Why aint my chimney drawing?

This is an all too common problem. Sometimes there is a very obvious problem and soloution and other times it can baffle the experts. Some flues work that shouldn't and some flues don't work that should. Is it an art or a science? I'm not qualified to answer but I can give some obvious pointers especially if your in the design/build stage. How flues work is pretty basic the gases from the fire are hotter than the surounding air and therefore rise. As they rise the fire pulls in more air to complete combustion thats why every appliance that burns should have a good air supply through a vent or similar. Not having enough fresh air will effect the draught of the chimney and could lead to carbon monoxide and other gases being fed back into the room and slowly poisioning you. Some people will say how a chimney works when a door or window is left ajar etc and this is that principle in action. Some flues give problems at the start as they are cold and the gases inside the flue cool down too quick and stop rising. Some chimneys, often external chimney breasts are like this but are ok once the fire gets going.

If your using solid fuel you will see and smell this pretty quickly as your room fills with smoke. If it's a gas burning appliance you won't see or smell it but it will be there so do what Duncan Stauart says and check flues and vents regularly and get one of these guys a CO detector.Another common reason for faulty flues is the termination point of the flue it simply may not be high enough or be in a hollow etc. Another getting more common problem is an opening thats too big. Some people try to emulate the big open fires as seen in Period houses and castles like this.


The opening thats standard in Ireland in a finished fire placeis usually 16" or 18" across and 22" high. Before the fireplace is fitted you are looking at a hole in the wall of about 20" across. The flue liner used is often an 8" internal diameter but is often referred to as a nine inch flue and once it's a few metres high the chimney will probably draw with no problems assuming good air supply. the problems we see more and more is that the client now wants an opening to be 2 or 3 foot wide and the same high. This can be done but may need a 10" or 12" flue liner again depending on the overal height of the flue. ideally speak to your builer, architect. or engineer as your building. If your already past that stage you have three choices starting with the hardest.

1. Redo your chimney withe the correct size flue liner. ( big messy and expensive)
2. Attache a high powered fan to the top. ( Expensive and some noise issues)
3. Reduce the size of your opening or install a stove which would in essence be reducing the size of the fire.

Stoves are double edged when having flue trouble. If the issue is too large an ope it may solve it but a stove is 3 times as efficient and therefore has lower flue gas temperatures so may cause a problem but unlikely.

A stove may help but will not solve an inherent problem and will not stop down draught. The vents on the front of the stove that allow air in for combustion will also allow smoke out if the draught of the flue is reversed.
Get an expert to assess the flue before you purchase an appliance.

display stock

Amazing as it may seem we need to change some of our display stock and get ready for the winter season ahead. We have several mind blowing offers on a few limited fireplaces. One the "Reims" pictured above which is only suitable for gas or electric would normally retail at E2995 we have one only ex display at E1200. This includes fitting.

Our best salespeople

In these trying times everyone is trying to second guess the future. Will we have a winter like last year and will our oil bil be as high or lower. On some reports I have been reading the Russia/Ukraine supply problem for natural gas may be about to hit the headlines once again. The Ec have sent a delegation to report back to Barrosso. But the monies outstanding seem to be the main problem. "Naftogaz Ukrainy owes about $650 million to Gazprom for imports of an estimated 2.4 billion cubic meters of gas in May, according to the Center for Energy Research, an independent think-tank." (source Platts) .

Well we are way out west so the natral gas supply doesn't really affect us but unfortunatley it will. If energy prices in any sector climb over security of supply then all energy prices climb. Oil which the West in particular is very dependant on will certainly climb and that will happen regardless of how we are financially and all we need is a very cold winter like last year to send us into a real spin price wise.

How can we insulate ourselves from this problem?

Well actually the answers in the question first off insulate well, theres even grants for it now. Second after you have insulated don't leave a gaping 8" hole in your fireplace open. Either seal it up or if you use it regularly get an insert stove installed. How good are they? Don't ask us we are salespeople but ask our past customers and see their pictures on our wall in the showroom as they I firmly believe are our best salespeople.

Get your chimney cleaned

Now that it's summer time (ahem) it's the ideal time to sweep the chimney. Even if your appliance is gas you should have it checked and swept periodicly. The reason for this on gas appliances is to ensure there is no blockage in the flue that could lead to fumes coming back down the flue, even Duncan on TV advises getting it done.
If your appliance is solid fuel either an open fire or a stove its crucial as it will impact on the performance of the appliance but if not done could lead to chimney fires. The reason for a chimney fire is that soot builds up in the flue and gradually over the years accumulates and heats up everytime you have a fire. Eventually this takes light and then increases the draw of the chimney drawing up for unburnt fumes from the fire below which then ignit in the flue and increase this happening again. It's self perpetuating and thats what gives the roar associated with chimney fires. When the fire brigade come they will know what to do but you could end up with a cracked flue pipe and need to reline the flue costing major money as well as pay for the fire brigade call out.
Get it swept which leads me nicely on to our new promotion. Buy an insert stove this summer and we will sweep your chimney before we start, free, gratis and for nothing. At the end of the day it makes sense.

High temp plaster

More and more customers are looking for hole in the wall solid fuel fires and of course we are only too happy to sell them. Theres always a proviso and here it is. The look of these units stems from the gas fired units. The solid fuel units give off a lot more heat and can on occasion crack the plaster surrounding the insert stove.

This can be caused by several reasons.

1. The fires lit have been too big too fast and cracked the plaster instead of gradually having a bigger fire each time.
2. The wall or plaster or screed below the plaster had not fully dried out and when heat was added the moisture expanded cracking the wall.
3. The heat generated was just too much for the gypsum plaster.

So we usually say to our customers ensure a high temperature plaster is used around the stove area. When they ask their plasterer or builders merchant for this they are often left with a blank stare and told no such item exists. Well here it is and can be bought directly from the website.

www.vitcas.com

I should add we are not endorsing this particular manufacturer in any way and all the rules regarding proper drying out and gradual adding of heat still apply. The company also advocates using a high temp screed before the plaster and while it's certainly more expensive than ordinary gypsum plaster you are only covering a small area.

On a mission

Help us kill off the open fire?

I have often espoused the benefits of a stove over an open fire even though they make up a good portion of our business. So we are gonna take a bit of a risk here and try and get every fireplace we sell to be a closable one. The benfits are huge and obvious if you read any of the posts below. But lets bring it back to money for every one of these



you spend on fuel for your fire this on average is how much you get for it in heat.



Put in a stove instead and you get eight euro back in heat.
On top of that you no longer lose heat up the chimney when you have no fire on. So many people spend a lot of money on insulation to stop heat loss and rightly so but then leave a gaping hole in the front room losing heat 24 hours a day seven days a week.
Convinced yet? Not only are you saving money you are also helping the environment.

Now heres the kicker I'm trying to sell stoves so I have an agenda here.
My best advice is go find someone who bought a stove from us and ask them. Come into our showroom and see the pictures on our wall of people who were so happy with their stove they let us go out and photograph it and let us put it on our wall. then join our wall of fame yourself and start saving.

Have breakfast on us.

This Friday 17th April we will have a Breakfast morning with Mulberry Stoves where they will run a demo on how to use the Swift Range cooker in oil or solid fuel. We will also be launching the new Mulberry Stoker solid fuel insert stove that sits into a standard fireplace opening but convects heat into the room and stops you losing heat up your chimney when the fire is not in use. Special discounts available on the day.

The benfits and problems with wood as a fuel.

Ok as Irish we are used to turf and footing it out on the bog, leaving to dry, saving it and finally burning it. In much the same way as turf people say you get heated twice from wood, once when you chop it and second when you burn it.

First off it is a renewable fuel if bought from responsible forests where they are constantly replanting for the future. If burnt correctly its carbon neutral and unfortunately thats where we irish fall down a little bit. On the continent they are used to seasoned wood whcih means it has been split, raised off the ground, stacked and left to dry for 18 months to 2 years. The moisture content is now less than 20% and it burns cleanly leaving very little ash, giving great heat, and giving a beautiful fire.

Unfortuneatley in Ireland we tend to cut it down leave it for a week or two and then burn it. This results in low heat output, cresote (like a varnish on your stove or flue inside) dirty glass and a dirty chimney/flue. This in turn reduces the efficiency of your stove in the future. If your fire is crackling and spitting you know the moisture content is wrong and you will not be getting the heat you should be from your fire. This is because the fire is working to dry the wood first which cools the core temperature of the flame and makes for an inefficienct burn.

The good news is we are changing. At a wood energy conference last year both Teagasc and Coilte were encouraging people and land owners to enter the wood energy business. While the trees are primarily grown for building timber as the trees grow they become too crowded. Thinning occurs of the crooked trees or where there are just too many. These can then be used fro firewood. The leaves and needles are usually stripped and left on the forest floor to allow the nutrients seep back to the soil for the other trees left behind. The smaller branches are chipped for use as wood chip fuel and best of all this can all be done at a local level meaning your fuel is not transported from all over the world contributing further to climate change.

The biggest downside to wood logs is their bulk. You ideally need to have a large shed to store them or else you end up paying more for them if buying in small quantities. As more people start to use dry wood logs the market will grow and prices should come down further.
Start today and find a supplier near you.

100% Irish made stoves

We often point out to our customers that in this Globalised world often products are made in cheaper countries and then passed off as being Irish. But now at least we will have one 100% made here in Ireland stoves. Boru stoves are launching soon with an insert and freestanding stove. Keep watching the wire and as soon as we have the products here we willpost pictures and more information.
Here is the link and we will post more information as it become available.
http://www.borustoves.ie/

We are on the radio on Wednesday 25th March

Hi just to let you all know we will be on Ocean FM our local radio station tomorrow Wedensday 25th just after 11am for their home and garden section. Again we will be emphasizing all the benefits of insert stoves and freestanding stoves mainly.

How they can help people with their fuel bills.
Help the environment at the same time.
Increase your homes BER ( building energy rating)
Stop losing heat from your central heating up the chimney.
How you now have control over the heat from your fire.

Tune in on 103.0Mhz fm
or go to www.oceanfm.ie and listen live via their streaming.

Insert Stoves

Thanks to all who visited our stand at the expo we had great interest in our insert stoves.
To date we have recieved news from three major manufacturers who will have their insert stoves in the market over the next 4 weeks stay tuned for more details.

Sligo Home & Barden exhibition

Hi to all we will be exhibiting at our stand at this weekends Sligo Home & garden exhibition which runs from Friday evening from 6pm-10pm, Saturday from 12.30pm-6pm and Sunday 12.30pm-6pm. Admission is E10 but we have plenty of passes for the Friday evening.
Please drop by and say hello, we will have several special offers on the day on fireplaces and stoves.

Insert stoves no boiler

Ok so what does an insert stove do and why should you get one?

Alrighty then any stove is far superior to your commoner garden open fire.

The efficiency equation is literally turned on its head. From losing approx 80% of the heat your fuel is producing in an open fire with a stove you start getting 80 % of the heat and only lose 20% up your chimney.

When not in use a stove pretty much blocks up your chimney and stops the heat from your central heating flying up and out your chimney.

You can finally control your fire turn it up or turn it down by using the air controls on your stove.
More air = more heat and faster burning fuel while less air means less heat but fuels lasts longer.

A freestanding stove radiates its heat so it needs to stand fully or mostly proud into the room. They look great in Kitchens or conservatories and living rooms if thats the look you have planned for your home. When speaking of freestanding stoves they generally look like the one below but can be more modern or traditional


They need a realativly large opening in order for air changes to happen and circulate their heat around the room. Because most openings may not be big enough like the picture above people usually sit them on their existing hearth in order to get the most heat like this picture.

But can you see the problem ahead with this installation? When this person opens the door soot, ash and possibly hot coals could fall out onto the wood floor or carpet. You should have a good distance in front of your stove at least 8 or 9 inches before something that is combustible. So having decided you will install a stove this restriction may put you off. Now you could get round it by tileing around the hearth or replacing part of that floor area. However another soloution is the insert stove like the picture below.

Because the main body of the stove is recessed into the opening there is plenty of space for cleaning out or refuelling the stove without having to worry about the floor in front. Now we need to make a little leap of faith. The freestanding stoves radiate their heat but these inserts convect theirs like in the diagram below. They draw in cool air at the bottom of the stove via natural draught and it passes through the hot area at the rear of the stove. The insert stove has vents at the top of the stove and the now hot air convects out from these. All this happens naturally with no fans or electricty required.


The stoves are availble from a number of manufacturers like the Esse 350/300 or the Stovax Riva 40 or Stockton 7 inset. The heat output varies from model to model. Also some of these models go completely back to the wall of your chimney while in others like the Esse 300 utilise the existing fireback and so have a smaller firebox and therefore a correspondingly smaller heat output.

All seems straighforward so far but now we come to the installation. If you have an existing fireplace like the one below with a cast iron insert, canopy and tiles or panels down the side we may have hit a spot of bother.
The insert stoves need to fit flush againest the fireplace insert to make a good seal so while the height and width may be ok the canopy will throw things out and the same applies to cast iron arches. Its relatively easy to change your insert to a granite or marble but it will add a bit to the overall installation.

When fitting the stove there are two ways to go about connecting it to your chimney. We need to do this so that no flat spots are left for soot and ash to gather that could lead to chimney fires in years to come. We also need to make it as easy as possible to clean the chimney. How the stove is fitted will depend on the height of your lentil or flue gather. These support the chimney pots so taking them out is not to be recommended.

If the lentil or flue gather is high enough from the top of the stove it may be possible to connect the stove directly to your chimneys flue liner via an adapter and some flue pipe. The adapter has sloped sides so the soot falls back down the flue and does not gather on any flat spots. If there is not enough height in the chimney to fit this your installer may slope up the sides from the flue spigot with a sand/lime/cement mix again ensuring no flats spots are left and that the slope is steep enough so the soot falls back down and can be swept away. This area needs to filled to act as an insulator as if its left open most of the heat escapes up the chimney.

Once installed you need to leave the stove for around 48 hours then start lighting small fires to begin with. After 4-5 smalll fires you can start lighting bigger ones. On the first few fires there will be a strong smell as the paint cures and this could produce some smoke form the outer part of the stove. Make sure you have windows open when you light the stove for the first few times.

I mentioned that there was a downside to stove so here they are.

1. On some occasions in a high wind area the stove may produce a whistle. This is because some air is still sucked up through the stove even when all the external air vents are closed. As the stove settles in and some microscopic holes fill themselves the whistling will subside.

2. On all stoves if you burn rubbish or poor quality fuel this will blacken the glass on the door. If the fires you light are all small this may cause the glass to blacken also. The airwash system incorporated in these stoves needs a reasonably good fire to get it going. Once the stove is hot you can close down these vents and if the door blackens up get a good fire going again and it should clear itself. If your using seasoned wood as a fuel you can use the ashes from this to clean your door.

On a footnote don't try to get a stove to cure an inherent chimney problem. We have many people wanting stoves to stop smoke coming back down the chimney but a stove will not stop this happening. Air is taken in through the vents and is there is smoke coming down the chimney it will come out through these vents in to your room. get teh chimney sorted first then get a stove to suit.

There are other insert stoves that come with boilers to heat 8-10 radiators but thats for another post.

Our first blog on stoves

Hi and welcome.
My name is Feargus and while I have been posting several messages on different social media for a while about stoves and their installation it's about time we tried to put it all down in a centred place that I can refer people back too to illustrate a point. So thats the idea behind it also feel free to disagree with me or question certain issues. I have been in the fireplace and stove industry for over 5 years and the heating industry 8 years so while I know a bit I sure as heck don't know it all.
A lot of people are recognising the benefits of stoves just now so hopefully this may answer some questions or convince you of their benefits.