Pot bellied stoves

**BrideXIII** · 17-10-2008, 07:28 PM

not an expert. no way jose, but I would think if you have the flue leading outside in any manner, and it's wood burning, there shouldn't be a problem.
it's gas flues you have to worry about more.build up of carbon monoxide and all that nasty stuff. wood burning whilst smelly and smokey if you don't have a decent flue or chimney is not AS dangerous, just not nice, and dirty.

**Snadger** · 17-10-2008, 07:32 PM

Originally posted by bobleponge View Post

You know the ones, the little wood burning things that sit in the corner of a room looking quite cute and making you warm.
I can pick one up quite cheap at home, and am thinking of putting one into my front room. Thing is I have no chimney. There is no problem for the flue going into the loft, as I live in a longere, so upstairs is empty, and I can then run the flue through the slate in the roof.
Can anyone foresee any problems with doing so?

Homesick in Sudan

The length of flue dictates how fast the fuel burns methinks! You would probably need the damper on ALL the time to slow it down!

**bobleponge** · 18-10-2008, 05:54 AM

The smoke escaping from the front when I put new wood in is no different to what I get now from the big woodburner in the big front room. I have to paint every year and clean daily when its in use. That doesnt bother me too much, being cold does!! I do love having a burning fire in the room though, hypnotic I find.
The length of flue from where I want to put it, to outside would probably be about 10ft (sorry I'm old, dont know what this is in metres).
I know the flues get very hot, would I need to put some form of separation system around the flue as it goes through the plasterboard ceiling?
From memory Snadger you did something similiar, albeit in your shed. How didyou get the flue out of the wooden shed without it causing damage?

Homesick in Sudan

**Snadger** · 18-10-2008, 07:27 AM

Originally posted by bobleponge View Post

The smoke escaping from the front when I put new wood in is no different to what I get now from the big woodburner in the big front room. I have to paint every year and clean daily when its in use. That doesnt bother me too much, being cold does!! I do love having a burning fire in the room though, hypnotic I find.
The length of flue from where I want to put it, to outside would probably be about 10ft (sorry I'm old, dont know what this is in metres).
I know the flues get very hot, would I need to put some form of separation system around the flue as it goes through the plasterboard ceiling?
From memory Snadger you did something similiar, albeit in your shed. How didyou get the flue out of the wooden shed without it causing damage?

Homesick in Sudan

My 'home made' jobbie in the greenhouse has an 8 foot flue. Where it goes out through the roof I just took out a pane of glass and replaced it with a couple of slates which are quite easy to cut to shape.

More heat comes from the flue than the stove so to capitalise on this I would leave it exposed but keep it a good distance from walls. Some of the other guys at the allotments have the flues closer to the walls but have reflective panels behind them.

Sorry about me worrying about the length of flue, just for some reason I envisaged it going through two floors and out the roof of a house!

A 10 foot flue should pose no problems and give a good draw!

The pot bellied versions are quite ornate as well!

**bobleponge** · 18-10-2008, 07:52 AM

I would envisage at least a foot and a half from the walls, it will sit in the corner, making me nice and toasty.
My only real issue will be where it goes through my plasterboard ceiling up into the loft.
I'm sure that there must be some form of fireboard that will allow me to put the flue through it, and then out through the slate roof.
Thanks for help thus far. More suggestions/advice always welcome

Homesick in Sudan

**Nicos** · 18-10-2008, 08:12 AM

You'll need to be VERY careful about setting fire to the beams and flooring.
A house a couple of km from us burned down a couple of years ago - just after it'd been renovated- because the flue was run up inside the house.(The insurance isn't yet sorted out and the house is still a shell!)
It is certainly possible following specific safety regulations, but you should be VERY safety conscious.

We live in a longere ( but have 4 chimneys

) and are considering putting a small potbellied stove next to the huge open fire to use when the chimney flap is closed to prevent cold dropping down.
That would mean the flue going up through the floorboards and entering the chimney in our bedroom ( flue length 20 feet!!).
I could ask our Richard Gere look-alike heating engineer ( phoooar

) when he comes to do the radiator in a couple of weeks if you like.( we'll need to know eventually)

There are specifications available on the internet- I Bookmarked them last year, and then the computer crashed and lost all my information( that'll teach me not to back up!!)

You do know that if you pay tax in France then you can get I think something like 50% of the value of a French bought stove back as tax relief??? That's supposed to be ending at the end of 2009...and not a lot of peeps are aware that the tax relief is to end then.
Certainly go for it- but be VERY careful

**tootles** · 18-10-2008, 08:36 AM

We have just bought a sheet of fireproof plasterboard from our local builders merchant (Gedimat - a chain) I would replace your existing plasterboard in the ceiling and also create a small chimney where the flue pipe goes through the floor. Length of flue isn't really a problem (ours is 6 metres) so long as it extends above the roofline in order to get a decent draw. You could always build yourself a simple chimney with the omnipresent terracotta bricks? Just make sure the flue is straight.

p.s. The credit d'impot is only (strictly speaking) valid if a tradesman installs the thing too. Although our local man has agreed to supply a large Godin and get us the credit without actaully installing it.

**Hilary B** · 18-10-2008, 09:34 AM

The risk is (as Nicos said) fire. If the flue gets to ceiling level and is STILL hotter than the stove, you are wasting heat. They use a lot more wood than you would expect! The flue doesn't HAVE to be completely straight (a couple of bends might slow it down in a manner that gets more heat where you want it), but any bends must be of the 'standard' angle (usually 135 degrees) and you need a 'pair' to bring it back to the vertical above the diversion.
Keep hot flue well away from anything flammable (wood is obvious, but most painted surfaces are vulnerable too) or meltable (including the insulation on wiring, often overlooked.....).

Building a chimney out of bricks/clay-blocks would have the advantage that they would act as 'heat storage', but be careful what mortar you use.

There are sure to be 'building regulations' (whatever they call them there) and getting hold of a copy of the local rules might save you a lot of bother.

**tootles** · 18-10-2008, 11:28 AM

Originally posted by Hilary B View Post

There are sure to be 'building regulations' (whatever they call them there) and getting hold of a copy of the local rules might save you a lot of bother.

No rules in France!!
You don't even get structural plans from an architect here - only pictures of how the finished building will be are needed for planning applications.

A good dollop of mortier batard around the roof opening should do the trick.

**bobleponge** · 18-10-2008, 01:08 PM

Nicos,
If you could ask M Le Gere that would be very handy.
Thinking logically, I may just put it straight out through the wall. The ceiling height is about 9ft so if it goes up to 8ft and then make a right angle that would solve any fire risk issues I think? My walls are about 3ft thick, and obviously local stone, so shouldnt pose a fire risk there.
One of my good mates is a macon so shall get him to do it I think, save me hitting my thumb on numerous occasions.
Tootles, if I understood your post correctly, if I put it through my wall, once it gets outside I would then need to raise the flue to above the height of the roof?
There are very few perks to me working in such vile places as I do, but one of them is definately not paying tax. And, honest guv, its all legal.

**burnie** · 18-10-2008, 04:35 PM

If you have an existing fire in another room,can you not tap into the chimney for that? I know that the right shape /size helps drawing the fire properly,and that should remove any fears of setting fire to anything.

**Snadger** · 18-10-2008, 04:58 PM

If you go through the wall and then up you will need a rodding eye in the elbow as this will get choked up!

**Hilary B** · 18-10-2008, 05:11 PM

DON'T go out at right angles. It only increases the risk of smoke inside. The flue should have an 'upwards' at all points. It might need insulating once 'outside' to avoid the flue chilling enough to stop the smoke going up, and yes, it SHOULD extend above the roofline! Rodding eye definitely needed at one 'bend' or the other.

I would use some fire-resistant plasterboard (or something with the same effect) on the ceiling above it where it goes out through the wall, just in case.

**Hilary B** · 18-10-2008, 05:13 PM

Originally posted by tootles View Post

No rules in France!!
You don't even get structural plans from an architect here - only pictures of how the finished building will be are needed for planning applications.

A good dollop of mortier batard around the roof opening should do the trick.

In some places (I think this is how it goes in Spain) the reason there aren't 'building regulations' is that you are assumed to be using a licened builder, who would lose the licence if anything bad resulted from his work.

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