Heating solution ...........refusals to install ...........unsafe

[newtoareathanks]

Hi there, I have had a quote to install an insert in the sitting room with a vent to the bedroom above from one big company. Two other companies came and looked and were horrified. They said what was proposed was agianst french norms the the lining would be too close to wood and the chimney was too tight anyway. Only solution was to knock out a new chimney which I cant do. I have a huge crack all the way up and wanted to ignore this and put a tube up then simply seal up the crack internally ( it is only internal!) Can anyone please help as I shall need some form of heating installed. Rooms are huge. Thanks.

[Deimos]

I do not know “the norms” but there do seem quite a lot with regard to chimneys/flues (not just in France). There certainly is a norm about the flue/chimney liner and distance to nearest wood (an architect told me this when he was advising on a conversion and pointed out how my central heating flue did not conform in quite a few ways.). You can get insulated flue pipes (as that is what my plumber has proposed), but they are expansive and obviously larger diam. Which could be a problem if your chimney is small.

A couple of years ago I had a quote of an insert (reputable professional, etc.) who said he could pipe the hot air thing to a bedroom above. Ended up too expensive and not ideal so late last year I got somebody else round and they said that piping the air in the same space as the flue was against the regs – so maybe the regs have changed.

No help to you but I ended up going with a wood burner and no hot air to bedroom.

Ian