shall i light the woodburner ?

[shelli]

Theres a nip in the air all right.

Our "dining room" (read:- small regional branch of Travis Perkins) is being cleared out even as we speak and made ready for dinner guests this evening - we've only got a plug in radiator in there at the moment but brand new multi fuel stove in inglenook all set up and ready to go.

I am absolutely itching to light the stove and bring to this room a cosy rosy glow - the fireplace was always used by the last owners with a high canopy open fire - we have had one chap who said we need a flue liner and one who said dont bother - I know we'll lose heat in the chimney - but what do you reckon - Shall I just light it and see ? - its all clean and shiny - here are before and after pics of fireplace

View attachment 1

 

[shelli]

can't you just see the red wine bottles warming on the shelves at the sides ?

 

[Edwardia]

Looks lovely Shelli !

 

[worms]

Obviously no-one brave enough to give you the go-ahead!

If it was me, I'd light the b****r! But perhaps I have a more cavalier, arsonist approach to such things (which has in the past ended up with me on the roof playing a hose down the lum...).

I also wonder if lighting it for the first time when you have guests is the best move - will there be a smell of any protective oil/coating burning off? Will you be looking at the guests across a smoke-filled room?

How about you have a grand "first lighting" celebration, so that if it all goes horribly wrong, the guests are co-conspirators in the process?

 

[Nemesis]

What does that pipe lead into? Is it simply a large void? Have you tested to see if there is any draw at all?

It's probable, if the pipe simply leads to a void and particularly if the flue is cold, there will be smoke/fumes returning into the room.

It's also usual to light a very gentle fire in a new stove.

 

[shelli]

Ahhh - I see - thanks Nemesis for words of caution - yes dining in smoke filled room doesn't appeal - just put up new curtains too

Sigh - it was so tempting too - might just try a little one - as you say in spirit of ceremony

i'll let you know if the house is still standing on Monday !!!

thanks
Shelli

 

[Nemesis]

Fill it with candles...

 

[shelli]

You see - that is wisdom - that is perfect solution !

will get some big white altar types in a bundle - then will post on monday about removing wax from stone !!!

Thanks Nem

Shelli X

 

[Nemesis]

Or use nightlights (cheap) but stand inside the stove, even with doors open, should glow...

 

[DaveBrigg]

I gave in to temptation and had no problem with ours. We had already used the fireplace for an open fire, but the room slowly filled with smoke. Without a liner, the stove funnelled the smoke until an inch or two below the fireplace opening, from where it found its own way out, a bit like fitting a hood. We did have a carbon monoxide tester in the room (and the room above) just in case.
We wanted to avoid the cheaper Chinese stoves, which have some poor online reviews, and so bought a cast iron one made by Clarkes; ours was inspected by someone named Xiang, who judging by the label on the crate must live at Felixstowe. It had to be warmed very slowly, starting with a small pile of dry twigs on a bed of sand and building up to full use after 24 hours, otherwise the case would crack.

 

[middi]

Just light up, wait a few minutes for the fire to get going then open the burner doors stand back and enjoy it. if it has a flue and is not blocked of course it will work. One word of advise, make sure the wood is dry and avoid resinous woods as this will "spit" straight into your newly fitted curtains.

 

[Schoolmarm]

Ours was carefully built up from teeny to a bit bigger over a few months. It ponged, the smell was worse as it got hotter. It hurt our throats.

All a bit late now if your guests are there.

 

[FamilyWiggs]

We just lit the bugg£r, and rushed outside to see what came out of the chimney - smoke, flames or nothing. Fortunately it was the former.

 

[yamin]

Well? Did sense prevail or did 'gung-ho' win the day??? Hope you're not sponging smoke stains off the wall as we speak, and the guests could still ebjoy the black forest gateau! :lol:

 

[Nemesis]

Important to check the room above - one of ours filled with smoke, from cracks in the flue, where the mortar was missing in between the ceiling of one room and floor of the other. It seeped out from the skirting boards.

We fitted a liner after that (ceramic).

 

[Edwardia]

I'd buy smoke pellets, which heating engineers use. That way you get lots of smoke to see if there are probs but no fire. Then if you don't have probs you could proceed with small fire and build up.

 

[Lime]

I think this is quite dangerous.
The present arrangement (i.e. piped flue opening into open fireplace chimney) may work most of the time but you must consider what is likely to be coming out of the restricted-draught fire.
Controlling combustion by restricting the air flow through the fire will at times produce large amounts of carbon monoxide.
(open fires burn off the carbon monoxide in the form of the blue flame above the coals/wood)
It would only take a sudden downdraught to fill the room with poisonous gas.
Carbon monoxide is invisible, has no smell and kills slowly.
I wouldn't risk it.

 

[shelli]

Well - Hi chaps - still alive 8)

In the end the OH vetoed it - quite right too - we're going to get flue liner put in and do things like grown ups !

used nightlights - looked very pretty - thanks everyone

Dinner guests enjoyed ambience despite no living fire
shelli X

 

[yamin]

...............and the prawn cocktail?

 

[shelli]

...............and the prawn cocktail?

stayed in the 1980's thankfully :wink: