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That stove looks a bit tight in that opening - won't you lose loads of radiated heat straight into the surrounds? I thought more space was needed for air flow???
You work with what you've got. More clearance would be nice but its not a big deal, I know from my parent's experience, their stove (franco belge belfort 4.5Kw) is more tightly installed, it still heats the room (a bigger room than mine) very well indeed. Stovax recommended minimum clearances to allow installation and for convection/good operation are just 25mm to the rear,50mm to the sides and 100mm above. I've just got the minimum to the sides, 75mm to the rear and 380mm above, so it will be fine. I wanted plenty of space above so I could use a stove fan, that's why I raised the opening. With a fan to aid convection the heat will come out into the room nicely I'm sure
I just looked up the building control application fee on Croydon's website, and nearly fell off the sofa! After VAT it looks like £216
The only other issue is whether you're in a smoke control zone. I've got the Stockton 5 and was 'required' to fit the adapter which stops you shutting down the burner vents completely. BC may well want to see that in place to sign it off.
Yes I am, and I have the smoke control kit bought and fitted, I included the cost of that in the total for the stove (it was £40 for the smoke control kit)
Thinking about it I'd expect they should sign off on a non-approved stove or one without a smoke kit as long as you has the multifuel/coal grate as you could legally burn smokeless coal, however I'm going to be using wood so I got the smoke control kit.
Having checked the building control website the drop down menu for 'type pf work' didn't include wood burning stove, the closest seemed to be 'boiler installation or unvented HW tank'. So before paying £216 and maybe getting the wrong fee I phoned to check. Yes that is the right fee, and I asked about when inspections were required and he confirmed it just final commissioning/smoke testing. Phew. So fingers crossed OH will choose some stone for the hearth soon, and it won't be long before I get that in and we are all done other than the chimney notice plate that is purchased and in the post, and the CO alarm I just returned from Wickes with needs putting up.
BTW, can anybody advise on how hard fire cement goes and how easy it is to clean off to reapply? I'll need to lift the viscous enamelled stove pipe off the stove to slide the stove out and fit the hearth. Doing so will break the fire cement seal at the stove collar and at the stove pipe to flexi liner adaptor, so I'll need to clean the fire cement off these 2 joins and reapply as the stove goes back in. My dad is nervous the fire cement could go really hard making all this very difficult and reckons i shouldn't light the stove until its all done and in for the final time. I'm keen to light the stove as its getting colder and my OH is not to be rushed on interior design stuff, so it could be a while before she is happy with her decision on the hearth. Anybody able to advise?