Woodburners

[Alan Zoff]

Sorry if this has come up before but I'm having trouble using Search.

My French vendor saw fit to remove the woodburner AND the flue when he installed oil-fired heating (using the one existing chimney on other side of house for that) 10 years ago. Looks as if there was simply a hole through the wall for the flue (which has been filled with concrete) and a metal casing that ran up the outside wall which has disappeared (apart from the rust marks and bolt holes left behind, showing where it was and how it was fixed) for the flue.

Although I will keep the oil boiler - a powerful De Dietrich which seems effective - for the central heating, I would like to refit a woodburner to heat the main living room (about 20 feet by 12 feet or say 6 metres by 4 metres).

Haven't had a woodburner before. Anyone like to recommend a make/type and best places to buy? What would be a reasonable outlay to buy the burner and the complete flue?

I'm at top of the Auvergne.

[VJ]

Alan I think I hvae answered this type of inqury abot 8 times now but only to pleased to help.

I have fitted about four wood burners to-date in the Uk but the one for France I assissted with as I needed the confirmation that it was fitted correctly by the insurance co.

I fitted a Jotul 600 as in my opinion it is well engineered as I found others to be a bit agricultural

Obviously they need to be fitted on a sound base and attention is paid to any combustiable materials in close proximity.

As soon as you enter the chimney or when you start to pass through the ceiling about 500 mm before this you will need to change from single skin flu to double insulated flue, correctly sized for the Job

The flue must be either Galv/insulation/stainless steel or Stainless steel/insulation/stainless steel.

I personally prefer all ss .

The reason for the insulation is so that the passage of the burnt gases continue out of the chimney before they condense thereby leaving a tar deposit in the chimney or single liner. The grade of ss interior is 316 which resists acid

If you could guarantee you were only burning dried wood then ther would not be a problem

This could result in leakage through the brickwork if no liner and a potential chimney fire.The potential fire also applies to a single skine flue

The non flexible ss flues are very expensive but they will present no problems and you need to have it swept once a year for the certificate for the insurance co.

I hope this helps and for the flue have a look at Selkirks site www.selkirk.co.uk and I beleive the range is the SM

PS Jotul have a formula for sizing against the room voloume in their literature , but you can always turn them down so look at the big ones !!!

[0The Plan ManAll the best,<br><br>StewartddMMyyyy0Falseen-USAll the best,<br><br>StewartTrue]

There are numerous makes on the market, and now is a good time of year to buying a cheap one (many of the Bricos, Leclercs etc do 'arrivage' sales where they buy in huge stock at the beginning of a season and sell it off cheap on the basis of once it's gne, it's gone).

We bought a stove in this way a couple of years ago, and although got a good powerful one at a great price, we have lived to regret it. Why? It heats well, and is controllable, but it eats logs and generates lots of ash which needs cleaning once a day - quite a chore.

We have just bought another, this time a Jotul, for a different property on the recommendation of friends (indeed everyone who knows them raves about them). They have a cunning system of burning gases a second time, making them incredibly efficient, generating little ash, and employing a system of cleaning that is easy and quick.

There are a number of stockists about, all of whom are supposed to sell at MRP at no below. Don't believe it - we have got ours for less and with the flue included. Also look at the tax issues - if it is an old house, tax is at 5.5% rather than 19.6, although they will need to 'install' it. Also, if you pay income tax in France, you should be able to get a 40% tax refund on it at the end of the year.

The Jotul site is at www.jotul.fr, prices at around €800 for the size of room you mention. Lots of styles available.

Happy toe warming!

[frenchbreak<P> <P><P><!--StartFragment --><P><PRE id=line307><SPAN class=attribute-value><a target=_blank href="http:www.frenchbreak.com" target=_blank>http:www.frenchbreak.com<A><SPAN><PRE>]

If you want functional and efficient we have a 14 Kilowatt DEOM Turbo. Had it for 3 years and always found it easy to light and keep alight overnight. It is a cylindrical free standing burner. Only down side is that you cannot see the fire. But compared to numerous other models we have tried this one keeps us the warmest and takes the biggest logs

[Richardk]

I was pricing up liners yesterday and on a survey of albeit only one store it was coming out at 50 euros per metre for solid v's 38 euros per metre for flexible. Our chimney is completely straight hence no real need for a flexible liner but they are cheaper, particularl when you consider that you don't need any brackets to join the pieces together (as it's one piece...). From a cleaning perspective though how risky is a flexible liner to a sweep putting the brish through the side? With it not being exactly straight it's a small concern I have.  Appreciate any opinions.

Thanks

Richard

[0The Plan ManAll the best,<br><br>StewartddMMyyyy0Falseen-USAll the best,<br><br>StewartTrue]

Richard,

You need to make sure that the flexible flue is suitable for a wood burner. In my experience, most are only designed for boilers (oil or gas), which have exhaust gases that are relatively cool. Woodburners, by contrast, exhaust gases which are much hotter, added to which there is a risk of soot deposits igniting - resultling in a much hotter environment. Flexible aluminium liners especially are not up to resisting it.

The norm is to go for a steel or stainless steel liner once it is hidden in a chimeny, with enamelled steel comprising the exposed sections.

Good luck!

[Richardk]

Hi Stewart -  my understanding broadly was that so long as the liner is double skinner and uses 316 grade quality stainless steel at least on one of the skins (not sure which one) then it's fine for a woodburner. Certainly flexible liners are common place for wood burners.

Thanks

Richard

[VJ]

Richard you are correct

In recent years a flexible double skinned insulated liner has been produced for Wood burners

The 316 skin is the inside one that has contact with the acids/smoke.

Please always check from the supplier when purchasing as there are flexibles for all types fuels as the previous poster states

[Richardk]

Thanks for clarifying that one VJ  -  going back to my original question how liable are flexible liners to being damaged when swept?

Thanks,

Richard

[Alan Zoff]

The discussion has moved on since my initial query but I am grateful for the information, all very useful.

Good point about not wanting to waste heat through an external flue - better to keep as much of the stuff as possible inside the house. Obviously trickier to put a chimney through floors and roof rather than run up outside wall but will now consider both options.

[VJ]

Richard

I beleive the flexible liner is such that the ribbing is reasonably smooth on the inside and as it is insulated the internal build up of soot dust ect will be easily removed.

The brush the sweep will use will not be very hard and ergo you should not have a problem

regards

VJ

[hoverfrog]

"Also look at the tax issues - if it is an old house, tax is at 5.5% rather than 19.6, although they will need to 'install' it. Also, if you pay income tax in France, you should be able to get a 40% tax refund on it at the end of the year."

how do you go about claiming this? - and how do you know what you can claim for???

hoverfrog

[Athene]

[quote]Sorry if this has come up before but I'm having trouble using Search. My French vendor saw fit to remove the woodburner AND the flue when he installed oil-fired heating (using the one existing chimne...[/quote]

Hi Alan,

we have bought a really lovely, enamelled half woodburner and half oven from E-Bay France. It was used as the sole source of heating and cooking for the lady's great grandmother. So my advice is to look on that site. We used 'UPS' pronounced 'OOOPS!' I am glad to say it was not the latter! They charged me 50 euros to deliver and the stove was 450 miles away! It also arrived on the day they said!