Install flue liner ourselves?

[DC1977]

Hi all

In the middle of completely renovating our house, and we are going to be installing a log burner in the front room and having an open fire in a room in the back. We've got scaffolding up all around so was thinking it was a good time to put in flue liners now if needed, even though we dont want to put in new fireplaces, surrounds etc and the log burner till much further on in the job.

Ive had a fireplace installer come around and give a price for the whole job, but they are charging double the price for the liners and with the labour on top it is coming out v expensive.
When Ive made inquiries with installers in our area they say they wouldnt want to install the log burner if they haven't put the liner in themselves. I know that if we do it we have to get building control involved or at least a HETAS installer. This obviously would be cheaper but dont want to get caught out later by not being able to get the certificate of compliance for connecting up the burner.

Any thoughts on this?

Thanks

 

[williamglossop]

U won't get many people on here encouraging u to do this yourself..... but, Ive done two myself with no issues. If u know what you're doing, it's not that hard to do. Its up to u how 'worked up' u get about the certifications etc, but its unlikely a house sale would fall through due to something like a missing certification.

If the scaffolding is up, that's a massive help.... I did mine without scaff. I had a register plate made at a local fabricators and it was straight forward. Are u going to fill with vermiculite?

 

[DC1977]

Yes scaffolding up now so was thinking about getting on with it. Im only a competent (just about) DIYer but other people on the job know what they are doing. Was going to employ someone to fit log burner later but everyone who I have spoken to says they would normally fit the liner them selves too.

Ive heard of it being filled with vermiculite, but was leaning towards not doing it. You glad you did. One chimney is on the external wall, one is on the party wall.
Also the one on the party wall would be for an open fire. Im told it needs a 200m liner which to me would be difficult to get down the chimney?
Heard of people having to cut a hole in chimney breast in the loft, which of course I have now had plastered! the first floor bedroom has not been plastered but dont know if we could pull it around the bend from there....

 

[williamglossop]

I've since moved from the last house I did it in, but yeah, I was glad I did it. Saved a few grand. I fitted a plastic cone to the end of the liner that had a hole in the end. I placed strong blue nylon rope through the hole and tied the worlds biggest knot in it so it couldn't pull through the hole. The cone was taped onto the end of the liner in such a way that it took about half an hour to cut off once the job was done . I put a weight onto the end of the rope and dropped it down the chimney. It meant I could pull and wiggle the rope from the lounge whilst tge liner was fed down through from the roof. Took about an hour.

I didnt fill with vermiculite either.

 

[denso13]

but everyone who I have spoken to says they would normally fit the liner them selves too.

More than normally, the flue is critical and I wouldn't connect to one I didn't install.

Vermiculite on flues on an external wall, not so important internally.

 

[23vc]

Were the quotes including your scaffold already being up? If so they shouldn’t be adding too much just to drop the liner in surely

 

[DC1977]

Were the quotes including your scaffold already being up? If so they shouldn’t be adding too much just to drop the liner in surely

No we put up the scaffolding for other work, to put in a 5 inch 904 grade liner, and an 8 inch 904 grade liner for an open fire, plus labour they want £2250!
Yes I live in London

 

[oldbutnotdead]

That price is a micktake with access already in place. Have a chat with your BCO (presumably they're involved with a full refurb), they have the authority to approve your installation of the liner.
If you buy the stuff yourself you can buy metal cones which screw onto the liner, £25 or something like. Yes the 8 inch might be a struggle, best to pull the liner up the flue rather than down

 

[DC1977]

That price is a micktake with access already in place. Have a chat with your BCO (presumably they're involved with a full refurb), they have the authority to approve your installation of the liner.
If you buy the stuff yourself you can buy metal cones which screw onto the liner, £25 or something like. Yes the 8 inch might be a struggle, best to pull the liner up the flue rather than down

Yep weve got a BCO involved already, the only thing is I was going to get the fireplace company to install the stove and the ones I have spoken to say they want to install the liner themselves. Of course they would to get the extra dough. But I suppose when it comes to doing the job they are hardly going to turn it down becuase they didnt put in the liner. But maybe Im wrong, I know @denso13 said earlier he wouldnt do it

 

[oldbutnotdead]

The liner is critical to the safe operation of the woodburner, as an installer it is much easier to stand behind a liner you installed yourself rather than believe a householder saying 'its brand new, here's the receipt'. If you can't get an installer to do your stove then do it yourself and get bco to inspect. It isn't difficult- register plate, hearth as required, CO detector, adequate air supply to the room, correct clearances around the burner, job done. Its all in the Approved Docs

 

[lostinthelight]

If it will fit I would use a 6” liner for the WB, I gives a far greater choice of stove as it wont need to be Defra approved if you don't live in a smokeless zone...

 

[DC1977]

If it will fit I would use a 6” liner for the WB, I gives a far greater choice of stove as it wont need to be Defra approved if you don't live in a smokeless zone...

We're in London so in a smokeless zone, so would it be of no benefit to put a 6" as opposed to 5"?

 

[lostinthelight]

We're in London so in a smokeless zone, so would it be of no benefit to put a 6" as opposed to 5"?

I believed it would be a benifit to fit 6".The reason installers fit 5" is because its easier to get that size down the existing chimney and the price quoted is cheaper .At one time 5" flues weren't allowed on woodburners because they clogged up when shut down.
Defra then approved some if they were made so the they couldn't be closed completely.
A modern trend in burners seem to be producing them with wider and wider glass doors for "better viewing experience" which can have disadvantages. One of those can be the size of opening is large in comparison to the flue diameter so can smoke when opening the door.
I have just cured a wood stove room heater and a Rayburn cooker of this problem by replacing the 5" flue with 6"..

 

[DC1977]

@lostinthelight Ever put a 200mm flue liner down without any problems??!

 

[lostinthelight]

@lostinthelight Ever put a 200mm flue liner down without any problems??!

Yes but it was a big old farmhouse one where there was almost enough room for me to shimmy up along side of it .