Woodburner in open plan kitchen diner family room - extractor dilemma and building regs. Help! (Pigletjohn?)

[amazonianwoman]

We want to install a woodburner in a newly reconfigured family/kitchen/diner. This is the proposed siting and configuration:

Woodburner to go in family room 5.3 x 3.5m. This opens via a 1.7m wide opening to the kitchen 6.3 x 4m.
The kitchen opens via a 750cm opening to a dining area 3.5 x 4m.
Combined room volume is 250 cubic metres.

The woodburner is technically in a different room to the kitchen but it is obviously open plan.

Building regs state that an extractor fan must not be sited in the same room as a wood burner.

Building regs also state that kitchens should be fitted with a ducted extractor in a new extension or in a newly reconfigured kitchen.

How can I satisfy both requirements?? My builder hasn't said I need building regs approval for the kitchen, but I don't want to compromise on safety with the woodburner.

It seems to be a common proposal and layout now - just thinking of this week's Grand Designs house! I see plenty of homes on Rightmove too.

I've trawled the web but can't find any advice for open plan large areas. The burner would be 6.5kW and a venting plate would be installed.

Help please, it's stressing me out!

Forgot to add that there will be patio doors and opening windows in the kitchen (new ones with trickle vents I think they're called?) but have a feeling this is irrelevant?

The extractor I've bought can be installed as recirculating rather than ducted (I think. It's an Elica - need to check details). But recirculating fans are pretty useless aren't they?!

I don't know.

Ask the stove company and Building Control at your local council.

Part J in the building regs changed in 2010 - I'm about to do the same and my stove's leaflet is out of date. The regs say an extractor should be avoided, but if unavoidable then a pressure test should be done (run extractor, all other fans i.e. tumble dryers, shut all doors/windows and check there aren't any leaks from the stove). It implies that the solution may just be another vent.

But I agree with PJ - your stove installer should know.

You may find you will be required to install fire doors to isolate the kitchen - these can be opening but with a closer rather than being allowed to be open permanently ... Depends on what the person form the regs office says ultimately though - having it open might affect your heat detector that you should have installed in your kitchen and maybe your smoke detectors elsewhere in the house too !

I'm surprised by this, sounds like we have a similar plan for our house and have a stove in the family room, the plans were signed off by building control with no problems. Think some allowances were made for the stove and a vent has been fitted. Feeling a bit worried now there will be an issue when the hood is fitted!

Thanks all, I've tried contacting stove suppliers/fitters today but they're all obviously busy at this time of year. Will try again on Monday and report back.

I'm a building control officer and I don't know the answer!

At a guess, you could be made to increase the ventilation (ie air bricks) or add a fan to the chimney to counteract the effect of the extractor.

Stove installer needs to do an assessment of whether the extractor/its location/room size will have an impact on the flow of the chimney.

We have a stove in our living room and are about to whack in a giant kitchen coming off it. Nothing has been mentioned about the stove. Ours is 7.4kw and we have a venting plate in the floorboards. Building control have been round fairly recently.

I was sort of planning not to bother with an extractor. Because I hate them. Is that going to get me in trouble?

Our stove was put in after the kitchen was done. Stove installer was happy and saw the extractor at the other end of the family room / kitchen / diner
then again I've not had my building regs signed off because I refuse to fit fire doors that will be left open.

Do not mention fire doors. Do. Not.

£170 a door to get nice ones. Or fit crap ones and take them off again once we get sign off. We need seven of them. The one to the kitchen will never ever be shut.

You can fit smoke detectors in every room instead of fire doors.

My Sister has had fireproof paint put on all her doors instead : but that is a joke too as the door frame does not have to be coated AND the doors are still open

Approved Document B is a really bad document and should be repealed forthwith

joanhunter not in my council

nearly 1/3 of houses in my town are not BR signed off : shows what a joke it is

my house the council and my house insurer accept the change even though its not signed off
P-P-Pickles should lay into building regs rather than planning permission

Yes, talkinpeace. If you fit hard wired smoke detectors in every room it usually negates the need for fire doors.

Get a Fire Strategy report to back it up.

I'm not sure about the rules; our stove is less than 5 meters from the kitchen extractor, but we have an external air supply to the stove, so the system is sealed off from the room. Might be a possible solution?

Fire doors??!! Don't stress me further by adding another thing to the mix

The only fire door I'm installing is a one filling a new opening from a pantry cupboard into the garage.

I don't really like extractor fans either. The kitchen door is almost always open when I'm cooking as the dog runs in and out.

Not sure that an external air supply is viable as the garage is on the other side of the chimney?

oh - I didn't mean to stress you further ! soz ! just pointing out worst case senario !

HETAS registered guy came today to do a site survey before the woodburner is installed.

He said the extractor hood fan wouldn't be a problem given the size of the room, so no concerns signing that off. As long as we have an air vent.

that's good news, sounds like what we were told. I'm relieved as building control have signed our plans off, but didn't want them to change their mind for the final inspection!