxide monitor in the room now (we use Fireangel CO-9X) and your hearth must extend a minimum of 12" in front of the appliance.

We have a Clearview Pioneer 400 in our own house, you will be very pleased with it, its very easy to light up and use and burns beautifully. Make sure you get a thermometer with it so that you can bring it up to a good 400/500 temperature and keep it at that point to ensure its working to its optimum. We have ours in an average size living room and we leave the door open so that the heat spreads out into the hallway and up the stairs. Good wood makes a terrific difference in the heat output so start scouting round now for good supplies that you can stock up and keep til next heating season.

Mojisola

hethmar wrote: »

We have a Clearview Pioneer 400 in our own house, you will be very pleased with it, its very easy to light up and use and burns beautifully. Make sure you get a thermometer with it so that you can bring it up to a good 400/500 temperature and keep it at that point to ensure its working to its optimum.

We have a Clearview Pioneer Oven and I'm very impressed with the ease of use. It lights instantly and responds so quickly to changes in the controls that it's as easy as a gas fire to control. It also cooks baked potatoes and casseroles very nicely as well!

blue70

Hethmar,

Thanks very much for your reply. Sorry I obviously didn't make myself clear but the installer isn't asking me to buy the flue liner he just made a big deal about the fact that that is where his company gets their flue liners from.

I think I'll make a point of asking the other installers where they get their flue liners from so I can compare.

I do most DIY projects around the house myself but I think that this might be beyond me. I don't fancy getting up on the roof and there are a couple of kinks in my chimney which means that they might have to remove some bricks in a couple of places to assist the flue liner down the chimney. I'll stick with laying the hearth and fitting the mantle myself to save a bit of cash.

Thanks again.
blue70