If you want a solid fuel or OIL fired Rayburn or Aga you will need a chimney
These can be originally built in the house or a prefabricated one can be added. SOME gas fired Rayburns don't need a chimney - just sitting in front of an OUTSIDE wall - see below
Original Chimney
If your house was built before 1960 the chimney will probably NOT be lined - it MUST be to burn oil or gas , and its strongly recommended for solid fuel as well.
a good chimney is TALL - ridge height plus 3ft or more
it isn't covered by overhanging trees or higher buildings
It can be lined with a clay pot liner or more cheaply with a flexible stainless steel liner that is dropped down from the top and connected via a vitreous flue pipe to your appliance. Concrete lining systems are also available .A builder ( usually easier with a mate ) can do this in a day - providing there is no blockage on the way ! PLEASE get the flue swept before they arrive - not only does it save you mess but it makes fitting the liner easier ( and possibly cheaper! )
NEW LEGISLATION - as from last APRIL 2004 its necessary to have your chimney lined by an "approved contractor" to avoid having to get building regs relaxation . As the manufacturers haven't even got around to sorting out a list of these , I doubt if your builder EVEN KNOWS about it! In my opinion its just more red tape that will put up the cost of the job ( but what do I know ?) So when you have unbent your bananas, have an EU approved house and use EU approved old Rayburns and Agas please make sure you have a chimney liner installed by someone with the correct piece of paper ( that they no doubt have paid a big fee for!)
I can't tell you what it will cost but gas liner is the cheapest - solid fuel MUCH more expensive.
A New Chimney
These can be of block work , rendered & built into the house or sectional that clip together & run up the outside or inside of the house.
They are a BUILDING ALTERATION so require permission to erect - both planning and building regs. In some areas these are "rubber stamps " but if your home is LISTED it can be difficult to obtain permission. An Aga requires a 5" internal diameter flue - a central heating Rayburn 6" . Add 2 " of insulation and then the second skin holds it all together. The chimney should be a TALL AS THE HOUSE to work properly. In the Cotswolds one of my clients wanted a natural stone chimney correctly added to natural stone barn conversion - but was only allowed top put up a stainless steel one (?)
We can now offer a FANNED FLUE on our oil burners - a box with electric fan that sucks out the gases- see photo
Problem Chimneys - Some causes
Insufficient height- not the highest point on the building. Not swept properly - fumes can KILL. Un-insulated single skin flue pipe - causes condensation & rots out your cooker ( especially if let out for the summer ) Incorrect cowl - a gas cowl on an oil appliance will cause problems. A shared flue - not a good idea . Too high a chimney - too much "suck" gives low heat in the cooker - especially Agas .
NEW REGS again ! Gas Aga and Rayburns (inc conversions ) now have a CHIMNEY OVER HEAT thermostat which cuts OFF the gas if the flue box gets TOO HOT. It's usually a small insert under the thermocouple - between it and the valve. So when installing a GAS cooker you MUST NOT use the standard GAS LOUVERED COWL . Instead fit an OH or Odette anti downdraft type which gives a free flow of exhaust gases under all wind conditions.
Balanced Flue gas cookers
ONLY available on GAS cookers - never on OIL Agas but a similar thing can be done on PJ oil Rayburns.
What happens is you have two tubes out of the back of the cooker - and they MUST be straight outside less than 18" long . One carries the burnt gases out and the other brings new air in .
This system can be found on Rayburn Nouvelles ( some in stock) and also some Agas .
There are sensible rules on where such a cooker can be located. Obviously under opening windows is out , plus several other places . E mail me if you may want this type of cooker
Don't despair - consult a flue specialist . If you want some E mail advice you can link to
Chimneys can be really expensive ( cheapest gas, solid fuel most expensive ) so NEVER buy a cooker until you know what involved - get your QUOTE first!
CHIMNEY SWEEP NEEDED? Newbury Area please ring WILKINS on 01635 45175 established since 1895 ( no he's not that old!) Birds nests,guards, cages , cowls etcall done