Stove and Flue Fitting Services

Cowl Fitting Services are fitters of stoves of all types and Flues and Flue Liners of all types.

We are HETAS registered installers.

If you have any questions please call us on 0800 587 9087 or 07860 238 924.

Alternatively, you can fax us on 01562 770023


All About Flues
Here is a conclusive run down all about flues to remove much “conflusion”:

Class 1
A fire (Gas, Oil or solid fuel) that require a “CLASS 1” flue.

By simple definition this is a flue that would be suitable to burn coal in. The most obvious and familiar Class 1 flues are the brick built chimneys that we see around on most older houses. Class 1 need not necessarily be brick however. Today Class 1 flue systems are built in steel, volcanic pumice, as well as the traditional building methods. Some gas fires require Class 1 systems to support them, usually where a large open fire is envisaged, this because the larger the fire the more air will be transported up the flue and Class 1 flues are normally at least 7” in diameter.

Class 2
This type of flue is less robust than a Class 1 system and is almost exclusively the province of the gas market. Class 2 flues, again may be built from a variety of materials, but often are constructed in aluminium. Adding a liner to a Class 1 flue reducing the diameter to 5”, normally, will turn it into a Class 2. The smaller diameter and lesser materials, ensure that Class 2 flues are used for smaller “Reduced draught” open gas fires, glass fronted gas fires and some gas stoves.

Class 2 Precast
A special type of Class 2 flue, beloved of builders of new properties! The Class 2 Precast is a block system that can be easily incorporated into the wall of a new building. It is usually evidenced externally by a raised ridge tile as a termination. Again, this type of flue is limited in the amount of fumes it can transport, so are limited in the range of fires and stoves they can support.

Flueless
Relatively new to the market, Flueless gas fires are based on Catalytic Converter technology. They are often described as 100% efficient. What is meant by this is that ALL the products of the burning of the gas are released in to the room. Please note, it is NOT all heat! Because of this there are some restrictions on the use of Flueless appliances. The output of the appliance must be related to room size. Usually in the range of 30—40 cubic metres. The room MUST be ventilated. The size of the vent dictated by the manufacturer and Gas Safe.

Balanced Flue
Balanced flue appliances are unique in being the only appliances that do NOT make use of the room air to feed the fire. A Balanced Flue pipe is double skinned with the exhaust from the fire travelling through the core and fresh air being drawn from outside the building through the outer wall of the pipe. Because of this Balanced flue fires have no requirement for room ventilation. They are often described as “Room Sealed”. Because of this unique flue construction, ALL balanced flue fires are glass fronted.


Why you need to fit a flue / liner
With a stove, 80% of the heat goes into the room, with an open fire 80% of the heat goes up the chimney and this means that the smoke from a stove is great deal cooler than from a fireplace. The result of this is that a stove will usually never manage to bring a masonry chimney up to operating temperature. This can mean that the stove will never draw properly, and the cooling smoke will condense, causing excess soot and, more dangerously, tar deposits. Tar deposits are not removed by a sweeps brush and cause chimney fires and you may get black tarry condensate leaking out through the bottom and sometimes even through the mortar joints of the chimney.