Hi all, I’ve got a van, I’ve got a border terrier, now I’m going to complete the stw triple crown and get a log burner for the house! Where do I begin? I need to know everything! chimney regs? Installation regs? Best place to buy them? How big a unit do I need? Can I install myself?
Help!!!

Cheers

Son. You have come to the right place on the interwebz.

The size of your burner will depend on the size of the room you’re trying to heat
There are many guidelines online. You can self install but you’ll need to get it inspected to pass a monoxide test and clear insurance.
I’m about to fit my second stove myself as I’m not going to pay extortionate prises for a bit of pipe!
It’s relatively easy if you’re a practical type of person

The lounge will be 18ft x 12ft but with folding doors that open up onto the dining kitchen open plan thing.

This is a good resource http://www.stovefittersmanual.co.uk/

Start collecting logs as soon as possible build a log store.

this is also a good resource

http://www.stovesonline.co.uk/wood_burning_stoves/Stove-Installation.html

Get a stove person in. Set what you’d like things to look like. Pay money, job gets done.

What sort of van though? Needs to be a class appropriate burner 😉

Most of it covered above though.
Decent log storage, as big and dry as possible.
Don’t think of it as a cheap source of heating, unless you’re a forester/farmer/joiner/tree surgeon.

Don’t think of it as a cheap source of heating, unless you’re a forester/farmer/joiner/tree surgeon.

Or forager, my B-i-L seems to be quite good at picking random flotsam and jetsam up for his wood store.

I needed to get my chimney stack sorted out, so got a flexi flue put in as part of the work (intend to just burn dry wood so had cheaper 316 grade flexiflue installed), no idea if the chimney needed it. Bought an ex display model stove on ebay at near half price. Despite trying to do it on the cheap(ish) I still expect it’s going to cost a few thousand for everything. Also having new central heating installed, so mine will probably end up being more looks/play thing.

Just had 2 stove persons do their thing. Bit messier than expected but old victorian chimney not swept or used for a while and the feathers had collapsed so we ended up using 2 flues. Otherwise straight forward and c£3k with a decent stove and top grade liner.

I’d always recommend getting a dual fuel stove as well, a bit of coal in with the wood helps keep the temp up and saves wood.

Gunz – Member
I’d always recommend getting a dual fuel stove as well, a bit of coal in with the wood helps keep the temp up and saves wood.

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Costs coal though, doesn’t it? I think wood’s a better choice long term as it’s semi renewable. Once coal gets short in supply it’s not going to be affordable.

I’d buy some new underpants too; you’ll be sitting about in them for a few years until the coolness factor wears off and you understand that, although trendy, wood burning was replaced by more controllable heating for a very good reason.

don’t burn smokeless fuel and wood at the same time

C and P from stoves online web site

We do not recommend that you burn wood and coal at the same time: burning coal produces sulphuric acid and wood can contain a lot of moisture – this combination can coat your chimney in sulphuric acid solution which can quickly eat away at anything.
Plus the conditions for burning wood efficiently are not the same as those for burning coal efficiently.