Preparing fireplace for stove installation

GingerCat

Registered User
Messages
12
I didn't put this in Home Energy as it's not really about the stove, but feel free to move it!

We're looking at installing a boiler stove in our existing fireplace. We had a lengthy chat this morning with our plumber and we're happy enough about that end of things, so now I need to look at the fireplace end of things.

We have a standard enough fireplace with a slate hearth, wooden surround and arched black insert.

We want to remove the surround and insert and just leave a plastered hole for the stove to stand in, a shelf across the top and the existing hearth, if possible.

Who do we get to do something like that, and how much work is involved? What's behind the insert and surround? Is there a lot of wall that needs to come out, or what? And would we be able to keep the existing hearth and resurface the opened up space, or would we have to get a new one?
 
http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/DevelopmentandHousing/BuildingStandards/FileDownLoad,1650,en.pdf

is the link to Part J which spells out what's required hearth wise: in summary, AFAIR, it should extend out 30 cm in front beyond the furthest point of the stove, which can be argued is when the door is open.

It will also has the min distance for the shelf, which IMO is a no no anyway as people can be tempted to reach up to it with stove lit.

As to the rest of it pick the stove first and then you can decide. [ insert, free standing, back or top flue exit etc ]

In passing the what is plumbing solution?
 
Free standing is as far as we've gotten with the decision making, and a back flue if possible though top would be fine.

Why not a shelf? We've a mantelpiece there now over an open fire (and our fire gives off an unholy amount of heat, everyone who comes in is chocked by it!) and no-one's burned themselves yet.

Frankly I don't know what the plumbing solution is, it got very technical and I'm not a plumber so it went in one ear and out the other. Basically he agreed with everything I've read here about the danger of connecting to a closed system and says he refuses to install a boiler that way, but that there's a complicated and expensive way to do it that's safe.
 
I'm not a plumber, the terminology is unfamiliar, the technology is unfamiliar, what can I do?! I could have talked him through the ins and outs of writing a piece of software in a way that he'd understand but I wouldn't expect him to remember it afterwards.