Home  5  Books  5  GBEzine  5  News  5  HelpDesk  5  Register  5  GreenBuilding.co.uk
Not signed in (Sign In)

Categories



Green Building Bible, Fourth Edition
Green Building Bible, fourth edition (both books)
These two books are the perfect starting place to help you get to grips with one of the most vitally important aspects of our society - our homes and living environment.

PLEASE NOTE: A download link for Volume 1 will be sent to you by email and Volume 2 will be sent to you by post as a book.
Buy individually or both books together. Delivery is free!


powered by Surfing Waves




Vanilla 1.0.3 is a product of Lussumo. More Information: Documentation, Community Support.

Welcome to new Forum Visitors
 Join the forum now and benefit from discussions with thousands of other green building fans and discounts on Green Building Press publications: Apply now.

The AECB accepts no responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in the content of this site. Views given in posts are not necessarily the views of the AECB.



Heating and cooling: Bohemia stove: Multifuel or wood only?

Bottom of Page

1 to 7 of 7

  1.  
  1.  
    Hello all -

    I have recently bought a Pevex Bohemia 40 multifuel stove. At least, the brochure and the retailer say it is multifuel and "approved to EN13240 for wood, brown coal and smokeless fuel burning". I was insistent, before purchase, on an assurance that my chosen stove would be multifuel. I was surprised, therefore, on taking delivery to read in the user's manual a different, and rather ambiguous, story.

    On page 5 it says "The recommended fuel to be burnt on these stoves is wood logs. PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL THE BOHEMIA STOVES HAVE OBTAINED APPROVAL FROM HETAS LTD., FOR BURNING WOOD LOGS ONLY."

    On page 6 it says "Uni-logs (brown coal brickettes) may be burned on the stove. Good performance will be obtained using these brickettes. Approved smokeless solid fuels may also be used. Avoid over firing. A mixture of seasoned wood and smokeless fuel will provide extended burn times with a good flame picture."

    I can't get a clear explanation of this from the retailer or the UK distributor. It seems to me that, since 'multifuel' is claimed frequently and prominently in the stove's marketing literature, smokeless fuel should be acceptable without reservation. Can anyone clarify?

    (I should add, in order not to be told off by green purists, that I have bought the multifuel stove partly for future energy security reasons. When gas, electricity and wood supplies are unreliable, I will prefer smokeless fuel to freezing!)

    Alan
    •  
      CommentAuthorjoe90
    • CommentTimeAug 5th 2010
     
    My understanding is that wood is burned on a flat surface and the air is drawn down over the fire. Coal is burned on a slatted grate and the air drawn up through the fire, see this:- http://www.stovesonline.co.uk/multifuel_stove.html
  3.  
    Thanks for this and the link, Joe. The stove does have a grate. Coal is definitely not recommended (burns too hot). It can definitely be used with wood (when one removes some of the ashes infrequently). My problem is that the advice about smokeless fuel in the brochure and in the user manual seems to me to be contradictory - is it perfectly alright or is it not? And if not, why?

    Any other ideas, or knowledge about other makes of supposedly multifuel stoves?

    Alan
    • CommentAuthorCWatters
    • CommentTimeAug 7th 2010 edited
     
    The short answer is yes I believe the stove is approved to burn "wood, brown coal and smokeless fuel". However...

    What really matters to you as home owner is compliance with Part J of the Building Regulations. Part J refers to other regulations covering the quality of products used during construction work. It states that one way of showing compliance is..

    "..use of a product bearing CE marking.."

    CE marking signifies that the product complies with all appropriate standards for that product (EN13240 might be the only appropriate standard but there could be others). So is the stove CE marked?

    Other ways to show compliance are also mentioned in part J, for example use of a product that complies with an "Independant certification scheme". I believe Hetas approval is an example of such a scheme.

    Strictly speaking CE approval is all that a manufacturer needs, however there might be an issue with the cost of installation if they don't also have Hetas approval.... When you install a wood burner or flue you need Building Control Approval for the installation. You can get that either by making a Building Control Application (£300) OR by employing a Hetas Approved Installer (£cheaper). I'm not sure but it's possible a Hetas approved installer will only install Hetas approved stoves or can only do Building Control Approval for Hetas approved stoves.

    So in summary...

    1) Yes the stove is approved to burn "wood, brown coal and smokeless fuel"

    2) If you want to install the stove for multifuel you may have to make a Building Control Application.

    3) If you want to install it for wood fuel only then you could employ a Hetas approved installer to do the Building Control Approval and save money.

    What I would do is check what I've said is correct... Ring up Hetas and ask if their installers can install AND do the Building Control Paperwork if the stove is CE approved but not Hetas approved. If they say no then you could still use a Hetas approved installer but you may also have to make a Building Control Application.
    • CommentAuthorCWatters
    • CommentTimeAug 7th 2010 edited
     
    or just get a hetas approved installer to install it for wood burning only, do the paperwork and then burn what you like in breech of the regs.
  6.  
    Thanks, CWatters, for these helpful comments. I think I understand the situation now. It seems to me that my installer, retailer and distributor have been, to say the least, economical with the news. The installer and retailer emphasised strongly the need for a Hetas certificate (which I have) but they never said that this would give approval for wood-burning only and not for the full range of fuels for which the stove was advertised, and on the strength of which I bought the stove and had it installed by a Hetas installer.

    Alan
    • CommentAuthorsune
    • CommentTimeSep 16th 2010
     
    Hi Alan - I'm going to add a little to C Watter already good reply

    Bohemia stoves were listed by Hetas just for wood because at the time the manufacturer had only EN tested the stoves on power station coal, not one of the fuels which Hetas approve - hence only wood for the Hetas listing. They were going to re EN test with smokeless fuel - I think this may still be in the pipeline.

    Bohemia stoves are EN tested for wood and coal. The EN test is the European wide standard which everyone in the EU works to. Hetas listing is just something on top of that. The stove is totally OK for burning coal/smokeless fuel in.

    Very technically speaking the posts are right - Hetas registered installers are only meant to install Hetas listed stoves. BUT there are load of stoves that aren't Hetas listed that get installed all the time by all sorts of installers........and seeing as the stove is EN tested for a coal already......

    I would perhaps not be so quick to cast blame on your supplier/installer - this is a fairly odd situation for a stove - they probably didn't realise. I had to do some digging myself. As a result I will update the info we carry on these stoves with regard to their Hetas listing.

    In terms of stove installation it is an "Either OR" situation - by regs you are either meant to install Either under building control, OR using a Competent Person.
    There are several Competent Person schemes for stoves: APHC, BESCA, HETAS, NAPIT, NICEIC.....The competent person registers the installation with building control for you as part of the service.

    As a greenbuildingforum member you would of course never dream of burning coal anyway I'm sure
    :wink:

1 to 7 of 7

  1.  
Add your comments

    Username Password
  • Format comments as
 
Back to Discussions Top of Page
   
The Ecobuilding Buzz
Site Map    |   Home    |   View Cart    |   Pressroom   |   Business   |   Links   
Logout    

© Green Building Press