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Property/DIY

Wood burning stove quote

20 replies

Lazerquest · 02/12/2019 22:48

We’ve recently moved into a house that has a wood burning stove fitted. As we are wanting to use the stove over winter I got someone out to sweep the chimney.

Our setup is apparently unsafe as the flue that exits the stove goes directly into the chimney and the chimney is unlined. There is a metal “plate” blocking off the chimney that the flue exits through. When the chimney sweep swept the chimney the soot fell down and has collected on this plate. Due to the setup of the stove he couldn’t get his hoover in to remove the soot. This is apparently now a fire risk.

The chimney sweep recommended getting the chimney lined so the soot can’t fall on the plate. He quoted £1,135 for this. Is this reasonable? It’s a 12 meter chimney and we’re based in Scotland.

Enclosed pictures of the quote and the stove plate to better explain!

Wood burning stove quote
Wood burning stove quote
Wood burning stove quote
OP posts:
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Herocomplex · 02/12/2019 22:54

Yes, I think that’s a fairly average price for supply and fit. The flue liners aren’t very expensive.
Is he planning on removing the plate then?

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arewethereyetmum78 · 02/12/2019 22:54

We recently had a multi fuel burner fitted and the chimney lining was the most expensive part of the job. Definitely around the £1k mark so your quote is probably about right. Also in Scotland and we got 4 quotes and all were similar prices. Do pay to have it done properly though as one of our neighbours did it themselves and their chimney caught fire.

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Pipandmum · 02/12/2019 22:55

I had my chimney lined about 7 years ago. It required a tower. I think it wasn't as high as that but I'm not in Scotland and this was a few years ago. Just get a second quote - the people I bought the stove from arranged it.

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JungeTraktoristin · 02/12/2019 22:56

That seems like quite a lot. We paid £1400 for a new stove, and maybe £700 for installation of the stove and lining the chimney. SW England.

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Herocomplex · 02/12/2019 22:56

No labour or VAT?

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Herocomplex · 02/12/2019 22:57

Sorry! I see the labour cost

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Bargebill19 · 02/12/2019 23:01

Our stove has a removable baffle plate. Are you sure you can’t take the plate out? Might have to remove the side bricks it sits on first then lift and twist the plate. It’s then a case of cleaning the crud off and replacing.
I realise this might not be the same for all fires - so apologies if it’s been tried. But the quote does look about right.

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JoanieCash · 02/12/2019 23:02

Replace with an electric one instead and read this. wood burners so bad for air pollution 😊

www.which.co.uk/reviews/wood-burning-stoves/article/wood-burning-stoves-what-you-need-to-know/stoves-and-pollution

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KristinaM · 02/12/2019 23:11

That Price sounds about right. If in doubt, get another couple of quotes.

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Craft74 · 06/12/2019 15:11

@JoanieCash
Wood burners are carbon neutral, they let out as much co2 as the trees adsorb during their life time. Don't burn wet wood only properly seasoned. Also electricity is a very expensive way of heating, gas much cheaper. Wood burners look so much nicer than fake ones, there is no comparison

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footchewer · 06/12/2019 17:43

@Craft74 "Wood burners are carbon neutral, they let out as much co2 as the trees adsorb during their life time."

By that logic, coal is carbon-neutral because burning it only releases the same carbon that was locked inside the earth for millions of years. Are you saying it makes no difference if the carbon is under the ground or out in the atmosphere? Surely the only way that any given log of wood is carbon neutral is if it isn't burnt? Also I'm no chemist, but even I know there's a world of difference between the carbon in the wood and the carbon dioxide produced by burning it.

We do have a wood-burner, used sparingly when our old gas heating doesn't quite cut the mustard or we want the romanticism of a real fire. That quote looks in the land of reasonable @OP, but get some more quotes for your peace of mind I reckon. Best of luck, stay warm and don't burn down the house! :-)

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Craft74 · 06/12/2019 22:54

But coal is stuck in the ground and won’t release co2 unless it is dug and burnt. Trees will let out the same co2 if they rot or burnt so not the same

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Yoollyball · 06/12/2019 23:06

Why were you getting the chimney swept - it is the flue liner thats in it that needs swept as that his where the gas is going from the stove.

It's normal when doing a stove install to sweep the original chimney then install the flue liner and it is that then gets swept - the chimney can't get dirty again anymore.

Maybe the chimney wasn't swept before the install. I have the same set up - got quotes and none included lining the chimney just sweeping and installing a flue in it.

If you have no flue liner this should be about £800 to fit. Your register plate can come out. A normal set up in a chimney is shown in the photo. All stove people will be mega busy atm though you may find you need to wait till spring/ summer if you need a flue. Call / email lots but use the right terminology as tjis makes everything easier all round.

Wood burning stove quote
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footchewer · 07/12/2019 09:25

Hmm you're bottoming out my knowledge of the carbon cycle tbh, but I think you're assuming that all trees are entirely metabolised in the rotting process, which surely can't be true or there would be no coal or charcoal or peat in existence; also burning takes minutes whereas rotting takes decades, so even if the net amount of carbon released to the atmosphere were the same at the end of time, surely the amount of carbon in the atmosphere at any given time will be vastly increased if wood is burned in any quantity? Thanks for answering, must read more.

Sorry for going off-topic @OP!

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donquixotedelamancha · 07/12/2019 09:37

Wood burners are carbon neutral, they let out as much co2 as the trees adsorb during their life time.

It's mostly not the CO2 that makes them bad for the environment, it's particulates.

Methane completely combusts. Wood burners don't so they are less efficient (more CO2) but also produce tiny particles which damage lungs. When the news talks about deaths from air pollution it's mostly down to this. Wood burners are by far the worst culprits per joule of energy produced.

If not in a rural area wood burners (on average, by contribution not directly) kill people.

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Sillyscrabblegames · 07/12/2019 09:39

@Yoollyball I think the point of the op is that there is no liner. You still have to get the flue swept, but would not realise there isn't one until your chimney sweep attempts to clean it.

I think this sounds like an average quote to refit the wood burner safely.

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Cohle · 07/12/2019 09:42

Why didn't the sweep realise the chimney was unlined before he started? I'd be annoyed that he'd rendered the stove unusable. It wouldn't fill me with faith that he was the best choice for further work.

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Movinghouseatlast · 07/12/2019 10:16

Yes that is reasonable.

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Bowerbird5 · 07/12/2019 10:16

Your stove is a Charnwood Country. Not sure what size. They are very efficient. We didn’t line our chimney with our first stove but when we needed a new stove we could afford to and did it. I would go for another two quotes before you agree.
There is. Metal plate within the stove did he remove that to sweep it? You need to take it in both hands and push it up and back till you feel it release then it can be lifted out. Quite a lot of soot will be on it so move it slowly. It is sometimes tricky to get back in. It has to be lined up correctly and slides in and sits behind a bit either side. Charnwood probably have details on line or ring and ask for the booklet that comes with the stove.

Our local fire brigade have fire fighters that clean chimneys as a side line. They also advise you about fire risks and gave us a new smoke alarm for free.😀 they may advise you about the chimney. They might be able to tell you if that quote is ok for your area but they can also advise you whether the chimney is likely to go on fire. So I would give the station a ring and ask if they have anyone that is a chimney sweep or that gives advise. Otherwise go to local shops that sell woodburners as they usually have a list of reputable people to get quotes from.

Fire wood. You need to get well seasoned wood to burn otherwise you get sap which is bad and also ruins your stove. Ours is mostly bought in and is well seasoned 18mths -3years.
We also use semi anthracite and Welsh eggs when it is very cold or when we want it to stay in. You can keep it going for days at a time with this combination.
There should be a handle on the top right hand side this will slide out to the right as you pull it. This will open the flue as you light it and push it part way back as it gets going.

If you want to blacken the outside more I think you can buy some stuff from stove dealers or maybe Charnwood themselves.

We absolutely love ours but I advise you to get it right from the start. We run seven radiators off ours. Is yours connected to central heating?If you getting cracking you might get it working for Christmas. Good luck let us know how you get on.

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Bowerbird5 · 07/12/2019 10:49

If you go to the Charnwood site you can type in your postcode so you may be able to find out from the stockist how long it has been in. It also has a link to a liner/ flue pipe.

If you are in the borders Kengas in Carlisle can help. We bought ours in Inverness because stoves became the new “ in thing to have” that year and our old Coalbrookdale Severn gave up on us in a freezing November. We went everywhere for a stove and were told February was the earliest. It was our only heating system in our stone cottage. I rang all over the north and then southern Scotland. In vain I then rang Inverness and got one we were so relieved. That was from Bonk &co who I can recommend. They only serve 50 miles radius. I co owned a house there so we had it delivered there.
Hope this is of some help and you get it going for Christmas. Nothing like a real fire.

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