[underground]

Without ripping the fucker out? Might be something nik at work will have an idea about...

Ours is a 40s built semi, has a gas fire fitted in the living room, normal width chimney breast, but this reduces to about 2 foot wide in the bedroom above it - no breast at all in the rear dining room, and a single common stack, no idea how tall it is but not more than 4 foot at a guess. The cowl on it is a stainless one, obviously a gas flue one, but I never went right up there to look so it could be added after the yard was built. Thinking about it I've never checked if any of the other gaffs have a different chimney configuration.

So, I know there's a void up to the roof in there, for the flue - but is the lack of an upstairs hearth the reason for the narrowing further up? if it's a lined flue can it handle wood?

This is all on the party wall side and there's a breezeblock bit in the loft, but no sign of the flue.

I'm not thinking about doing any auxilliary heating off the stove should it be fitted (yet) so it'd just be warming the front room, where we spend most of the evening.

And, I don't want to start ripping the room apart to find out the above - hence the post 

[Jim]

I've read that a number of times and it doesn't really make any sense?
do you want to put a fire in your dining room? do you want to check the fire thats already in has a safe working chimney?
are you looking for a chimney somewhere?

[underground]

Hmm, I'll try to summarise:

I would like to remove the gas fire that's currently in the front room and replace it with a wood burner of some sort - but I don't know if the chimney or whatever is acting as the flue for the gas fire will be suitable... and I'd like to find out if it is, without having to break anything.

[Andy B]

The flue liners for gas fires are different to those for wood or coal burners, and not compatible. However you may not need a liner of any sort, if your chimney is still sound. The only way that I know of to find this out is using smoke to check the draw and whether smoke leaks into rooms, other adjacent chimneys or into next door. You can buy smoke bombs for this purpose or use lots of paper, but you have to open up the fire place at least a bit I'm afraid. Hope this is of some help.

[tomtom]

Like andy said.. light a match/taper blow it out so it smokes and hold it up to the chimney cavity - see if you have any updraught that will take the smoke out.

If you're not sure whats up there call in a flue fitting company - someone that puts in flues or lines chimneys and at worst they'll give you a quick prognosis and probably a quote.... You may well find out its all fine - or you may need to put in a flue.. which can mean sticking a great big flexible metal pipe down the chimney from top to bottom (or bottom to top). I've sat and watched them do it to a house opposite my GF's...

If you're planning to fit a wood burner you need to be a wee bit more careful than a normal fire, as the gasses coming from the top of a burner can be much hotter than that from a normal fire. This is because it is far more efficient. I've had the flue out the top of my burner glowing dull red hot before  Because of this your chimney/flue whatever may have to be more robust.

If you're chimney is fine etc.. or even better lined already, its not that hard a job fitting a wood burner - but I would get a professional oppinion before you start ripping open your chimney breast....

[Jim]

I think you will need a double skinned flue for a wood burner, there is probably only a single skinned one in for a gas fire.
You probably won't need a flue lining if your chimney is sound tho and you can rip the old one out and stick a chimney pot on instead of the metal cowl

[tomtom]

I think you will need a double skinned flue for a wood burner, there is probably only a single skinned one in for a gas fire.
You probably won't need a flue lining if your chimney is sound tho and you can rip the old one out and stick a chimney pot on instead of the metal cowl

Only double skinned if its passing through a room or directly through a ceiling etc.. so that it doesnt burn whatever it touches... Like you said Jim, if the chimney is sound just wack a pot on the top.

Chimney sweeps are also worth asking about this - as (funnily enough!) they know their way around a chimney! You'd need to get it swept anyway if you were not lining it.

My old cottage in Wales was a piss easy install, nice 9" lined chimney, just get a 6" to 9" adaptor and plugged the stove straight in. 1 hour job, toasty  Often people fit a horizontal board across the top of the chimney then have the woodburner flue rising straight into that - which stops all the shit coming down into it. Never seems to be an exact science and you may well get different advice from different companies.

Another thing to consider is that you are supposed to have a distance of fireproof material around the burner... (I cant remeber whether its 6" or 12") so if your burner sits flush with the opening, you'll have to have 6-12" of hearth or something that it sits on that is fireproof (I had a big slab of slate it sat on)... similarly you have to have a set distance around the edge of the burner from the chimney breast/fireplace...

T

[Andy B]

The regulation distances are 12" from the front of the hearth, which must be 2" high, and 4" round the back and sides, but there could be some room for flexibility depending on who is fitting.

If you get someone in for views on whether you need a liner etc. get loads of opinions as there could be a wide variety of answers, and may of those with a vested interest will give you a blank answer of needing a flue liner.

Obi Wan has fitted his own burner and liner (good skills!) and will no doubt have some good knowledge.

[fatboySlimfast]

I fitted my own wood burner.
Liners are NOT needed as such with wood burners(however if you chimney is old its worth considering but they are a bit spenny!)
Jimmynee theres bound to be a chimney of some sorts behind there, what condition is another matter. You will probably need to rebuild the surround for aesthetics, consider how the mantel will react to the heat(if its plaster etc it may get scortched, we put a lintel in to avoid this.
if you dont need a lintel you can go with standard flue up into chimey but you need to put a flat plate(forgot the name of it) to cap it.
Consider the draw as well into the room, we have double glazing etc and had to put another vent into the floor to provide more air into the room.
On the subject of wood burners, 2nd are rare, chinese cheapo are shit quality and can split.
Give me a call mate to discuss or we can have that ale in't choach & horses we discussed

[nik at work]

If it's an ugly gas fire rip the fucker out anyway.
As others have said you will have a chimney, it may or may not need lining, depends on the draw and it's general condition. The gas fire flue will not be up to the job for a wood/multi fuel burner. If you do need to get a liner then shop around for it, prices vary A LOT. Don't ask a flue lining company (or stove installing company) whether or not you need a flue liner, all you'll get is "but of course".

If you do get a stove only use well seasoned logs and never ever ever buy logs from a garage.

[Andy B]

you need to put a flat plate(forgot the name of it) to cap it.

It's called the register plate.

Don't ask a flue lining company (or stove installing company) whether or not you need a flue liner, all you'll get is "but of course".

We found this for the first few people we got in, but after we did our own smoke bomb test we suspected otherwise. Then Hairich recommended a fitter to us who came in, tested again and confirmed that we didn't need a liner. I guess the knowledge, as usual, is to find someone honest.

[Jim]

never ever ever buy logs.

word 

[nik at work]

I see what you did there.

 

[underground]

Cheers for the tips chaps.. I've deduced that the chimney is actually 'hollow blocks' (deduced = my dad told me), hence the reduction in width upstairs. It does go through the roof void too, if you look properly.

So apparently no go on the burning of wood in the lounge.