I read somewhere, roughly-

Open fire = 20% heat in room, 80% heat up the chimney.
Decent stove = 80% heat in room, 20% heat up the flue.

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Yep, Im still here.

cheers chaps !!
What sort of money did it cost in total including linning pipes etc ??

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He who knows all the answers has not been asked all the questions.

Rich - Lining the flue.

Given that you have to duck away from the cobwebs as you decend the stairs into your cellar Are we talking about a country manor with high stack and ornate period chimneys ?

This is a general comment below:

This is necessary only on a pre 1st world war brick and older arts and crafts cottage, a stone chimney could be ok, depends on how well it has been constructed and pointed. A modern chimney could be ok. Before 1st WW, When the flue was parged with dung and lime cement, there are some issues if the debris blocks the suction on the narrow cast iron pipe on the top of the stove. How much fall (debris) do you get in the grate each morning ? Will an iron cowl fit well in the initial opening of the flue above the lintel ? A well fitting iron cowl could eliminate a flue liner.

A tall chimney will suck like mad in a windy location, and you will need to close the draft from the bottom of the fire (stove grate), above the hearth.

If you dont know stuff, it may be better that you call for a survey. Believe me, getting the chimney swept in a Victorian or older property is essential. The Sweep can advise on the condition of the flue.

what you might call, a serious chimney

Cheers

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Duncan

Dunc,
Sound advice, next stage is to get a sweep round to have a look.
The old girl was built in 1850.

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He who knows all the answers has not been asked all the questions.

If he starts singing and dancing throw him out...

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Four wheels move the body - 2 wheels move the soul.

Best not invite anyone the wife knows then being born in East Ham, me old china !!

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He who knows all the answers has not been asked all the questions.

Dunc, your post didn't show correctly earlier,
Chimney stack is about 6ft high I guess just standard brick work with iron band.
When we have an open fire the draw is excellent with no leaks upstairs or in the attic/loft.

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He who knows all the answers has not been asked all the questions.

Fings certainly ain't wot they used to be round there.

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Four wheels move the body - 2 wheels move the soul.

Regardless of the condition, you will require a flue liner to be fitted.

Search for Hetas engineers in your area, get them round to give you a quote. They'll let you know exactly what you need and how much it will cost.
http://www.hetas.co.uk/find-installer/

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Yep, Im still here.

[quote="GK"]Regardless of the condition, you will require a flue liner to be fitted.

Search for Hetas engineers in your area, get them round to give you a quote. They'll let you know exactly what you need and how much it will cost.
Richard;

To get the fuel (log burning efficiency) and the cleaness of the (carbon deposits from the burnt wood and smoke in the chimney) you will have to fit a flue liner. This will give you better results from the stove, and possibly, prevent corrosion.

From what GK has said, he's getting marvellous fuel to heat efficiency. I probably burn 4 times the wood to get the same amount of heat actually in the room.

My other operating open fire downstairs - is a huge old iron dog grate heaped with fake coals and realistic logs and run on natural gas - looks fabulous, is very simple to use - but is a complete No No now that gas has increased in price by 39% since January 2011 ! Yes in just 2 years ! Whatever happenned to OffWatt the government regulator ?
11% of your energy bill is used to finance other people's grants for non-carbon power generating schemes for which you do not receive a single penny in financial benefit. A Stealth Tax for sure

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Duncan

Chaps, followed your sound advice.
I wont get much change out of 2k !! so its a none starter for now.

Thanks for your help much appreciated indeed.

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He who knows all the answers has not been asked all the questions.

You could always get a flue jab...

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Four wheels move the body - 2 wheels move the soul.