Log burner fiited incorrectly...fire last night please help.

clairebell

Yes invoice from the retailer showing cost of log burner plus cost of installation and the first name of the installer (box next to this them says to pay fitter on the day), this all on their headed invoice so i'm presuming it is with them, we will go tomorrow and see what they advise.

thanks

rustyboy21

Looking through a number of installer guides for different stove manufacturers, it looks a very grey area in what length of flue pipe is needed to be used when using your existing chimney. He may have not ben able to use the metre length you bought , as the flue may have had a bend in it, so wouldn't fit. But you should have been notified of this at the time.

The flue pipe should go through a register plate and the flue and register plate should be airtight sealed into the room.

However you should have either
a. a register plate with an access hole, so you can clear any debris off the plate and around the pipe regularly, so stopping any potential chimney fires.

or

b. a flue pipe with an access point to clear flue obstructions. Can't see how this helps though, as you cannot get to the soot build up on the register plate out, which sounds like is the cause of your fire.

If you haven't regularly cleaned the soot downfalls, or havent had the flue swept a month after your installation, if the flue has been used for solid fuel in the past ( which all 5 of the manufacturers viewed, state you need to do ), This could be used in the retailers defense.

It doesn't take away the fact however, that your engineer should be HETAS registered. As said before, the retailer doesnt need to be registered themselves.

I would look at getting HETAS investigator out to view what has happened. He will take on board any legal aspects of the case and will give you ammunition , if the fault is found to be incorrect installation. If HETAS is anything like GASAFE then they will not let it go. If it is found to be incorrect usage, then I suggest you contact your insurance company to see if they will help out.

Don't think the police will be able to help you out, it is not fraud, it may be incorrect installation. Health and safety could possibly, HETAS would be my advice for best course of action.

devildog

I don't believe that HETAS is that good tbh.
I know someone who went through them after a faulty installation and they were as useless as a chocolate teapot.
The installer was HETAS registered, two issues that I can recall(may have been more) are that the stove was over 5KW(?) and needed extra ventilation in the room which wasn't done and the liner wasn't fit for purpose(it was one that is used for gas installations)
Basically the house owners had been out and when they returned their carbon monoxide alarm was showing that it had been activated. They called out a sweep and what came down the chimney was the liner in bits and pieces. This was about 12/18 months after installation.
HETAS were carp.