How to replace a gas fire or fireplace with a wood burning stove

Suitable for heating a wide variety of different living spaces, wood burning stoves (also known as wood burners) are incredibly popular. Not only do they provide an efficient and carbon neutral form of heating, they also convey an enormous sense of wellbeing, a phenomenon which was explored by American scientist Professor Edward O Wilson in his 1984 publication of the biophilia hypothesis which suggested that human beings have deep intrinsic connections with the natural world, including fire.

One of the most efficient ways to heat a property, a wood burning stove or wood burner is capable of heating just a room or even an entire home, while helping to keep your energy bills low. Functional and aesthetically pleasing, a wood burning stove or wood burner also provides an attractive focal point in any living area.

There’s something about wood burning stoves that can’t be replicated by any other type of heat source. The crackle of the wood, the lick of the flames. A wood burning stove offers a deeply instinctive experience.

Well, if you’ve got a gas fireplace or gas fire and would like to experience the benefits of a wood burning stove instead, then there are ways to convert it.

Can all types of gas fireplaces be converted for installing a wood burning stove ?

Almost certainly, all types of gas fireplaces or fires can be converted into one that is suitable for a wood burning stove. How much work is involved in doing so will depend on what is already installed.

If you live in a new build house, then the chances are that the house will have been built without a traditional masonry chimney and your gas fireplace will either be flueless or will use a balanced flue system. All is not lost, however, as wood burning pellet stoves installed in conjunction with a balanced flue are ideal for this application.

If you have a house with a traditional masonry chimney, then you will be able to convert your gas fireplace to a wood burning stove, but you’ll need to make some alterations. The best way to convert a chimney for use with a wood burning stove is to install a stainless-steel liner down the full height of the chimney. This liner then forms a safe passageway for the exhaust gas. Without a liner installed, a masonry chimney could leak exhaust gas through any gaps in the chimney, usually where the cement has eroded to form a hole. Leaking chimneys pose a great risk of carbon  monoxide poisoning.

Check your local building regulations before you start removing the gas fire and installing a wood burner.

It’s best to check your local building regulations and any planning restrictions before you start any work.

Is the property within a Smoke Control Area ? If you are not sure, then consult the DEFRA website which has an interactive map (DEFRA is the UK Government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs). If you do live within a Smoke Control Area then you must only install a stove which is a so-called “DEFRA exempt stove”. Such a stove has passed stringent emissions testing so it is recognised by DEFRA as being a clean burning stove.

•                Your Local Authority has the power to issue a fine of up to £1,000 if this Law is broken.

With a view to “future proofing” your investment in a wood burning stove or wood burner, then you should consider the cleanest burning stoves available by looking at those on the Cleaner Choice scheme operated by HETAS. This scheme is unique in that HETAS is a third party independent and impartial certification body that relies on first-hand review of test data from notified laboratories in checking that each stove meets, and in critical areas, exceeds some of the most stringent limits set by tested standards and test methods. To qualify for this scheme, then the stove must be at least 50% cleaner than the “DEFRA exempt” emissions limit. HETAS has an interactive selection tool on its website.

Removing the gas fireplace

Once you’ve determined what type of gas fireplace you’ve got, you’ll need to contact a Gas Safe registered engineer to disconnect the gas supply to your fireplace and cap off the connection. It’s important that the gas line is safely disconnected before you undertake any further work.

Ensure you have proper ventilation

Ventilation is very important for a wood burning stove, which will not function properly if it is starved of air.  Wood burning stoves require two elements, not just wood, but oxygen too.

Without sufficient oxygen feeding your stove, the fire will go out. Your stove draws in oxygen from the room it is sitting in, so figuring out the correct amount of ventilation is important.

A balanced flue, however, does not require any air from the room.

Distance to combustibles

As well as thinking about ventilation, you should also think about where your new wood burning stove will fit in the fireplace and the distance to any nearby combustible materials.

You must ensure you leave sufficient distance between the stove and things like wallpaper or plasterboard which can ignite if they get too hot. If you have a fireplace made of brick, stone or other non-combustible material then you don’t need to be as worried about the position of your stove.

However, you don’t want your stove to be too close to the fireplace as its performance may be impaired if there isn’t enough space to allow for the proper circulation of air.

Installing your wood burning stove

We would recommend that you use a competent, approved specialist to fit your new stove. They will make sure that everything is correctly set-up, that your chimney is properly lined and everything is in safe working order. You should resist the temptation to install it yourself or use a non-registered installer, as an unapproved installation could cause injury or damage to your property.

There are many schemes in the UK for the registration of approved installers, such as HETAS or OFTEC

An unapproved installation may also void your wood burning stove’s warranty.

It is therefore very important that you use an installer which is a specialist in this field and is experienced with wood burning pellet stoves and balanced flues and which can demonstrate competence with these products and the regulations which apply to them.

Consider storage space for your wood fuel – wood logs or wood pellets ?

Unless you own your own forest or are happy to pay premium prices for buying a single bag of wood fuel at a time, then you will need to allocate some storage space so that you can buy wood-fuel in bulk which is the most cost-effective way. For the same energy content then you will need approximately twice as much room for storing logs compared with pellets. For a typical 5 kW stove then you will probably use up to a tonne of wood pellets over a winter. This much wood-pellet fuel will take up storage space for a “euro-pallet’s” worth of wood pellets, typically delivered in 10 kg or 15 kg bags and stacked on a pallet with a footprint of 800 mm x 1200mm. A garage or out-building is the ideal space for storing this. The storage space required for logs depends largely on how neatly stacked they are!

Further Information 

Island Pellet Stoves Ltd has been installing its own wood pellet stoves anywhere in England or Wales since 2015.

Our website has a range of resources and frequently asked questions to help you plan your project and to get the best from your wood burning stove or wood burner. Follow this link for more information on installing a wood pellet stove, or give us a call if you have any further questions on – 0330 111 4747