Great Rural MoneySaving Hunt

choille

You may need your flu lined & that is expensive.

Who ever supplies you with the stove would be best to advise on fitting.

Lotus-eater

nykmedia wrote: »

I'm hoping to fit a logburner with backboiler for next winter, rather than open fire and hot water via immersion heater. Can anyone tell me if an ordinary plumber is all that's needed for fitting the stove and connecting the boiler, tank and pump etc? Is this a specialist job or can local tradesmen carry out the installation - any info about what's most economical would be much appreciated?

Look at this web page, it is a link of Hetas engineers that can fit wood burners without having to get them checked by the local building regs. They should also know all the safety legals that local tradesmen may not.
You may need a plumber and a stove fitter. But not all plumbers may know how to do it.
Get fitters in for a quote and get them to tell you what you need.

http://www.hetas.co.uk/nearest_member

harryhound

It is all this fuss about people being gassed by carbon monoxide, usually because they have been criminally insane in the way they maintained the burner/chimney and because they were too young, drunk, old to realise there was a problem.

So now we all have to pay a safety premium in terms of paying for the extra skills of a certified installer or having the council double check the work.

Optimisticpair

nykmedia wrote: »

My other major saving that's been brilliant, is my stash of pine cones that I collected throughout summer and dried out for winter kindling. It's like money(saving) growing on trees It also looks quite shabby chic when the cones & kindling sticks are piled up in a basket by the fire.

There's a gift idea there too!

Find a basket in a charity shop, fill with different types of cones, some holly and ivy etc, dried seed heads, bit of gold or other spray paint on a few of them and add a few drops of essential oils. Pop some home made chutney in and Bingo you have made a Xmas pressy.

Hmm scented firelighters!

How do you dry your cones?

Frugaldom

I am not stupid, I do realise that such a huge job needs to be undertaken by a professional, but who and where are these professionals (and suppliers, for that matter) when we need them? Nothing listed for my area, going to try council for more info.

Optimisticpair wrote: »

How do you dry your cones?

In cardboard boxes during summer then bring them in one basketload at a time. I have one of those big willow shopping baskets that sits beside the fireplace. (It isn't close enough for any potential sparks to reach, before anyone suggests further stupidity.)

vandanfc

Just guessing from one of your previous posts, but would the Kilmarnock ones not cover your area ?

Frugaldom

vandanfc wrote: »

Just guessing from one of your previous posts, but would the Kilmarnock ones not cover your area ?

I just did a search using my postcode and the closest was in the Borders, but they don't come out to the southwest. Haven't spotted any in Kilmarnock, but that's miles from here anyway. I was hoping to find one within a 40 to 50 mile radius. I still don't even know if it'll be financially viable. Landlords not the easiest people to engage in conversation about repairs or improvements.

choille

If you don't own the property then I really wouldn't do it unless you get your landlord to organise & pay for it.

downshifter

choille wrote: »

If you don't own the property then I really wouldn't do it unless you get your landlord to organise & pay for it.

Why not? Although there is a slight risk attached to it in terms of security of tenure, and obviously you would need the landlord's permission, if you plan to stay somewhere for a long while you might as well make the house as you would like to live in it. In my case I 've lived in this rented house for around 9 years and have recarpeted/refloored it, fitted the kitchen (there was none when I moved in) installed an electric shower and myriad other things. I'd also like to install a multifuel stove with back burner in my kitchen which presently has an open fire so am following nykmedia's investigations with interest. It's worth paying rent because never in a million years could I afford to buy a house in an area like this, it's wonderful!

When deciding what's worth doing or not I just do the maths. My shower for example, cost around £800 to put in, so over 9 years that's less than £100 a year, and I intend to stay here a good while longer yet - it's my home after all! So financially I can't see any problem.

My landlord definitely wouldn't pay for a stove as after all, it doesn't benefit him,so nykmedia is right to get all the info about figures/work involved etc beforehand so everyone knows what they're talking about when negotiations open.

DS

Lotus-eater

If you pay a couple of grand to have a stove fitted to someone elses house, I think you're a little crazy, but each to their own.