Читать книгу The Self-Sufficiency Handbook - Alan Bridgewater - Страница 35

If you have a large high-level, inglenook-type open fireplace (one that you can more or less stand in to look up the chimney), you have the choice of (1) bricking up the opening and installing a back-venting stove flush to the new brickwork, as previously described, so that the stove stands in the room, or (2) installing a top-venting stove within the opening and having a short length of flue running vertically from the stove’s top plate up through a metal closure plate and up the chimney. The object of the closure plate is to seal the opening so that soot does not fall down, you cannot see the sky, and the heat stays in the room.

While this arrangement is good in that it maximizes room space, it is more complicated to install. If your chimney is very large, you will also need to fill the cavity between the outside of the flexible flue pipe and the inside walls of the chimney with insulation, such as vermiculite. The following step-by-step procedure will help you understand how the boiler should be installed by either you or a professional.

1.Measure your fireplace’s opening—its width, the height from the surface of the hearth to the top of the opening, its total depth, and any details such as beams, bulging brickwork, and any ironwork.

2.Visit a stove showroom and choose a top-vented stove that will fit into the fireplace opening, either partially or right up against the rear wall. Choose a model that allows the vent pipe to run straight up from the top of the stove and up the chimney and allows you to use and maintain the stove with a good amount of all-around clearance between the top of the stove and the underside of the fireplace opening; for example, if the stove has a top opening or kettle plate, you need to make sure that it is easy to get to. Note: If you have a large house, explore the possibility of installing a back boiler on the stove so you can have a hot-water or central heating system.

3.Order a metal closure plate to fit the chimney opening. If your fireplace opening is large—perhaps an inglenook-type opening that is big enough to stand in—then you will likely need a closure plate with additional structural pieces, bracketed supports, access hatches for chimney sweeping, and so on. If this is the case, have your setup measured by a specialist.

4.Put the stove in its place in your home and clamp it to the flue liner.

5.Finally, seal the fire opening with the metal closure plate as recommended by the stove manufacturer.

Warning

Although the chimney is a relatively basic DIY task, the proviso is that you must use a top-quality, double-wall system, follow the guidelines set forth by the manufacturer, and follow all building codes.