Log burner trouble

[yoki]

Same here, but fitness is the snag!

I'm sure you've heard the expression about getting warmed twice with firewood, once burning it and once cutting it.

Sure who needs a gym membership.

 

[Dry Rot]

Good luck trying to find a hetas engineer.

Unfortunately, I did. Ended up getting an x-ray because he didn't use a proper bird excluding cowl and I ended up coughing up blood. The weld mesh he'd used on the chimney pot instead of a proper bird excluding cowl sooted up and completely choked the chimney. Smokey fire, but couldn't possibly be a badly installed flue because I'd used HETAS, could it? I'd convinced myself it was a 'cold chimney' and I just needed a hotter fire.

When the fault was finally diagnosed by my sweep, I took it up with HETAS who didn't want to know...until I quoted their own promotional literature back to them! Trust in experts? It's just another one of these clubs for the 'good ole boys'.

I found a good sweep but he got expensive. I now have my own rods and it takes me about an hour.

 

[Adeptandy]

Unfortunately, I did. Ended up getting an x-ray because he didn't use a proper bird excluding cowl and I ended up coughing up blood. The weld mesh he'd used on the chimney pot instead of a proper bird excluding cowl sooted up and completely choked the chimney. Smokey fire, but couldn't possibly be a badly installed flue because I'd used HETAS, could it? I'd convinced myself it was a 'cold chimney' and I just needed a hotter fire.

When the fault was finally diagnosed by my sweep, I took it up with HETAS who didn't want to know...until I quoted their own promotional literature back to them! Trust in experts? It's just another one of these clubs for the 'good ole boys'.

I found a good sweep but he got expensive. I now have my own rods and it takes me about an hour.

Is he really expensive, sounds to me lie he saved your life

 

[TheTallGuy]

I'm sure you've heard the expression about getting warmed twice with firewood, once burning it and once cutting it.

Sure who needs a gym membership.

3x

Cutting it down,
Cutting it up,
Burning it

You could also include a 4th - clearing and burning the brash

 

[Kidds]

I now have my own rods and it takes me about an hour.

I know you are not as fit as you once were but how does it take an hour?
Mine takes 10 minutes if I dawdle.

 

[yoki]

3x

Cutting it down,
Cutting it up,
Burning it

You could also include a 4th - clearing and burning the brash

All getting a bit complicated.

I'll stick to two, getting it, burning it.

 

[Dry Rot]

I know you are not as fit as you once were but how does it take an hour?
Mine takes 10 minutes if I dawdle.

You'll have one of those fancy expensive kits that doesn't take a pair of mole grips and a hammer to get the joints apart. Then there's the expensive Persian carpet that has to be rolled up, not to mention dust covers on all the valuable antiques. I also take a professional approach to the job, complete with risk assessments and statutory coffee breaks. These damned amateurs!

 

[TheTallGuy]

You'll have one of those fancy expensive kits that doesn't take a pair of mole grips and a hammer to get the joints apart. Then there's the expensive Persian carpet that has to be rolled up, not to mention dust covers on all the valuable antiques. I also take a professional approach to the job, complete with risk assessments and statutory coffee breaks. These damned amateurs!

Unlike my brush sets that both undo themselves even if you keep turning them as they go up - I've taken to taping the joints as I go!

 

[PSQ]

sorry to jump in .... i am looking to fit a wood burner with back boiler to run some rads , but due to European regs there does not seem to be much choice . any ideas on types left out there and suppliers

I'm in a similar situation (see previous thread). I have a tenant in a cottage with a holed Charnwood back boiler. I've spent about a month looking for a replacement, and there are a couple of options.

The Clearview 650 and 750 are supposed to be big enough for radiators. They're free standing models only, and supposed to be wood only for emissions. I don't know if there is a multi fuel grate available or not. Someone who understands plumbing can decipher the connections and heat outputs (not me):

Parkray sell the Aspect 14 which is rated at 4.8kw to water and 5.5 to the room. It won't heat may radiators, but it's an option.
https://www.hunterstoves.co.uk/product/aspect-14-boiler/


And good luck getting one, Clearview say it's a 10 week wait, but their dealers say they're currently waiting for orders placed last May - 5 months and counting.

 

[Bury the Trash]

Good luck finding a HETAS engineer that will sign off a rear exit flue pipe. They always now seem to insist on a top exit for at least 750mm long straight pipe before a angled turn in the pipe.

Unfortunately, I did. Ended up getting an x-ray because he didn't use a proper bird excluding cowl and I ended up coughing up blood. The weld mesh he'd used on the chimney pot instead of a proper bird excluding cowl sooted up and completely choked the chimney. Smokey fire, but couldn't possibly be a badly installed flue because I'd used HETAS, could it? I'd convinced myself it was a 'cold chimney' and I just needed a hotter fire.

When the fault was finally diagnosed by my sweep, I took it up with HETAS who didn't want to know...until I quoted their own promotional literature back to them! Trust in experts? It's just another one of these clubs for the 'good ole boys'.

I found a good sweep but he got expensive. I now have my own rods and it takes me about an hour.

Had a rayburn and also rear exited woodburner /multifuel for ever and a day, always fitted my self and swept not clip board warriors here paid big money for nothing,sorry.
Plenty of info out there especially these days on the net its not rocket science,just take your time and care.

@Dry Rot if you have tractor a hydraulic log splitter does save some of the work .

 

[Bucks Boy]

New build house. Had to have HETAS certificate to get building regs signed off.

 

[Dry Rot]

@Dry Rot if you have tractor a hydraulic log splitter does save some of the work .

I do have a log splitter but currently have a source of smaller stuff which I put through a tilting saw like the one in the video run by the MF 135. The logs drop into the bucket of my 390 and are then tipped into a couple of 4x4 skips in the shed. The guy in the video is surely paid by the hour as I can go twice as fast as that! It all works pretty well.

 

[robs1]

We’ve just had a Charnwood 5kw fitted, and what size of log are you using to last through the night?

I cut them so they just fit in width ways, sometimes I put two smaller ones sometimes just a bit one, I dont split legs as find once its burning well they dont need to be

 

[Oliveau]

I do have a log splitter but currently have a source of smaller stuff which I put through a tilting saw like the one in the video run by the MF 135. The logs drop into the bucket of my 390 and are then tipped into a couple of 4x4 skips in the shed. The guy in the video is surely paid by the hour as I can go twice as fast as that! It all works pretty well.

Bit too much exposed blade for my liking

 

[TheTallGuy]

Bit too much exposed blade for my liking

Not as bad as a proper old Fergie one...

 

[Kidds]

You'll have one of those fancy expensive kits that doesn't take a pair of mole grips and a hammer to get the joints apart. Then there's the expensive Persian carpet that has to be rolled up, not to mention dust covers on all the valuable antiques. I also take a professional approach to the job, complete with risk assessments and statutory coffee breaks. These damned amateurs!

I undo stuck rods by twisting by hand and smacking the stuck joint with the brass on another rod. Works every time but only ever need to do it when draining, they don't get stuck when chimney sweeping.
Anyway, I didn't know you were including cleaning up time, my missus gets to do that bit and it takes her hours. She'd be a lot quicker if she did less tutting and crying while doing it.

 

[Bury the Trash]

I undo stuck rods by twisting by hand and smacking the stuck joint with the brass on another rod. Works every time but only ever need to do it when draining, they don't get stuck when chimney sweeping.
Anyway, I didn't know you were including cleaning up time, my missus gets to do that bit and it takes her hours. She'd be a lot quicker if she did less tutting and crying while doing it.

modern flues aren't quite so suitable for sending a small child up them are they.

 

[Bobthebuilder]

Guy that does ours uses a cordless drill with socket attached to spin the rods as he pushes them back n forth, works a treat, hoover pipe into hatch on flu pipe with the rods and brush then all taped up, hardly know he’s been for £20

 

[bobk]

Good year to cut poplar down , no where as much sap in them due to the dry summer

 

[melted welly]

You'll have one of those fancy expensive kits that doesn't take a pair of mole grips and a hammer to get the joints apart. Then there's the expensive Persian carpet that has to be rolled up, not to mention dust covers on all the valuable antiques. I also take a professional approach to the job, complete with risk assessments and statutory coffee breaks. These damned amateurs!

My old man once attempted to clear a rooks nest that had fallen down the chimney by going up in a cherry picker and dropping a half litre Molotov cocktail of diesel down it…..

….didn’t go well truth be told.