Where to find a qualified chimney expert for open fire

Lucyspell

It is very important to have a safe working chimney, but where does one find a reliable and qualified person, maybe an engineer, who will check the chimney both before and after the work is done. And also recommend a qualified builder to carry out the work.
There are registered technicians for gas fires, but surely there should be some regulations and guidelines for those who work on an open fireplace and chimney.
I am nervous of the different people who have called themselves 'experts' and given vastly different solutions to the chimney problem we have. It is a life and death matter if not corrected properly.
We would like to have our chimney liners replaced. Through investigation, it appears our existing chimney would be too small for the recommended steel liner.
I live in Galway.
Thanks
Lucyspell

DCCC

yah your right big problems

hears an idea

Block up old flu, Drill a 6" hole out the back of fireplace for new stainless steel flu and run it up the outside of the building if you have the room. This is probley the cheapest way. You could even build a new chimmey stack at the out side of the house and only lose about 13inch of your path way.

Remember allways use a Reg: Gas Installer

fodda

Lucyspell wrote: »

It is very important to have a safe working chimney, but where does one find a reliable and qualified person, maybe an engineer, who will check the chimney both before and after the work is done. And also recommend a qualified builder to carry out the work.
There are registered technicians for gas fires, but surely there should be some regulations and guidelines for those who work on an open fireplace and chimney.
I am nervous of the different people who have called themselves 'experts' and given vastly different solutions to the chimney problem we have. It is a life and death matter if not corrected properly.
We would like to have our chimney liners replaced. Through investigation, it appears our existing chimney would be too small for the recommended steel liner.
I live in Galway.
Thanks
Lucyspell

Lucyspell if you have to major work get rid of your open fire because they are highly inefficient.

The most an open fire can be is 15% efficient and that is by radiant heat only as the smoke and gasses have to go up the chimney. Which means that your open fire is 85% inefficient and for every 1000.00 euros worth of fuel you put on the fire, around 850.00 euro's goes straight up the chimney with no benefit to you at all.

If you want solid fuel then fit a stove they are much more efficient.

brendankelly

I know a guy in Galway that fixed a chimney for a client of mine a few years ago. I have not heard any more about it so it must be a success. There is a method where by a long inflated tube is put down the chimney and a thick liquid solution poured down outside the tube. The tube is then deflated and taken out. I have never seen it done but it sounds like a plan. Phone me tomorrow I am working in Barna and I will give you his details.
0861529176.

Lucyspell

Thank you Damien, Fodda and Brendan
The replies are real food for thought!

We really love the open fire, in spite of the inefficiency and waste of heat up the chimney. And our small sitting room would be too hot with a stove and its super output..

Our chimney is also on an inside wall, so we have no scope to put up another one at the back.

And the concrete suggestion is one I doubt will work because I think we would be again making the diameter smaller, and it would be the same as putting down the steel liner.

It seems like the only solution is to change the actual pots, but that means pulling the house apart. I would like to find an engineer who would put a camera up the chimney to check if such a huge job is justified. We recently made a vent in the room and it has helped a lot, but I am worried that the chimney is older now and will eventually need to be done, and we are not getting younger ourselves!

Thanks again for all your replies.
Lucyspell

gsxr1

Lucyspell wrote: »

Thank you Damien, Fodda and Brendan
The replies are real food for thought!

We really love the open fire, in spite of the inefficiency and waste of heat up the chimney. And our small sitting room would be too hot with a stove and its super output..

Our chimney is also on an inside wall, so we have no scope to put up another one at the back.

And the concrete suggestion is one I doubt will work because I think we would be again making the diameter smaller, and it would be the same as putting down the steel liner.

It seems like the only solution is to change the actual pots, but that means pulling the house apart. I would like to find an engineer who would put a camera up the chimney to check if such a huge job is justified. We recently made a vent in the room and it has helped a lot, but I am worried that the chimney is older now and will eventually need to be done, and we are not getting younger ourselves!

Thanks again for all your replies.
Lucyspell

sootysoup . A member on here is an highly qualified expert on flu systems.

You should PM him about your issue. He seems to know his stuff

Lucyspell

Thank you Gsxr1
I have noticed his posts before, and he seems to know a lot about chimney safety regulations. I will do as you suggest.
Lucy

fodda

Lucyspell you can have modern day stove inserts or insert stoves which ever they are and these may?? be able to work with a liner down your chimney.

http://www.stovescentre.ie/Shopping/Category/6-Insert-Stoves.aspx

650gs

Hi lucyspell
You can not use a 6 inch liner for an open fire it has to be an 8 inch and there is no problem running a camera up the chimney and no problem changing the pots just cost more but the right way to go, just remember stoves run at very high temperatures and twin walled flue liners are made for them so they can handle an open fire no problem and would cost a lot less and changed in a day, if your stuck for someone to put a camera up let me know

paddy147

Simple problem to this is as follows...................


Ripp out the existing open fireplace and throw it away.
Buy and install a multi fuel cassette stove,fit twin walled flexi flue liner down the chimney.Then fit an anti down draught chimney cowl.

This way you get a real fire with real heat,and the cosy looks of it through the glass,its built into the existing chimney breast,so it saves space and gives more floor space,and you have most if not all of the heat COMMING INTO the room and not goin up and out the chimney,as with a normal open fire.

And it will pay for itself quite quickly too.


I can recommend a Stovax Riva 66 multi fuel inset stove,as I just had 1 fitted.Chucks out serious amount of heat into the room and burns all night long too,thanks to the slow burn technology.
Simples.:)

650gs

A bit modern but your spot on

paddy147

650gs wrote: »

A bit modern but your spot on

I know it is,I like modern.;)

mad m

paddy147 wrote: »

I know it is,I like modern.;)

How much did it all set you back?

paddy147

mad m wrote: »

How much did it all set you back?

Around the 2.5-3 K mark from memory,but that was part of a much bigger renovation project.;)

2.5-3K roughly covered the Stovax stove,custom made flush fit granite hearth (sits flush with the oak flooring),the demolishing of the old open fire chimney breast and rebuilding of a new chimney breast to suit the Stovax,the flue liner,anti down draught cowl and insulation and fitting of it too.

mad m

Like when you say "To suit the Stovax" what exactly had you to do to the old fireplace apart from tearing out the redbricks.

I have a blocked up fireplace in dining room and thinking of doing what you did. Also have Castiron fireplace in sitting room and seen these insert stoves that can fit into an existing fireplace.....

paddy147

mad m wrote: »

Like when you say "To suit the Stovax" what exactly had you to do to the old fireplace apart from tearing out the redbricks.

I have a blocked up fireplace in dining room and thinking of doing what you did. Also have Castiron fireplace in sitting room and seen these insert stoves that can fit into an existing fireplace.....

The old open fireplace was torn completely out and the the chimney breast lintel and block work was taken out and thrown into a skip.

The remeinders of the chimney breast above were supported with adjustable scaffold jack bars and steel plate and scaffold plank,while a new chimney breast/blockwork was rebuilt and a new reinforced lintel was inserted.

Also the insert for the Stovax stove was built about 10 inches high off the ground too.

Myself and my girlfriend like the modern contemporary look,so hense us going for the Riva 66 inset stove and fitting it up off the ground.We wanted a nice clean look and a flush fitted hearth to go with it.So thats what we got.The Riva 66 is an 8Kw stove and chucks out serious heat,allmost too much,dare I say it.Its bloody hot in the house when it gets going

Simples.:)