Woodburning stove recommendations please

Greenfires

You perhaps have different experience to me - but I don't recall ever walking away from a job I "didn't like the look of". I've walked away from jobs that couldn't be done for one reason or another - usually botched installations by builders or DIYers. I've also done quite a few jobs that other sweeps have given up on - yet still charged the customer for doing it, and chimneys that couldn't be swept yet other sweeps had managed. Quite how they removed the soot from the top of a sealed register plate in an unlined chimney I have no idea - unless they had a VERY long hoover pipe and lowered it down from the roof!

muckybutt

Man_Overboard wrote: »

There is no ongoing liability.

? you sure about that ?

So you do a dodgy sweep ? that causes a blockage or fire something like that.... homeowner gets killed..... who is gonna get it in the neck ?

THE SWEEP, corporate manslaughter or manslaughter springs to mind there.

Corporate manslaughter - This is the approach to be taken under the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 which came into force in the UK in April 2008. Where a corporation's activities cause a person's death and the failure was because of a breach that falls far below what can reasonably be expected of the organisation in the circumstances, the offence is made out.

Man_Overboard_2

muckybutt wrote: »

? you sure about that ?

So you do a dodgy sweep ? that causes a blockage or fire something like that.... homeowner gets killed..... who is gonna get it in the neck ?

THE SWEEP, corporate manslaughter or manslaughter springs to mind there.

Corporate manslaughter - This is the approach to be taken under the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 which came into force in the UK in April 2008. Where a corporation's activities cause a person's death and the failure was because of a breach that falls far below what can reasonably be expected of the organisation in the circumstances, the offence is made out.

Calm down - you're only a chimney sweep...

RHYSDAD

Anyway back on topic. We bought and self installed a Charnwood Country Four and it's fantastic. Our lounge is 20m2 and it's warm as toast as I type this out. I have access to as much wood as I need from tree surgeon mates which is something to consider when installing a stove as current wood prices are quite expensive which negates much saving over more conventional forms of home heating.

hubb

suisidevw wrote: »

Not installed yet, but everyones been raving about how great it is so I'm sure it will be!

I got a new Charnwood C4 4.9KW for £600. British made too, feels extremely solid.

I have yet to see an aesthetically pleasing stove but I like the look of this with the plain wooden handle.

Ok, I have not got £700 to spend, more like around £300-400. We have a semi terraced house. The front room has a large open fireplace and the sitting room has a Woking coal fire. We never use the front room as it's not as cosy with just the radiators. It would be nice to have the option of a multi-fuel burner to use in there when having visitors for a meal or playing music. The problem is we have to keep the door shut while our middle room fire is lit as smoke comes down the chimney in the front room. I have blocked the chimney with a temp wooden board sealed with gaffa tape to stop the smoke for now but a stove with a pipe sealed would be brilliant. We could have the chimney lined but were quoted a grand and that as 12 years ago. We have had the sitting room working fireplace swept and the sweep said it was good with a good draw.

I would be interested to know my options are.

Cheers.

suisidevw

You could procure yourself, fit yourself and get the local council to sign it off to save the labour costs?

grahamc2003

Greenfires wrote: »

You perhaps have different experience to me - but I don't recall ever walking away from a job I "didn't like the look of". I've walked away from jobs that couldn't be done for one reason or another - usually botched installations by builders or DIYers. I've also done quite a few jobs that other sweeps have given up on - yet still charged the customer for doing it, and chimneys that couldn't be swept yet other sweeps had managed. Quite how they removed the soot from the top of a sealed register plate in an unlined chimney I have no idea - unless they had a VERY long hoover pipe and lowered it down from the roof!

Mine is a self-install - had lots of help from experienced people on here at the time and couldn't have managed without that. So hopefully not a bodge - it has worked great for about 5 years now - only problems are the glass cracking a few months ago (replaced for about £20 iirc), and resealing everything with fire cement every couple of years along with the ropes.

The register plate has no access, and the chimney isn't lined. When I come to have it swept, access will be by pushing the stove pipe up and resting it on top of the register plate, leaving a hole big enough for the sweep I hope. This is exactly the same as how we had our oil AGA chimney swept for donkey's years with no comments from any of the sweeps who did it.

hubb

suisidevw wrote: »

You could procure yourself, fit yourself and get the local council to sign it off to save the labour costs?

Would the council have to sign it off ?

wintergirl

hubb wrote: »

Would the council have to sign it off ?

Yes.
You basically have 2 options when installing a solid fuel stove :
1) You get a Hetas installer to do it for you. They self-certify. Which means that they are allowed to sign it off themselves once done. You get a certificate from them saying it all complies to building regs.
2) You install it yourself, (or get a competent builder to do it.) You need to follow the Building Regs Part J. It then has to be signed off by Building Control at the local Council. In fact, I think you need to apply BEFORE you start the work, so that they can see the job 'in progress' as it were. This costs in the region of £150. Again, you get a certificate to say it is compliant.
One or two people on here may say that thats a load of unnecessary bureaucracy. That may be the case, but if you don't do it that way, when you come to sell, you may hit a problem. Or if you ever needed to make an insurance claim....

hubb

Basically I would need a plate to seal off the large chimney breast space to stop smoke from leaking back. That would be it. £150 is a lot to give to the council. Think I would just do it like some here.