Wood burning stoves
Sarah Dunne
in Expert Advice in Insurance Claims, Fire Damage Insurance Claims, Insurance Claims News, Property Damage Insurance Claims
Wood burning stoves
Many home owners are installing solid fuel stoves. There are two main types – multi fuel, which burn coal and wood, or wood burning stoves which only burn timber.
Solid fuel stoves improve the air quality in the room and have a higher heat output than an open fire. They provide a sealed flue, and therefore reduce heat loss from the house through a conventional open chimney stack.
There is one major caveat though. They need to be installed correctly by a reputable stove installer. The combustion temperatures can reach 1,000 degrees farenheit and the temperature in the flue reach up to 600 degrees farenheit. The flue therefore needs to be capable of withstanding such temperatures and must not come in contact (or within 40mm of combustible material e.g. timber joists etc.
Fire claims
Fire damage from stove flue
Solid Fuel Stove Fire
Many installers use a stainless steel flue liner in the existing brick or block chimney stack, back-filled with vermiculite material. This forms an insulating barrier to prevent heat transfer and cracking of the original flue.
Problems can occur when the flue is installed in a flat roofed premises or extension if the flue has to pass through timber. There needs to be a double skinned flue with minimum distances and adequate fire proofing and non-combustible collars where it passes through timber structures.
Wood buring stoves indeed…..literally!
Transfer of high temperatures can lead to smouldering of timbers until combustion occurs. Insurance cover with adequate sums insured and proper assessment of the loss and damage can help. Otherwise the only option is lenghty and costly legal action against the installer.
