Chimneys and real fires

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Chimneys and real fires
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Northern_Lad

Joined: 13 Dec 2004
Posts: 14210
Location: Somewhere

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 05 3:34 pm Post subject:

Treacodactyl wrote:

Northern_Lad wrote:

You can indeed - if fact, I did so on Sunday and cooked my mother, sister and BIL by doing so. It runs nicely, but it burns more fuel that way.

I think you're meant to cook for your mother not cook her on mothering sunday.

So that's why they're not talking to me anymore...

Parents have got a gas version of a cast iron stove, so I was showing them what a proper fire could do.

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 05 3:42 pm Post subject:

Alchemist wrote:

I want to get a wood-burning stove for my living room. Have any of you guys got any specific recommendations/horror stories about any of the manufacturers. Sean's note in his article about buying the best one can afford is pretty good advice I think and echoed by pretty much everyone I've spoken to (friends, family, and anyone else I can bend the ear of!), but there seems to be little concensus on anything else. Any recommendations?

I think most manufacturers seem O.K. we've got a Clearview, which I like. Jonnyboy's going with Charnwood. Most makers have specs for their range on their websites, and usually a gizmo for calculating the output you need. Clearview invented the airwash system, which stops the glass from sooting up, most makers use a similar idea now.
If you want to be traditional you could get a 'Franklin Stove', designed by Benjamin Franklin, they don't have glass doors, so you can't see the fire when they're shut, but they also work with the doors open and you can get grills for them if you fancy cooking.

Alchemist

Joined: 02 Mar 2005
Posts: 123
Location: Aberdeenshire

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 05 3:44 pm Post subject:
Thanks All. Cast iron it is then. Here's looking forward to winter evenings in front of a roaring inferno.

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 05 4:03 pm Post subject:
Sean, can you / do you leave the glass door open? Does the airwash system work and how often do you need to clean the glass?

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 05 4:07 pm Post subject:
Our model has a single door, it will burn with it open but it looks odd and is much less efficient. I wipe the glass about once a month or so. Clearview have big windows so you get a good view of the fire anyway.

JonO

Joined: 05 Mar 2005
Posts: 119
Location: South Birmingham

Posted: Wed Mar 09, 05 9:57 am Post subject:

I fitted a fire into my place about 6 weeks ago. Wasn't that difficult a job. I had a gas fire and liner fitted in another room shortly before that and got the guy who sells/fits liners to look at the front chimney and he said it wouldn't need a liner (Which is good 'cause he would be the one to sell me one !) but to be on the safe side I got it swept and asked the chimney sweeps opinion. and he agreed that there was no need. Since then I've had fantastic real fires !

I found the liner guy by contacting a gas showroom and asking them who they use (I contacted a few until I found one I was happy with !) as the same people who put in gas flu's puts in ones for real fires. The chimney sweep informed me that a lot of people fall foul of putting in liners when they don't need to as it is a rather expensive thing to do and chimneys were kinda designed for that job !

One last hint, the guy who fitted the liner informed me that he charges more in winter time (Due to demand) rather than summer so it could be worth waiting a while if your gonna get it done !

jema
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28233
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Wed Mar 09, 05 10:06 am Post subject:

JonO wrote:

and chimneys were kinda designed for that job !

Behemoth

Joined: 01 Dec 2004
Posts: 19023
Location: Leeds

Posted: Wed Mar 09, 05 10:14 am Post subject:

[quote="JonO". The chimney sweep informed me that a lot of people fall foul of putting in liners when they don't need to as it is a rather expensive thing to do and chimneys were kinda designed for that job !

quote]

I was cynical like that until the bloke let off the smoke bomb. I watched it woosh up the chimney, good draw i thought, and then went upstairs to find the attic bedrooms full of smoke. Looked out of the velux, there was no smoke coming out of the chimney pot but the rest of the stack was leaking smoke like a seive.

JonO

Joined: 05 Mar 2005
Posts: 119
Location: South Birmingham

Posted: Wed Mar 09, 05 10:38 am Post subject:
Definatly proves the benefit of getting it tested !

judyofthewoods

Joined: 29 Jan 2005
Posts: 804
Location: Pembrokeshire

Posted: Wed Mar 09, 05 12:47 pm Post subject:

Moggins, you can do a preliminary test for draw and to see if the smoke comes out of the chimney by burning some news paper, the smoke of which is not too noxious if it does enter the house. In my own experience with an inglenook, the draw was poor (perhaps due to a large cold surface area - a hot chimney improves draw), and most of the heat went into the sky. I had an Isokern liner installed, which was very good, but not the cheapest option. I was advised not to have the inflated type lining system, but it was many years ago and I can't remember the reason for it.

mochyn

Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 24585
Location: mid-Wales

Posted: Thu Mar 10, 05 9:01 am Post subject:
We have a Clearview and love it. It's very easy to maintain, almost never goes out and we can cook on top of it. As we live on the edge of a wood and have lots of hard wood on our own land it's the obvious thing. They're also made not far from here and we picked ours up from the foundry and installed it ourselves.

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Thu Mar 10, 05 12:41 pm Post subject:
Which model have you got?

hils

Joined: 08 Mar 2005
Posts: 568
Location: Nottingham

Posted: Thu Mar 10, 05 1:44 pm Post subject: chimney liner
hi re chimney liners. Have a look in your Yellow pages under chimney liners - my father had his own business doing just this for years (retired now). They usually do a free quote and inspection and can let you know the best places to buy stoves or may even have a good second hand one for sale. H

hils

Joined: 08 Mar 2005
Posts: 568
Location: Nottingham

Posted: Thu Mar 10, 05 1:48 pm Post subject: chimney liner
ps he mainly lined with perlite which they melt or something and it sticks to the inside of the chimney. sorry not too good with the ins and outs of it!

moggins

Joined: 24 Feb 2005
Posts: 942
Location: Gloucester

Posted: Thu Mar 10, 05 1:50 pm Post subject:
Thanks hils, I've just found a few. Now would it be best to call out the chimney sweep first and see what he thinks. I'd prefer to do that than call in a company who are going to say straightaway, yes Mrs, you do need a liner, who would you like to take your second mortgage out with?

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