Source
r/diynz•
Coldstreamer

Replacement inbuilt wood burner ? WLG

Advice

Hi,

I have a problem in that my aged in wall wood burner has cacked it. I had a Chimney sweep check it out last week, the flue coming up from he wood burner itself into the chimney has rusted and there's corrosion and holes now after the first fire of the season a week ago. last Friday when it was cold we tried a second fire only to have smoke flooding out into the house. so we damped it out and called in help.

He reckons its just past it. and to be fair its probably an original from when the house was build in the 50's.

So question, who is the recommended wood burner installation people for complete unit replacements in Wellington ?

Any tips please ?

Posted May 24, 2022, 9:10 PM UTC

112
1_lost_engineer•

My only comment would be that when we replaced our free standing wood burner (we used the local plumbers), the wood burner was the cheapest part of the whole process (it required professional installation, a building permit and council inspection).

3
LikeAbrickShitHouseSweeps Chimneys•

Yeah, the fire and flue are a write off.

Unsure about Wellington region, but start with the New Zealand Home Heating Association for the registered list of installers.

Get them in for a quote, but please note, the industry, like all trades, is absolutely slammed. Not only for trades, but manufacturers are struggling to pump out the actual units.

As a chimney sweep, may I recommend a Masport or Firenzo as a replacement. Don't go Woodsman or Metro. I hate the things, parts always need replacing (seriously, I have 3 full replacement kits for both brands in my van right now as I have morning smoko).

2
ColdstreamerOP•

Thank for the advice

1
[deleted]•

[deleted]

1
Hubris2•

I have a similar situation except it's just a brick chimney fireplace with no damper or flu in an old house. It'll be grandfathered because of the age, but if you want to replace it you're going to need council consent - and they are starting to get a little stingy with those in the big cities as they're concerned with the smog that can form with lots of smoky fires going.

I'd like to think you'd be in a good place by making the argument that you are entitled to produce smog now and you're just asking for permission to put in a better/newer unit that makes less smog - but I have yet to test that theory.

1
ColdstreamerOP•

Council consent just for a replacement ? wow, thats a pain

1
Hubris2•

I believe council consent is required to replace an existing consented fireplace/woodburner - never mind one that is grandfathered-in and technically isn't even on their books. I'm struggling with whether I want to put a high-efficiency wood burner in place of my open fireplace when I someday do a big reno because the fireplace and chimney is a big architectural part of my lounge - but I am aware every time I see smoke coming from the neighbour's chimney that the enjoyment and ambiance that I would get from having a fire burning is also contributing to a smoky smell in the neighbourhood.

2
ColdstreamerOP•

Ha, I might as well say bugger it and move house. Was planning to next year, but if theres more embuggerance to replacing this then that's another green tick for moving.

2
SoggyCount7960•

In terms of design… we’ve just moved from a place with an in-wall wood burner to one with a free-standing wood burner. The difference in heating power from the exposed sides of the burner and flue is just insane. One or two bits of wood kick out a crazy amount of heat.

1
ColdstreamerOP•

Yeah, id like the same but the brick chimney and lack of floor space will be restrictions.

1
FunClothes•

You also mention it's back-up in case of power cuts due to EQ. With a decent enough EQ to disrupt power supply, that brick chimney is probably not going to be there any more. If you're lucky, it collapses outwards, if you're not lucky it falls on top of you or does extensive damage to your house. Anyway, it'll take the internal flue out with it, so the log burner won't be usable.

If I were you, I'd look at options to possibly remove the chimney. It may be possible to build a recess where the chimney was to place a free-standing burner with flue, but retaining a "faux chimney" as a feature. At a minimum I'd be getting the top section of the brick chimney removed, roofing replaced, and just have the flue from the new inbuild burner protrude above the roof line. The lower section of the chimney may still not survive a good shake, but it's less dangerous.

1
IllIIIlIllIlIIlIllI•

Unless you have access to free firewood, you're better off just replacing it with a heatpump.

Or if you really like seeing a flame (which I must agree is bloody cosy), then you should look into pellet fires.

-1
ColdstreamerOP•

Ive got two heat pumps, this is a back up for when theres an emergency, earthquake, no power etc

1