The question of whether you need planning permission for a flue is not covered in great detail on the Internet. In reality, the vast majority of wood-burning/multifuel stove installations will not require planning permission but it is worth checking out. Building regulations clarify when planning permission is not required.

Planning permission regulations in the UK

Under normal circumstances the fitting, altering and replacing of an external flue, chimney or soil and vent pipe will be considered as permitted development. Therefore, planning permission will not be required in the vast majority of cases. However, there are a number of issues to take into consideration.

The installation of a wood-burning or multifuel stove is heavily regulated. All installations must be signed off by a HETAS qualified person or the local authority building control department. Therefore, finding a responsible and qualified installer is very important. There will be serious repercussions for those who install stoves without the necessary qualifications and paperwork.

Some of the more common issues to look out for include:-

Register plate fitting

Any sensible stove owner or stove installer would be horrified to learn that some apparently “qualified” installers have in the past used combustible materials as a register plate. We have seen instances of chipboard and other similar material used in place of steel. Aside from the fact there are tight regulations regarding the distance between your stove/flue pipe and combustible materials, this does not make sense.

If you are looking to install a wood-burning or multifuel stove you will no doubt come across the term “register plate”. While a relatively small element of any stove installation it is difficult to underplay the importance. So, what is a register plate, will you need one for your new stove and what exactly does it do?

What does a register plate do?

Too many people a register plate is just a simple way to box off the chimney and position your flue pipe as the gases escape up into the air. However, there is a lot more to a register plate than this!

Retaining heat in the room

If you think about it, a relatively large open chimney with a flue allowing the gases to escape is extremely inefficient. As heat rises, an enormous amount of heat which should be radiated throughout the room will simply rise up through the chimney and be lost. This has two basic effects, the core temperature in the room will be lower as a consequence of excessive heat loss and fuel bills will be higher in order to maintain a comfortable environment.

One of the major benefits of using a wood-burning or multifuel stove is to watch the flickering flames and the burning embers. This is an experience that you will not forget, the deep seated heat from your stove, the relaxed ambience which encourages you to drift off to sleep and forget your woes. However, from time to time you might experience difficulty seeing through your stove door glass which can sometimes turn black.

So, what might you be doing wrong? What can you do to ensure clear glass?

Some soot or dark patches on your glass are normal

When you bear in mind the atmosphere in which the glass operates, excessive heat for a prolonged period of time, you may well see periods of dark patches on your viewing area glass. In the majority of cases you can simply use a traditional stove glass cleaning fluid (when the stove is cold) and hey presto, the area is clear again. However, there are some common mistakes made by stove users which can lead to long-term visual impairment.

The fact that the body of any wood-burning/multifuel stove is made from cast iron or similarly durable materials tends to give the impression they are in effect “bombproof”. Many people automatically assume they can throw in as much wood or solid fuel as they like with no repercussions, simply greater heat output. However, this is a common misconception and overheating can prove to be extremely costly in the long term.

Optimum efficiency

Each stove will have an optimum efficiency which relates to a specific temperature within the combustion chamber. The fact that the majority of stoves today have primary, secondary and tertiary combustion phases means that all excess material/gas is burnt and burnt again to create more heat. If you use the analogy of a car, your vehicle will be more efficient at for example 70 miles an hour on a motorway than if you were speeding at 100 miles an hour. The faster your speed above 70 miles an hour the less efficient the vehicle becomes and the chance of greater wear and tear and need for replacement parts. The situation is no different for a wood-burning or multifuel stove.

For many people it can be a jump too far from not having a stove to investing potentially thousands of pounds into installing a machine. This has led to a significant expansion of the budget stove market with particular emphasis on wood-burning machines. The term “budget stove” is perhaps a little unfair to the machines available today which may be relatively cheap compared to their counterparts but this in no way reflects on their performance and value for money.

Budget stove brands

There are many types of budget stove available today including the likes of the Tiger stoves, Firefox stoves and Hamlet stove range. There are some “starter machines” available for less than £500 although there is also the cost of installing on top of that. Historically, the UK market was flooded with a range of substandard budget stoves which were effectively not fit for purpose. While many people still look for budget stoves today, the experience of some in years gone by has, how should we put it, not cast a positive light on the industry.