What size of woodburner?

[Flyfisher]

However, means I have to sweep chimney myself. Anyone near me got 16 inch brush and rods set I could borrow?!! Perhaps I'll buy one on ebay. Or hire one.

I bought a new set of drain rods plus various attachments for about £13 a few years ago - always a handy thing to have.

This is the sort of thing: http://www.transtools.co.uk/store/prod_2473/plumbing-tools/drain-cleaning-rods-and-accessories/silverline-drain-rod-set-12-piece-with-chimney-brush.html

 

[Feltwell]

They probably do. I've never tried roasted ladder.

That's because you've never had a telescopic one. Ordinary ones don't fit in the oven, silly. :roll:

 

[Zebra]

I bought a new set of drain rods plus various attachments for about £13 a few years ago - always a handy thing to have.

Oh yes, we're back on topic. I'd quite forgotten what I'd wanted. Yes, that does seem very much the thing. And for under £20 and all. Thanks!

 

[Zebra]

:lol:

That's because you've never had a telescopic one. Ordinary ones don't fit in the oven, silly. :rol:

Oh of course!

 

[Feltwell]

Oh yes, we're back on topic.

It happens occasionally. There is a theory that if you go round in a big enough circle, you'll end up back where you started, but this forum generally has yet to find any evidence that this theory works.

 

[Penners]

Talking of woodburners....

 

[MdB]

I bought the 8kw fire in the end. Am going to install it myself, with a Building Control Notice to cover the legality. However, means I have to sweep chimney myself. Anyone near me got 16 inch brush and rods set I could borrow?!! Perhaps I'll buy one on ebay. Or hire one. Or lure a squirrel to run up and down the chimney (offering nuts first at one end, then the other) with hairspray in its tail.

I would get a sweep in. Ours charges £25 per chimney and was full of useful information when I got him in for a last sweep before installing the chimney liner.

 

[Zebra]

You're probably right MdB. Many things I have been very glad I've done myself, as I'm sure that even with my relative lack of experience, the care and attention I'm prepared to take over it results in a better job. But sometimes it is the right thing to do to get someone in who knows what they're doing. I'm still weighing up whether to get someone in to connect it up after all. I've got all the bits, so it'd just be labour and certification. Someone's offered to do that for £600. Compared to which, the Building Control notification costs £200, and I'm sure it will take my sister and I all weekend to do it.
One reason I hesitate is that I've had my register plate custom made to fit around all the bumps and curves inside the chimney. I was going to make good around it using the same lime mortar that I pointed the chimney with, figuring that it's no more vulnerable to heat than the mortar that's already in the chimney. You won't get an installer to make good in lime mortar, they'll want to use fire cement, and I don't want cement on the bricks.
Besides, the register plate I've had made is my own invention, it has a funny shaped cut out that the adaptor will fit through so I can join it onto the liner from underneath, and a plate to cover the cut out, and I supppose this is silly, but I worry that an installer will turn his nose up at it. Look at me like I'm odd, you know how they do. No? Just me, is it?
But I am thinking in the back of my mind perhaps I should get someone to do it. But then I think that about everything, whether it's repointing the chimney or putting a new roof on the woodshed. I think this is beyond me, I can't do it myself, and then I just begin, and it all comes together after a few initial mistakes, and there it is done.

 

[Penners]

I worry that an installer will turn his nose up at it. Look at me like I'm odd, you know how they do. No? Just me, is it?

Make your decision based on cost, by all means, but not on the possibility that an installer will look at you as though you're odd! Why do you care what he thinks?! So long as the stove is competently installed, for a reasonable price, that's all that matters.

And by the way, I wouldn't worry about using fire cement to seal your register plate into place. It's definitely what I would use. The term "cement" in this case is loosely used, and to the best of my (modest) knowledge the stuff doesn't contain OPC. I understand it's mainly made from clay, aluminosilicates, mica and quartz.

In any event, even a modest bead of cement mortar isn't going to do any harm to the house. But fire cement is definitely the way I would go.

 

[Flyfisher]

Make your decision based on cost, by all means, but not on the possibility that an installer will look at you as though you're odd! Why do you care what he thinks?! So long as the stove is competently installed, for a reasonable price, that's all that matters.

I'd second that. It's your house and your money so you set the terms for the job. If you want to do part of the job because you want particular care and attention to detail (or any other reason) then that's your perogative. Just be clear to whoever you employ exactly what you expect of them. There are no rules, you negotiate what you want and how you want it.

I'm gradually rewiring our entire house and have done something similar with a local electrician; I do most of the wiring and he handles things like installing sub-mains, connecting to the meter and all the testing/certification.

 

[Penners]

he handles things like installing sub-mains

I knew you had a tractor, FF, but the sub must be a recent acquisition.

 

[Flyfisher]

:lol:
Actually a sub would be entirely useless given our current degree of desertification. Two of our ponds are completely dry, which is unheard of at this time of year.

The sub-main in question was what the electrician called the big fat cable he used to connect our meter in an outbuilding to the consumer unit at one end of the house, together with another big fat cable to connect to another consumer unit at the other end of the house.

The odd thing (well I thought so) is that these big fat cables are larger than the cable that brings electricity to our meter. When I asked the electrician why this was he explained that there are different rules and regulations covering the distribution network and domestic installations. Also part of the difference is that the distribution cable is not armoured whereas the sub-main cables are.

 

[Penners]

I suppose he has to cover every domestic eventuality, including the ever-present risk of one of you going on the rampage with an axe.

 

[Zebra]

And by the way, I wouldn't worry about using fire cement to seal your register plate into place. It's definitely what I would use. The term "cement" in this case is loosely used, and to the best of my (modest) knowledge the stuff doesn't contain OPC. I understand it's mainly made from clay, aluminosilicates, mica and quartz.

Oh really? That is interesting. I'll look into that.

I'd second that. It's your house and your money so you set the terms for the job. If you want to do part of the job because you want particular care and attention to detail (or any other reason) then that's your perogative. Just be clear to whoever you employ exactly what you expect of them. There are no rules, you negotiate what you want and how you want it.

Thanks for wise counsel. I was kind of joking about worrying about contractors turning their nose up at my register plate, but I think that for many people getting what they want out of contractors can be a challenge. Thanks, I'll keep you posted either way.

 

[AMc]

The odd thing (well I thought so) is that these big fat cables are larger than the cable that brings electricity to our meter. When I asked the electrician why this was he explained that there are different rules and regulations covering the distribution network and domestic installations. Also part of the difference is that the distribution cable is not armoured whereas the sub-main cables are.

Yup, when we had our supply upgraded to 3 phase EDF used aluminium cable from across the street but my electrician had to use thicker and much more expensive armoured copper to run the cable around to the second consumer unit to power the heat pumps.

My register plate was cut from sheet steel and attached to a frame of L bracket screwed to the insides of the chimney. That was done by a HEATAS installer so should be legit - cost about £150 parts and labour.

 

[Feltwell]

I suppose he has to cover every domestic eventuality, including the ever-present risk of one of you going on the rampage with an axe.

:lol:

Looking on the distribution side, the main danger to cables is your local builder or landscape gardener going on the rampage with a mini-digger, or more commonly the gang who've come to fix the gas pipe / water main / sewer etc. I'm not sure that armoured cable offers much more protection to these. I have stood next to a digger that went through a street lighting cable - so a reasnoble size cable, but certainly not the largest out there. The bang was without question loud enough to make you jump!

And guess who'd signed the "permit to dig"? In my defence, the digger was scraping the tarmac off a pavement prior to a gang hand digging for the cable. What we didn't know was the tarmac was laid straight on top of an original flagstone pavement, and the bodging lazy lighting gang had just laid their cable straight on top of the slabs, protected by the 2" of hot tarmac poured over the top!

 

[Zebra]

WE DUNNIT!!!



My sister came to stay for the weekend to help. We swept the chimney ourselves. I'd bought a brush, and with one of us at the top and one at the bottom, we pulled it up and down on a rope. I had the sooty end, and all day bits of soot were working their way down inside my clothing.

We lined the chimney, with rockwool sleeves for insulation. We fitted the pot hanger and cowl, the adaptor and pipe section, with my funny register plate, sealed it all up, did a really nice job, and fired it up this afternoon.

So now I can take my coat off indoors. It's so nice to be warm!!

 

[Feltwell]

So let's get this straight - your sister comes to stay for the weekend, and you convince her that sitting on a rooftop on a cold December Sunday pulling a mucky rope up and down a chimney would be a good idea.

You wouldn't like to have a word with my sister would you? :wink:

Seriously, well done, it looks great and it must feel good being at one of those "milestone moments", especially a warm one!

 

[Zebra]

My sister and I are quite similar. She's been doing up her house (not a period property but a bungalow in picturesque location) for three years, living with a temporary bathroom, no kitchen, no central heating etc. She's taught herself to plaster and done all the work herself. She's better at plumbing than me, though I'm better at electrics. She's virtually finished now, so coming to mine which is in its early stages - temporary bathroom, no kitchen, no furniture, no heating - is no problem at all. Standing on ladder at the top of the chimney with a rope on a December afternoon, no worries. Standing in the fireplace supporting the weight of the whole liner, insulation and pipe while I fit the hanger on - yes of course! Can't guarantee I could do it with anyone else's sister though, sorry Feltwell!
It is absolutely fantastic - the fire looks great and I think really suits the house. I'll have to get more wood though, I'm getting through my pile already!

 

[Bayliss]

Another reason to undersize is that the calculations usually assume you have no background central heating.

Our one IS the central heating - it has a backboiler that does our hot water and radiators. And it takes logs 50cm long.

Thats exactly the type of stove I have in mind, looks just right and will do the job perfectly.