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Help, advice & FAQs

  • I am interested in buying a stove, do I need a chimney?
  • Yes, you need a Class 1 chimney, this is a chimney designed for a solid fuel open grate fire. If you have a chimney stack, with pots visible this would normally indicate a Class 1 chimney. Please checkout the
  • Can I still have a stove installed if I do not have a Class 1 chimney?
  • Yes, you can have a twin wall insulated flue system installed, this creates an artificial chimney. These flue systems are very flexible and can be installed in a number of ways and normally in only one day.
  • I currently have a gas appliance fitted, can I have a stove installed?
  • Yes, as long as the chimney that you have has been designed for a solid fuel open grate fire (see above). Some properties have what are referred to as a pre-cast or pre-fabricated flues installed, these are only suitable for gas appliances. These normally terminate via a stainless steel flue pipe or a raised ridge terminal.
  • What are the advantages of having a stove installed?
  • Enclosed stoves have greater efficiency, controllability and lower smoke emissions than an open fire. A typical open fire has an efficiency of about 15%, stoves have an efficiency of between 70-80%. Enclosing a fire also prevents warm air being sucked from the room and up into the chimney, this can represent a significant loss of heat, has an open fire can extract many cubic metres of warm air per hour.
  • You mention efficiency what is this? And why is it important?
  • In its simplest terms, efficiency is the percentage of heat generated that is ‘useable’, i.e emitted into the room, this means the more efficient a fire the less fuel that is burned for the equivalent heat output.
  • Are there any more advantages to having a stove fitted?
  • Yes, stoves can be left unattended, and so are safer, they can also be left ‘in’ overnight and have a much greater chance of staying in until the morning. An open fire can still extract warm air from the room even when there is no fire lit. Stoves are also cleaner and generally require less cleaning out.
  • What heat output will I need from the stove?
  • Our showroom staff will be able to advise you on the heating requirements for your room, It is important to ensure the stove is neither too big or too small for the room it is intended for. Whilst there are many factors to take into account you can work out an average output required, please check out the Heat output calculator
  • Will I need to get my chimney lined?
  • This very much depends on the age of your property. Properties built after circa 1965 will have terracotta (or other materials) liners built into the flue (the inner part of the chimney that the smoke is contained in). Pre 1965 properties will normally have un-lined flues. We do recommend that un-lined flues are lined with a flexible stainless steel liner, as a rule of thumb, the bigger the internal dimensions of the flue the greater the importance of having the chimney lined.
    NB irrespective of the age of the property, if the intended flue is leaking then this will need to be lined.
  • Why is lining the chimney important?
  • It is important for the flued gases (smoke)to remain as hot as possible so that they can rise and be emitted into the atmosphere. If they are allowed to cool down then condensation can occur, when burning wood this can result in tarring of the flue. Also the hotter the flued gases the better the stove performance. Please check out the ‘Flexible Chimney Liners’ link.
  • Can you organise installation?
  • Yes, we work very closely with a small number of local HETAS registered installers. We can organise a site survey to be carried out at your property, for which there is no charge or indeed no obligation on your behalf to proceed. It is important to get your stove installed by a HETAS registered installer. Any work carried out by a non-HETAS registered installer will require a Building Notice and subsequent visit by Building Control
  • Is it expensive to have a stove installed?
  • Stoves can be installed from as little as £390 (a carbon monoxide alarm will need to be installed if there is not one already in situ, this is compulsory and will cost an additional £45) Please ask for details.
  • If the opening to my fireplace is too small to accommodate a stove, what are my options?
  • We sell a range of inset/cassette stoves which are designed for smaller openings. Alternatively you can have the opening dimensions increased to create a chamber to accommodate your stove.
  • I want to have a stove installed, do I need to have additional ventilation into the room?
  • This depends on the heat output of the stove. If the stove has an output of over 5kw then additional ventilation will be required into the room where the stove is sited.
    NB There are different rules pertaining to newly built properties.
  • What is best, a wood burning or multi fuel stove?
  • Please check out the Wood burning and Multi-Fuel stoves page.
  • On colder days or after of period of inactivity, when lighting my stove, smoke that is produced does not go up the flue, but comes out of the stove, what causes this?
  • Please check out the Cold Flue Syndrome page.
    NB If after following the pratical advice relating to Cold Flue Syndrome you still have smoke coming into the room then:-
    1) Ventilate the room
    2) Vacate the room
    3) Stop using the stove and let it go out

    Persistant smoke or fumes being emitted into the room could indicate a blockage in the flue.
    We advise that you contact either a professional chimney sweep or a HETAS registered installer for advice. You can of course ring a member of the Grange team for advice.

If you have any further questions that you need answering, please do not hesitate to contact a member of the Grange Reproductions team