wood/multi fuel stoves - a warning.

[Phil Pascoe]

One of my neighbours, a small builder decided the time had come to get a stove - a pity, really as he was supplying me with wood - so hunted around and got a little beauty. I asked him a few weeks later if he'd got it in (no complications such as water heating) and he said there is no one locally who will fit it, as it is second hand and he hasn't got the paperwork and specification for it. One fitter, the guy who fitted mine (whom he got on well with work wise) told him it would be more than their licence was worth to do it and this is why used stoves are becoming so common on ebay and in the small ads. - no one can get them fitted. He could fit it himself and apply for building regs approval but they would be fussy, and my neighbour said that as he was used to dealing with building control, and knew how fussy they were when faced with any uncertainty he was not prepared to go down that avenue.
So think seriously before you part with your cash for a used stove.

 

[MIGNAL]

What happens if it's a stove of well known make. The spec is on the manufacturers website. Any faulty parts are readily available, not that they are highly complex bits of machinery!

 

[Beau]

Sounds like like tosh to me. Dealing with BC should be straight forward unless things have changed a lot in recent years. I fitted our stove some years back and went through BC without a hitch. Yes they are fussy but so they should be as a badly fitted stove can kill. Mind you when he says it hasn't got the paperwork sounds it could be a very old stove or Ebay special so not able to get specs from manufactures?

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

I guess those regs equally apply to a woodburner in a workshop? (On the assumption if its faulty you're just as likely to be poisoned by CO)

 

[MIGNAL]

It doesn't make much sense to me, unless it refers to stoves that are illegal, which is another matter. A stove is 'used' as soon as you light the first fire. Parts on stoves are replaced on a fairly regular basis, which by definition means that they are used and some part of it has become faulty. We don't throw them out if the liner needs replacing.

 

[Jacob]

.... Parts on stoves are replaced on a fairly regular basis, ....

Not on a Dowling stove. Welded steel. Heavy use but zero maintenance in 15 years (can't remember exactly) except when we accidentally broke the glass once. Cast iron, baffles and fire bricks are bad news.

Stove tip - I burn a lot of rubbish which has nails and screws etc. These can jam the riddle plate and be hard to extract.
So get them out of the ashes when cold - with a rare earth magnet in a plastic beaker. The metal sticks to the outside of the beaker until you remove the magnet and it all falls into the bin. Magic!

 

[Mark A]

We bought a new 11Kw stove for £300 and a used 5Kw stove for £60, both from eBay, and had them fitted a few weeks ago. I was intending to fit myself and find an installer to pass them afterwards, but no one I contacted was happy with that idea so in the end I had to pay. Of course, there was always building control but they wanted £190 to inspect, and anyway, I'd rather not have them round as they could start demanding insulation... on a 260+ year old house with 20" rubble walls.

The smaller stove didn't come with documents or a name plate on the back so after a few minutes of thinking what to do next the installer decided to make up the details on the HETAS form. They're all made in the same factory anyway, so does it really matter?

 

[Sheffield Tony]

I can't imagine it would be difficult to get an installer; they are regulated by HETAS who are a very blunt tool. Mind you. it might be safer to install it yourself given the clowns that can claim to be competent persons. Make sure you read Part J.

 

[skipdiver]

I'd quite happily fit a stove myself. BC are fine if you do things the correct way, though some individuals are more "jobsworth" than others.

This site has some useful info. I've toyed with the idea of having a woodburner but never seem to get around to it.



http://www.stovefittersmanual.co.uk/

 

[RobinBHM]

HETAS registered installers =licence to print money

it has become almost impossible to fit your own unless you know a helpful installer. Want to buy your own flue? -sorry we only fit if we supply it ourselves and double the price. Day rate -up to £600 ok?

 

[RogerS]

.....
So get them out of the ashes when cold - with a rare earth magnet in a plastic beaker. The metal sticks to the outside of the beaker until you remove the magnet and it all falls into the bin. Magic!

Excellent tip, Jacob. =D>

......anyway, I'd rather not have them round as they could start demanding insulation... on a 260+ year old house with 20" rubble walls.
.....

And don't even think about re-rendering an old house (well, in fact, any house unless it's Listed). Building Control will be round insisting that you insulate it to the current spec. Either inside or outside.

 

[Mark A]

And don't even think about re-rendering an old house (well, in fact, any house unless it's Listed). Building Control will be round insisting that you insulate it to the current spec. Either inside or outside.

We are re-rendering the house (interior for now, exterior early next year when the weather warms up) so don't want BC around, especially since hearing reports that the local inspector is a bit of b@st@rd.

 

[Beau]

And don't even think about re-rendering an old house (well, in fact, any house unless it's Listed). Building Control will be round insisting that you insulate it to the current spec. Either inside or outside.

We are re-rendering the house (interior for now, exterior early next year when the weather warms up) so don't want BC around, especially since hearing reports that the local inspector is a bit of b@st@rd.

If your doing the outside anyway have you looked into EWI (external wall insulation)? Yes it's expensive but will save a packet in the long run.

 

[Sheffield Tony]

And don't even think about re-rendering an old house (well, in fact, any house unless it's Listed). Building Control will be round insisting that you insulate it to the current spec. Either inside or outside.

We are re-rendering the house (interior for now, exterior early next year when the weather warms up) so don't want BC around, especially since hearing reports that the local inspector is a bit of b@st@rd.

Can you use a private building control company rather tham the local authority ?

 

[siggy_7]

Went through this process myself last year installing a stove myself and using LBC, they were very trouble free to deal with. Guess it depends on who you get though!

Sent from my SM-N910F using Tapatalk

 

[graduate_owner]

I have bought an old pot bslly stove and some almost new twin wall flue pipes to install in my workshop, which is about 20 yards away from the house.Building Control told me if I fit it myself then I would need BC to inspect and approve - £230. Have any of you guys fitted your own without inspection? I though I would be OK fitting it myself with the workshop being so far from the house, but it seems not. Now I am not sure how best to proceed. I have read the various building regs and I can't see any problems in meeting them.

K

 

[Beau]

Fitted various stoves over the years without inspection. Snag is without approval insurance in case of a fire could be tricky. Alternatively if you do a good job and use carefully it will never burn the house or workshop down so no issue. If my workshop burns down due to a stove problem I won't be insured but it's a risk worth taking IMO.

 

[skipdiver]

Now i have insulated my shop, i think i'd be too hot with a woodburner in there. I've got a blow heater going because i am painting the walls and i'm roasting. Pretty cold and wet day as well.

 

[Jacob]

Now i have insulated my shop, i think i'd be too hot with a woodburner in there. I've got a blow heater going because i am painting the walls and i'm roasting. Pretty cold and wet day as well.

You can burn a small fire in a woodburner - it doesn't have to be packed. In fact small and hot in a large stove is more efficient (see "rocket stove" etc)

 

[skipdiver]

Now i have insulated my shop, i think i'd be too hot with a woodburner in there. I've got a blow heater going because i am painting the walls and i'm roasting. Pretty cold and wet day as well.

You can burn a small fire in a woodburner - it doesn't have to be packed. In fact small and hot in a large stove is more efficient (see "rocket stove" etc)

Cheers, i'll check that out.