Recent Questions (8)
Which stoves are the best?
Cast iron or steel stoves? Steel heats up faster than cast-iron but cast-iron holds and radiates the heat for longer. There is no hard and fast rule of thumb here, the choice is yours. Most manufacturers are now producing a mix of the two to provide customers with a quick 'fix' of heat whilst waiting for the full unit to heat up. The casting of the iron is usually done overseas whilst the steel is often British made. Big brand name or cheap unknown? There are many big name companies out there that have spent years establishing their brand and name. These brands make a wealth of information available to you over the internet and usually are able to looked at in a local showroom. They do however cost a lot more than the ones at the lower end of the market which are usually imported from ChinaIf you are spending a lot of money on an appliance you may rest easier knowing it's made by a large company who is likely to be around in the future should you ever need them to honour their warranty. If you don't have a lot of money then a cheap one will see you through whilst you save up for a better one. Woodburning or Multi-fuel or Bio-ethanol?Woodburning stoves are cleaner burning than multi-fuel and wood is a carbon neutral fuel whereas coal will one day run out. Only smokeless coal is allowed to be burnt in the UK since 2022 and this will probably be restricted on the road to Net Zero in 2030. The soot created by a multifuel stove when mixed with water in the air is corrosive, so you will need to spend money on a thicker gauge steel liner, which will cost you more initially and multifuel stoves usually need a conversion kit which is also more costly.Both are highly efficient however and the latest models create much less air pollution than older models and thus need less fuel.Bio-ethanol is even cleaner burning, indeed it doesn't even need a flue as its so clean. The liquid however is still fairly expensive and the heat output is only suitable for small rooms to top up the heat. One to watch for the future.
on 2023-06-19 14:13:06
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HETAS Engineer
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a flexible liner
How old is your property? Newly built housing chimneys tend to have clay, concrete or pumice liners built into them and so could save you the cost of having flexible liner fitting. There needs to be a sound connection from the stove exit pipe into the liner blocks, and providing there is enough room to do this, then you won't have to have any liner fitting. Older properties are not already lined and in both cases the integrity of the brickwork will need checking by carrying out a smoke test, before deciding either way. This test will indicate whether the chimney has any holes in it, by seeing where the smoke exits. This can take up to two hours depending on the size of your property and is chargeable. If the smoke is not existing properly then it would not be safe to use as an open fire and would need a flexible liner fitting by a HETAS installer.A flexible liner can also be fitted to an solid fuel open fire should the smoke test prove that the flue is damaged or breached. If your chimney opening has been bricked up or boarded over, we can open this up as part of your installation. If you do not have a chimney at all then you can consider having twin wall fitting, using insulated twin walled stainless steel pipe. We can even build a fake chimney breast for you around the twin walled installation if you don't want to see it. Find out how we fit a fake chimney breast. Flexible 316/316 Liner ready for installation Made of stainless steel in the UK, our liner is manufactured by a HETAS approved company. A fantastic product used for flexible liner fitting. Take a look at our install gallery Smoke testing your chimney We will need to get on your roof to do this. It is a two man job. This is also how we would undertake your flexible liner fitting
on 2023-06-16 15:31:24
by
HETAS Engineer
Posted in
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it messy to install a log burner
A Tidy Installation We are often asked if it's a messy process to install a log burner and although it can be, we always try to make sure that any soot stays on us rather than on your carpets and furniture. Ware always as tidy as we can be and, bring our own dust sheets to protect your furniture and flooring. We will sweep your chimney as part of your installation to make sure that mess is kept to a minimum. A chimney sweep is required as part of your installing your log burner, so we do not charge for this, and it means you do not have to stress about finding and booking a chimney sweep to visit before your installation work starts. This saves you time and money, especially at busy times of the year when chimney sweeps are fully booked. If we need to undertake building work such as rendering, plastering, repointing or removal of bricks there is likely to be rubble to remove, dust and, or soot but we will run the vacuum cleaner whilst working to keep any mess to a minimum. Some customers in the past have even commented that "the house was cleaner when we left than when we arrived". Read our five star reviews on Yell.com Also a chimney sweep We will sweep your chimney during installation, unlike many other installersBook a chimney sweep via our sister website Cleansweep Vac Services. Visit www.chimneysweep.info/diary for more information The fireplace is a dirty place! We will run our hoover to keep mess at bay and cover the floor and furniture with dust sheets
on 2023-06-13 11:09:09
by
Admin Istrator
Posted in
Frequently Asked Questions
Is smoke coming back into your room
Blocked Chimney? Do you have smoke coming down the chimney instead of up?Does it refuse to go up the chimney when you light the fire or does the room always smell smoky whilst the fire is lit? This could be dangerous for your health so take a look at some causes and what you can do about it. Nest in Chimney If the top of the chimney is open to the elements and does not have a cowl then there is the possibility that birds or squirrels have nested in the chimney. A tell-tale sign of this would be twigs landing in the fireplace.You should arrange for the chimney sweep to visit and remove the nest and consider having a bird guard fitted to the chimney pot. The animals fill the chimney with sticks and other material to build their nest. This stops the airflow through the chimney and can be very dangerous. This nest removed from an upstairs bedroom filled 7 bin bags and took over an hour to clean out. There was lots of kindling for future fires however! Fire not hot enough / large enough If you have set a small fire you might find that your fireplace wants to burn at a faster rate. It was designed to keep you warm, not look pretty. Because it doesn’t have enough fuel to burn well, it smoulders and the smoke lingers in the room. If the width of the chimney is dis-proportionate to the size of fire you are using the fire will not draw well. Wide fireplaces were built for big fires. You should build a bigger fire, use small logs to start as these burn faster. Check you have set the fire correctly if you are new to it. Poor quality fuel Some cheaper fuels burn inefficiently and are smoky as is unseasoned or ‘green’ wood. Obviously burning anything other that solid fuels on your fire is a bad idea and can cause problems.You should check your wood has a moisture content under 20% using a moisture meter. Soot & Creosote build-up Slumbering or burning your fire at a low heat, produces more soot and creosote than burning at the optimum temperature. It also is one of the causes of air-pollution so is best avoided. Soot, tar and creosote can line your chimney flue slowly blocking it and decreasing the draw and pull of the chimney. You should burn open fires and wood-burners hot and fast never low. Get chimney swept at least once a year. Consider installing a thermometer on your wood/ multi-fuel stove's pipe. Wrong location of fire basket Your open fireplace will need a fire-basket or grate if you are trying to burn coal. Wood does not a grate to burn but does need to be high enough to feel the pull of the airflow in the chimney. Thus a grate is usually used and will help stop the smoke coming back into the room. If the grate or fire-basket is too far from back wall it may protrude into your room and the smoke will no longer want to travel up the chimney. You should either purchase a fire-basket; try raising an existing one on bricks to improve the draw; move further back towards the rear wall of the fireplace; buy a taller basket. Damper in chimney closed Some open fireplaces have an inbuilt damper so that you can control air flow and thus the size of the fire. This is a small metal plate built into the chimney. These can be closed when the fire is not in use to stop drafts and if it is closed the smoke won’t be able to escape. You should open the damper. Call the sweep if it is stuck and do not use until it's swept. Capped Chimney If you are new to the house, it’s worth checking whether the top of the chimney has been capped. This could be with a removable cowl or even slate and cement. The previous occupants may have not wanted to use the fireplace or found that the draft it caused was a nuisance. Visually check the top of the chimney pot for a flat capping cowl and if present do not use and arrange for the chimney sweep to remove it. Chimney is decommissionedIf the previous occupants did not want to use the chimney or fireplace they may have blocked off the inside of the chimney from the bottom with a board or plate.They may even have removed part of it to enlarge a room upstairs or to create a loft conversion. Do not use. Get a quote to reinstate chimney. Multiple Chimney PotsIf chimney pots are not terminated at different heights then potentially the smoke from one pot can be pulled in to the pot next to it, if this flue is cold. You should arrange for a taller pot fitted if both fireplaces are in use, or have the disused chimney pot capped / blocked off. Stack not tall enoughThe chimney stack should be at least as high as the ridge tiles at the top of your roof. If this is not the case then you are very likely to have problems with airflow and the chimney could go into reverse. Arrange for the chimney to be built higher (as per building regulations) or a taller pot fitted. Lack of Air Flow New build houses or houses that have had newly installed double glazing may find that there is not enough additional air flow to fuel the fire. It can’t burn without oxygen so if your rooms are air-tight the fire is going to struggle.Try opening a window a little or a vent. CompetitionWindows and doors, extractor fans, bathroom vents and air conditioning units are examples of items that may affect the air flow in the chimney. Switch off other appliances, close doors and windows to the connecting rooms if this is the case Weather too hotIn hot weather you may find that the chimney stays cool and cold air is trapped there. Cold air doesn’t rise until it’s warmed up again. Warm the chimney flue by burning paper to start with. Exposed Areas / surrounding landscapeIf you are new to the house, you may discover that there has always been a problem because of the way the land around the property directs the wind and the way the air is channelled around the property. New houses recently built in the area or a neighbours extension can change wind direction also.Warm the chimney flue by burning paper to start with. Arrange for the chimney sweep to visit and advise Unusual weather conditionsIf it’s suddenly colder than previous days; the small amount of heat given off when starting the fire is not enough to shift the cold air already in the chimney and so it comes back into the room. The wind direction could be adversely affecting your chimney or a sudden local high pressure could cause your chimney to go into reverse. Warm the chimney flue by burning paper to start with / Wait for weather conditions to improve.Speak to chimney sweep if problem persists
on 2023-06-13 11:07:50
by
Admin Istrator
Posted in
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a log burner save you
Heat the room you are in Central heating warms the whole house, even the rooms that are not in use whilst a log burner will heat the room you are in and this heat will radiate through the bricks in the walls to gently heat the surrounding rooms. This heat will be held for a long time and so log burners are often more effective than radiators at keeping you warm when you have gone to bed. Slumbering a log burner over night used to be a way of keeping the house warm overnight, but this is now seen as wasteful as it is a waste of fuel and also burners that are left running below the optimal range produce a lot more air pollution. Thus slumbering is not recommended these days. New stoves are easy to light so there's no real reason to leave fuel burning whilst you sleep. Saving Money on Heating It's hard to say how much wood costs, but it's estimated that burning wood costs £0.03p less than gas per kilowatt hour. This means that you could save around £500 per year depending on how much gas you usually use.Obviously if you use electricity to heat your home it will be a lot cheaper than that! Save Money around the house Wood stoves can also be used for cooking / warming foods. Some even have built in grills and bread warmers!They can also be used as an alternative to the expensive tumble drier, especially in rainy weather.Its also a great back up if there should be a power cut, as you can keep warm, cook and have a warming light source to snuggle by.
on 2023-06-13 11:01:09
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Admin Istrator
Posted in
Frequently Asked Questions