We get asked – and always do our best to answer – a lot of questions by people who are considering buying a wood-burning stove. A significant proportion of those questions start, “Can you install a wood-burning stove…?” With plenty of myths, misconceptions and misinformation floating around, many people are left wondering whether or not installing a woodburner in their property is even possible. So, with that in mind we’re trying to answer as many of those “Can you install a wood-burning stove…?” as we can in one post. Here we go. Can you install a wood-burning stove if you don’t have a chimney? Yes, there is no reason why you can’t install a wood-burning stove just because you don’t have a chimney. For most properties without a chimney, a twin wall flue will serve as the ideal chimney replacement. Can you install a wood-burning stove yourself? Logistically, yes, you can install a wood-burning stove yourself: it can be a fairly straightforward DIY job. But there are a few reasons why we recommend you leave the installation to a professional who is HETAS registered. Firstly, it’s not like putting up some shelves and one falling down. If you get something wrong with a stove installation, you’re potentially allowing poisonous gases into your home. Secondly, if you do the installation yourself, you will still need a HETAS engineer to check and certify the job to get a Certificate of Compliance. Registered HETAS engineers can self-certify the installation as being in compliance with building standards. Can you install a wood-burning stove without a flue liner? Yes, you can install a wood-burning stove without a flue liner as long as the stove is connected to a sound chimney that’s functioning properly. The advantage of using a flue liner even if you do have a good chimney is to improve performance. The draw up a flue pipe with a six-inch diameter should be stronger than up an open chimney. This can provide a more efficient burn, as well as minimising flue gases condensing in the chimney and forming creosote deposits. However we would always recommend a flue liner with every installation. Can you install a wood-burning stove in a flat? There is no specific reason why you can’t install a wood-burning stove in a flat, but there are a number of complications. If your flat has an existing fireplace, you’ll need to check – logistically and legally – how it connects with other fireplaces in your building. Ideally, you’ll want your fireplace to have its own flue right the way to the chimney pot, so that your installation doesn’t really impact on other flats. If there’s no existing fireplace, you’ll need to work out how to install a twin wall flue. If that entails running a flue pipe up the side of several neighbouring flats, you would need permission from each property. Can you install a wood-burning stove in an existing fireplace? Yes, you can install a wood-burning stove in an existing fireplace. The simplest way of doing so is by installing a inset stove, which will slot straight into a standard fireplace opening without the need for any building work to open up the fireplace. Can you install a wood-burning stove in a conservatory? Yes, you can install a wood-burning stove in a conservatory. As with any other room in your home, the installation must comply with building regulations. The aspect of the regulations that might be slightly trickier than in other rooms is adhering to the minimum distance to flammable materials, particularly when it comes to installing a flue through a polycarbonate conservatory roof. This can be achieved through the use of a twin wall flue and rubber flashing. Can you install a wood-burning stove in a new home? Unless your developer has made you agree to conditions to the contrary (which would be very unusual) there is no reason why you can’t install a wood-burning stove in a new home. The only requirement would be compliance with wood-burning stove building regulations. Even if the new build property has no chimney, a woodburner installation could be achieved with the use of a twin wall flue. You will need to ensure the flue outlet height, hearth design and size and distance between the stove and combustible materials are in accordance with the regulations. Can you install a wood-burning stove in a mobile home? Yes, you can install a wood-burning stove in a mobile home. Since mobile homes are not covered by building regulations, the onus is on you and your installer to ensure the installation is safe. This includes making sure your stove is a suitable distance away from flammable materials. Can you install a wood-burning stove in a kitchen? Yes, you can install a wood-burning stove in a kitchen, but you are likely to need a woodburner with an external air supply. Until a couple of years ago, you weren’t allowed to install a stove in a room in which there was any form of mechanical extraction in operation. This included the use of extractor fans that are above the vast majority of cookers due to fears that the fan could ‘pull’ harmful gases into the room. New regulations permit such installation as long as the stove has an external air supply that makes it independent of the ventilation within the kitchen. Can you install a wood-burning stove if you live in a city? Yes, urban dwellers are just as entitled to the warmth of a woodburner as the rest of us. You can install a woodburner even if you live in a smoke control area, one of the designated zones in which burning fuel was banned in to tackle smog in the 1960s. In order to install a wood-burning stove that can be used in a smoke control area you simply need to choose a DEFRA exempt wood burner(StoveSpecialistsUK always recommend DEFRA approved stoves as standard). These are appliances designated for use in smoke control areas by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. See our full range of DEFRA exempt stoves on our website. We hope that this article has answered all of your ‘Can you install a wood-burning stove…?’ questions. If not, feel free to leave your question as a comment below and we’ll do our best to answer it for you 🔥
We get asked – and always do our best to answer – a lot of questions by people who are considering buying a wood-burning stove. A significant proportion of those questions start, “Can you install a wood-burning stove…?” With plenty of myths, misconceptions and misinformation floating around, many people are left wondering whether or not […]
