Retrofit modern house with wood-burning stove - possible?

[MM]

I'm reading all the latest doom and gloom from the oil markets as oil approaches $60 a barrel. I hate to think what the next 1,000 litres of heating oil is going to cost me.

Is it possible to fit a wood-burning stove into a house that currently has no chimney or flue? Web pages? Companies? I figure that there will always be some wood available somewhere, if oil and gas supplies dry up totally or become too expensive. Don't forget that the neocons have signed off on plans to bomb Iran in June. Not that they will definitely go ahead, but Bush is thinking of it. And I'm worried.

MM

[Rick]

Can't be too hard, get some good concrete foundation, and build a free standing chimney next to an existing (cardboard) wall. A woodburner looks good in an inglenook, so thats all the living room of your modern house used up.

Rick

[Stefek Zaba]

Sure it is. Most wood-burning-stove-suppliers will be happy to fit a suitable external chimbley; I believe the usual solution is a double-skinned stainless jobbie (dbl-skin is to let the inner skin get all toasty-warm to avoid too much gunge condensing on the way up). You're best off finding a local one (yell.co.uk/Yellow Pages, and o'course google.co.uk with the 'UK pagiz pliz' option selected), as they'll know what your local authority's pet likes and dislikes are.

Sometime this decade, we're after doing the same - and I do fancy the 'honest engineering' approach to stove construction of

a greenie friend swears by that these are mfrs, rather than installers, but Clearview for one are big enuff that they're likely to have a local supplier who'll do installation for you. If you want to read up with the intention of d-i-y'ing it, I'd start with the mfrs websites to get a feel for the basic scope of the job. Doubtless, better-experienced advice will roll in here within the day...

Stefek

[chris French]

In message , MM writes

Yep, should be. My parents put a solid fuel burning stove into their house (this would have been around 1978 ish) when they had a loft conversion done to convert the single floor cottage. You can get twinwall stainless steel flues that in principle don't seem that disruptive to install - my parent's ran up behind a false chimney breast, through the wall across the kitchen wall, through ceiling, and up through cupboard and through the roof.

[Mike]

It is but have a look at an external wood burning water heater. This takes shredded wood from a hopper and automatically dumps it into the burner as needed to heat your water in the same way oil or gas wood. You need a reasonable sized outhouse but it takes up no room internally.

And despite all the glossy brochures, wood burning stoves always seem to end up both looking dirty and pouring out ash all over the floor.

[Geraint]

reasonable sized outhouse but it takes up no room internally.

Very true ;)

[sylva]

Clear skies grant available too!

Look carefully at the cost of wood, all wood's not the same, neither is the moisture content. I guess automatic stokers are worthwhile in the 50kW(t) sizes, smaller than that and you may consider a pellet stove, but make sure pellets are available locally. They may appear expensive at GBP150/tonne but in terms of calorific value they compare well with a pickup load of logs at 50 quid.

Yes and it's very hard to avoid dust throughout the room.

AJH

[The Natural Philosopher]

Definitely BUT to meet regs you need a fireporoof hearth with fire resistant backing amd a double insulated flue and stovepipe. These can be used without chimneys at all - the pipes themseves are safe for going through timber areas and up walls inisde or outside.

Not cheap though - couple of grand for a good stove AND chimney flues...and fitting

[MM]

I don't think a couple of grand is all that expensive for the items you listed - including the fitting. It'll last practically for ever, won't it?

MM

[The Natural Philosopher]

Well, compared with 20 notes for a pliug and go 2Kw electric radiator thingie....

[Bob Mannix]

You won't get all that lot for a couple of grand! Casting back further, if "all the gas and oil supplies dry up" I think you might find the wood's all gone rather suddenly too!

[AlexW]

You can also get flexible multi-fuel liners which are designed for multfuel stove use, these are cheaper than sectional ones but more generally applicable to lining an existing non-combustible flue. These are not cool to the touch, as they are double lined but dont have insulation.

See

they have lots of bits and are quite helpful (if you get to the right person!) and from what I remember are competive on price (not cheap tho!).

From memory, 2 years ago, I spent around £350 on the parts for an 8m long liner, adapter, top plate, and multi-fuel cowl.

IIRC Part J of the building regs covers this lot.

HTH,

Alex.

[The Natural Philosopher]

I THINK you are precluded from using flexible liners in anything other than a pre-existent flue constructed before 1970.

Certainly I was NOT allowed to use them on a wood burner or an aga in a new build three years ago. .

[AlexW]

Worth checking. Possibly time for a phone call to building control by the OP?

My flue is, err, slightly older than that, and although I have seen this approach used in at least four other settings (some done "professionally" BTW) they were *all* in very old houses.

[Pete C]

Hi,

Is a double insulated stovepipe needed if you have the pipe on a wall? If so, err why?

cheers, Pete.

[MM]

But at least wood grows again. Anyway, I like to be prepared. Actually, probably what I'll do is buy a house that already has an open fire.

MM

[The Natural Philosopher]

To avoid burning the wall?

[The Natural Philosopher]

I am nort so sure on price. I think my flues were about 600 quid, and teh stove (highhlander) was a reclaim for free, but a small woodburner is available I suspect for less than a grand..ok the hearths were there alreasy as part of the build.

We fired it up when my wife was ill in bed - its in the bedroom. Extremely efficient - must have kicked out about 3kW just ticking over.

[MM]

Oh, I have no doubts as to whether burning logs or coke produces a lot of warmth. I grew up in houses without any central heating and only open fires and/or an Aga. The thing that originally put me off having any open fires was the palaver my father went through each morning, cleaning out the grate, then laying a new fire. But when needs must... as they say, and the price of oil and gas doesn't look like it's going to go down.

Supposing one bought one of those small trailers for a car - Erde, I think they're called - surely there is enough dead wood around for free, just for the asking? Obviously I don't mean stealing fallen trees because they just happen to be lying on the ground somewhere, but I see so much fallen timber that obviously the owners have forgotten about, so a quick enquiry at the farmhouse might provide enough fuel for the winter for a few quid, or nothing at all. A chainsaw is all one needs.

MM

[markzoom]

Check out

for new cast iron stoves (starting at £85) and flues. M.K.