dwrenched

We've been living near Parcay-les-Pins for three months now. Before next winter we'll want to replace our open fire (impressive but eats forests to very little effect) with a wood burner, and possibly install another, or an insert, in the kitchen area. We think the chimney's are OK. We'd be grateful for even the roughest estimates of the all-in cost of installation, including buying the stoves, from anyone in France who'se had it done recently. An earlier thread suggested that Jotul stoves were the best; is that the general impression?

Thanks in advance,

David

asj968

Hi

I installed my own. I bought the wood burner off the net from Villager Stoves. It cost around £350. Then I bought the pipework from a local Bricomarche - I don't remember how much that was. The hardest part was pushing the pipework up the chimney. It's ok when it is just a couple of pieces but when you get to 5 it gets pretty heavy.

Anyway see the result (immediately after it was done in 2004) @

http://crennes.com/october%202004.html

le plumber

I am a Jotul installer and I can confirm that they are probably the best buy - although they don't come cheap! There is another make which comes from Alsace in France which aren't bad either but for the life of me I can't remember the damn name - tho I can get back to you.


Although there is no law against installing a stove or chimney in France I wouldn't advise anybody to do it by themselves if they aren't qualified for the job. There are lots of rules to follow to do the job properly, and when you say you bought your tubing from whacko-brico I very much doubt that its very much good. Although, as I say anybody can do it if they feel competent, but if there was a fire in your house no insurance would cover your work. With a qualified installer you could be eligable for the VAT at 5,50% and with the work comes a 10 year garantee.

asj968

I guess I'll keep quiet then. Ignore me.

G-J-B

Did somebody say something?!

treskillard

In Norweigan as well I bet.

Andrea50

I saw the picture and thought it looked lovely. Maybe it's possible if what le Plumber says has worried you, to get it checked out by a professional? We did all our own central heating installation in our last French house, and when it was finished, a bloke came from the gas board equivalent, checked the silver soldering etc, ran it a bit and gave us a certificate of approval - pas de probleme!

Have heard that Godin are good stoves - think ours in our place we are buying at the moment is a Godin.

asj968

It's ok - I have a french friend I have known for years who is in the business and he checked out the installation and said it was fine. He also checks over my electical work for me when i do it (He owns an electrical / plumbing / heating business).

treskillard

when I installed a wood burner (a nice little 1950s mini thing but that leaked!) I used a lot of pipes, a lot of bends and it went up the outside of the house all like a crookedy cottage. It was so badly done that when it was cold it drew air from outside and shoved it through the stove into the house! A joy in the morning! and as for insurance - I had to move the pipe because it rubbed on a beam and caught the floorboards alight.

the second one i installed (a petit godin) it caught the chimney alight. What a laugh that was.

Cleri

DIY not yer strong point mate?

treskillard

ask the three incomplete restorations I lived in and the woman who tried to live there with me - second thoughts - they'd lie and say I was rubbish.

le plumber

Cheer up asj968 I wasn't giving you a bollocking and I certainly was't trying to scare you

You aren't my brother inlaw are you??

Cleri

I find your crookedy bends quite endearing

Chris'nJulie

Like you, we had an open fire when we arrived in France a couple of years ago, which got through metre-length logs like there was no tomorrow.

We installed a Jotul F600 wood burning stove, and it has been brilliant! So I can highly recommend them, despite the price.

Chris

Andrea50

Oh sweetie, I'm sure your "strengths" lie in other areas and at least you had a go! Most admirable.

You could have renamed your stoves "house burning stoves".