Hello all,
I'm considering having a DEFRA approved woodburning stove installed (as I live in a smoke control zone), it is going to replace an old anthracite stove that hasn't been used in donkeys years. The house is late Victorian and has open fireplaces in some of the other rooms. I recently had all the chimneys swept and the sweep has certified that the chimneys are all ok (I have reports saying they passed the BS 5871 integrity tests)
I've contacted a few HETAS registered engineers and am now a bit confused, 2 of them (with out viewing the property) say i have to have the chimney lined, a third wants to carry out an integrity test with a computerised system that will cost £250 and then say whether i need the chimney lining or not, one has said i don't need the chimney lining (again without inspecting the property) and finally, today, a Gas Safe registered fireplace installer who was recommenced by one of the fireplace shops as someone who has installed a lot of stoves, has also told me i don't need the chimney lining.
To say the least, I'm confused.
I understand that having the chimney lined will make the stove operate more efficiently (no one has been able to tell me how much more efficiently) But the 2 installers who insisted that the chimney be lined told me that effiency of modern stoves mean that there's more tar in the gases and that the extra heat generated by these stoves will cause condensation that binds the tar to the inside of the chimney increasing the risk of chimney fires.
What do you think about this? Are they just trying to extract more money from me?
It sounds a bit dubious to me, surely the modern, cleanburning, smoke control approved woodburning stoves should be producing less tar then old, coal fired stoves?
I also noticed that the Morso website (the makers of the stove i was thinking of buying) does not say it is essential to have the chimney lined and includes instructions on installing the stove into a brick chimney.
Any advice welcome
I'm considering having a DEFRA approved woodburning stove installed (as I live in a smoke control zone), it is going to replace an old anthracite stove that hasn't been used in donkeys years. The house is late Victorian and has open fireplaces in some of the other rooms. I recently had all the chimneys swept and the sweep has certified that the chimneys are all ok (I have reports saying they passed the BS 5871 integrity tests)
I've contacted a few HETAS registered engineers and am now a bit confused, 2 of them (with out viewing the property) say i have to have the chimney lined, a third wants to carry out an integrity test with a computerised system that will cost £250 and then say whether i need the chimney lining or not, one has said i don't need the chimney lining (again without inspecting the property) and finally, today, a Gas Safe registered fireplace installer who was recommenced by one of the fireplace shops as someone who has installed a lot of stoves, has also told me i don't need the chimney lining.
To say the least, I'm confused.
I understand that having the chimney lined will make the stove operate more efficiently (no one has been able to tell me how much more efficiently) But the 2 installers who insisted that the chimney be lined told me that effiency of modern stoves mean that there's more tar in the gases and that the extra heat generated by these stoves will cause condensation that binds the tar to the inside of the chimney increasing the risk of chimney fires.
What do you think about this? Are they just trying to extract more money from me?
It sounds a bit dubious to me, surely the modern, cleanburning, smoke control approved woodburning stoves should be producing less tar then old, coal fired stoves?
I also noticed that the Morso website (the makers of the stove i was thinking of buying) does not say it is essential to have the chimney lined and includes instructions on installing the stove into a brick chimney.
Any advice welcome
