Recent content by sootylum

Hi The HETAS course is an excellent course for solid fuel maintenance and installation. I would recommend that you have a good background in the solid fuel side of buildings like chimney sweep, fireplace builder / installer etc. Contact HETAS for more info they will be only to glad to help. cheers

6 or 7 parts vermiculate to one part ordinary portland cement, don't make it too wet, use this to fill in the void at the back of the fire. For the flaunching at the throat of the fire use a lime mortar mix this will allow it to expand and contract with the heat.

I came across this unbelievable stove installation when I was called to sweep the chimneys serving other solid fuel appliances in the same house. I explained to the homeowner one or two obvious problems with the stove installation :shock: and advised them never to use it. I posted out a quote...

various chimney pictures

Not sure what you mean here, could you post pictures ?.

Hi If you remove the chimney breast from your bedroom it will leave the chimney in the loft and the stack outside unsupported and thats a lot of weight to have falling in on your house. The chimney in the loft must be supported by proper steel work built into the stucture of the house. A good...

Hi The throat in the flue is designed to act like an upside down funnel directing all the smoke and gases from an open fire into the flue and up out the pot. I would recommend that you get a professional chimney sweep in first to sweep and test the chimney to ensure that it is in a safe...

I'm trying to visualize what your describing would it be possible to post pictures ?. Is this pipe going through the wall horizontal or in the chimney vertical. If vertical it may possibly be part of an old liner or cowl thats fallen down. The section where the fireplace has been broken away...

When your back boiler was removed they would have probably left the old 5" liner in the chimney. I imagine that this liner would be a few years old and therefor no fitter could guarantee the liner would last the life span of your new fire and therefor not fit to it. have the liner removed and...

Is the fireplace still in position or has it been taken away and boarded over ?. If it has ensure that a small vent has been fitted where the fire used to be and the chimney pot fitted with a blank cap. This sounds like one of two things I have come across before, 1. Chimney pot is open and...

Hi Ive had a new betacom combi natural gas boiler fitted about 4 months ago. Hot water delivery is fine but now that we are using the heating the boiler is doing the following, temp set on dial on front of boiler and it ignites burns for approx 3min then stops. I have to turn off and on power...