Installing a woodburning stove with a small fireplace

[ginola]

I want to install a wood burning stove, I've searched for advice but practically all examples/information describe fitting a stove into a recessed fireplace.

Our fireplace is very small, so it would be a bit of work to open it up, it also has a throat lintel and clay linning, I'm sure it's possible to install a stove that sits on the hearth, can someone offer advice on how to do this please?

I don't think I can install a register plate as the gap behind the throat lintel is only about 4 inches, I have seen a plate for sale that gets placed over the entire opening, is that an option, what about sealing it?

 

[Richard C]

If you do a forum search, you will find many threads covering almost all aspects regarding fire openings & enlarging them, flue installation, stove installation, what materials you can & cannot use & applicable Building Regulations covering the work.

To prevent fatal asphyxiation, installing a stove is controlled building work & you must comply with several Building Regulations before a compliance certificate can be issued for the work. You can either employ a registered HETAS installer who will do all the work for you & issue a compliance certificate or, if you intend to DIY, you must submit a Building Notice to your LABC who will inspect the work, witness smoke & spillage tests & issue a compliance certificate. You will need the compliance certificate when you come to sell & not being able to produce one in the event of any associated problems could invalidate your house insurance.

 

[ginola]

Hi, thanks for the reply.

I have read some of the other topics, however the point is that I don't want to enlarge the fireplace, and I would like to know if this is a possibility.

 

[ginola]

I have now read, a lot, of other threads, I will be getting a HETAS engineer to do the final install, but I would like to prepare the site as much as possible to keep the cost down.

As mentioned, the fireplace is tiny, it also has a throat lintel sitting on top of the linning, and it is this that makes it difficult for me to see how a stove can be installed; there is no room for a register plate with the lintel/linning as it is and if I remove these another lintel will need to be installed, which I'd rather avoid.

I'm sure I've seen installations where the entire fire opening is covered by a board and the pipe passes through this, but I can't find the links now.

Is this a possibility still, I wonder if this method is still OK with the current regulations, is it possible to seal it adequately this way?

I suppose the question should be 'can I fit a wood burning stove using my existing fireplace, or does it have to be opened up?'.

 

[masona]

I think your best bet because of lot of questions is to go to these fireplaces/ stoves shop and find the stove you're interested in buying then they will send someone round which are HETAS registered which will give you professional advice and they will have a chat what can be done. I have fitted my own stove with flue pipe in my conservatory after reading up all the regulations and instead of getting it passed by building control dept which I understand is £300+, I went to the fireplaces shop and they gave me a number of HETAS installer who was happy to give me a compliance certificate and they will send a copy to HETAS for onward notification to the local authority. Although some of them may be reluctant to sign off work that they have not carried out themselves could prove difficult but my HETAS was happy to do this for me £60 for 10 mins work , you won't know unless you start talking to them. Failing that, you will have submit a building noticed


I know what you need to do but I'm not qualfied to give advice on this issue, good luck

 

[ginola]

Hi masona, thanks for comenting.

'I know what you need to do but I'm not qualfied to give advice on this issue, good luck', isn't that the point of this forum? ;0)

Like I said I am going to get a HETAS guy to finish this off, but I would like to do any necessary work first, so I would very much like to have some advice from you.

 

[Richard C]

I know what you need to do but I'm not qualfied to give advice on this issue, good luck

isn't that the point of this forum?

None of us can advise if we can’t see the job/pics, have little idea of your perceived problems or what you’re trying to achieve, hence the advice to consult a HETAS installer who will! The point of this forum is to give professional advice but we can/will only advise someone who actually has some idea of what they are doing & clearly you do not!

Like I said I am going to get a HETAS guy to finish this off, but I would like to do any necessary work first, so I would very much like to have some advice from you.

You’re doing it the wrong way around, either gen up & know what your talking about as a competent DIY or consult a HETAS installer & he will tell you what you need to do. You will still be able to DIY the work your capable of doing as long as they agree; it’s their or LABC certification that matters.

 

[ginola]

I have contacted a HETAS guy, just waiting for instructions on what preparation needs to be done, in the meantime, I have read previous posts on the render mix (sand:cement:lime), I'm finding it difficult to buy the lime locally (and I live in Lincolnshire!), it seems merchants are stocking plastiziser instead, is that a decent option? Alternatively, the lime that I have found comes in various strengths, which should be used?

'The point of this forum is to give professional advice' I'm surprised that you say that as the Welcome page states 'Are you working on your own DIY project? Share experiences, tips, ideas, and frustrations with others', which I think suggests different, no?

 

[Richard C]

'The point of this forum is to give professional advice' I'm surprised that you say that as the Welcome page states 'Are you working on your own DIY project? Share experiences, tips, ideas, and frustrations with others', which I think suggests different, no?

Well you left a chunk of the welcome statement out for a start. So you would prefer unprofessional advice from people who have no experience or idea what they are talking about ? Good luck with it, that sort of rules me out.

 

[ginola]

RichardC: apologies if I have offended you, but I'm not sure why you are taking it that way, I thought it was a reasonable question, is the input on this forum limited to experts only? I'm just confused as to why masona shied off giving advice.

 

[masona]

I'm just confused as to why masona shied off giving advice.

No problem, it's because I'm not HETAS registered to tell you how to do the job. If you are diy competent to do the job then you wouldn't be asking any questions, I would have to draw a line where safely is concern and I would feel guilty if god forbid any carbon monoxide enter back into the room because someone on the forum who's not qualfied explaining this is what you can do, for all you know I could be a wind up merchant

A sad story this summer who thought they were competent of fitting the stove to save costs

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...wood-burning-stove-leaks-carbon-monoxide.html

There is all the information you need to know on the internet and in the building regulations but can be a nightmare understanding it, that's why it's easier & cheaper to use HETAS for advice so don't do anything yet.

The website I've used for loads of good information is here >

http://www.stovesonline.co.uk/stove_help_and_advice.html

http://www.stovesonline.co.uk/stove_building_regulations.html

http://www.hetas.co.uk/public/certificates.html

 

[ginola]

That's a very valid reason, thank you v much for explaining, I thought it was probably the case but it seemed strange that someone else answered on your behalf.

Perhaps I should have explained a little more in that after reading up on the subject and talking to a HETAS guy I decided that I was going to get the stove fitted by a reg. installer, all I am planning to do now is finish the fire surround off and add a larger hearth in preparation.

So the only info I wanted was, do I need to open up the fireplace and add a new lintel (I think the HETAS guy said I didn't but I'm waiting for confirmation and I need to get started asap)?

 

[masona]

Any photo? What the room size in L x W x H ?

 

[ginola]

8m x 4.5m x 2.3m just a square room no recesses.

The fireplace is in the centre of one of the long walls, an outside wall, the chimney is built on the outside.

Are these pics any good? The first is a view through the throat lintel.

View of throat

• ginola
• 4 Nov 2010
• 1

Fireplace

• ginola
• 4 Nov 2010
• 1

 

[Goldspoon]

You can put a fire proof board (e.g. steel or bricks) over the hole. Obviously it needs sealing 100% so no gases/smoke can escape. Pipe out of the back of your stove, through the board (tight through perfect hole), into the recess (seal with fire cement last mm). Distance from stove to end of pipe can be no more than 150mm (as it is horizontal).

So far this is all okay to pass building regs.

BUT you have no way of sweepingand collecting the soot. Create soot door on otherside of wall into fireplace chamber. Then you can sweep from this soot door and remove excess soot. Bottom of soot collection area needs to be at least Xmm below bottom of horizontal pipe (X = diameter of the pipe).

I do not know if one is allowed to have a soot door under the horizontal pipe on the same side as the pipe?

You also need to look at air vent regs, hearth regs...