pedragon

Hi All Thanks for the comments and information. We will look at getting an air inlet direct to the woodburner for airflow from outside. The woodburner is a bit of aesthetics as well as for use in real cold weather. As you say, using it more than that will have the place absolutely cooking. It isn't open plan and nowhere near 400m2 of space, so no need to retract! Thanks all, much appreciated. Mike

Hi Apologies if I have posted this in the wrong thread, as I'm not sure which is the most logical place to post. We are trying to install a woodburner into a SIPS house. We have been told by a couple of installers that they need to put in an airbrick which we do not want to do on a SIPS house. We have MVHR that is connected to Solar PV with a battery storage, so chance of no air flow should be remote (if it all fails, we either put out the woodburner, or open a window or two for air flow). We also have ASHP that runs UFH heating down stairs, so we don't have to use the woodburner if all power fails to MVHR. We believe that the following would allow us to put in a woodburner and it take the 'fresh air' from the house, rather than a snorkel type connection to the stove as that will put an additional hole/cold bridge in the SIPS. HETAS Risk Assessment and BS8303 allows for a stove to be installed without a permanent vent to the room Although Document J of the building regs does recommend a 'non-closable' room vent in the wall as well as the direct air supply to the stove BS8303 now details a method by which you can see if the stove works well without this permanent vent to the room. Essentially it boils down to smoke testing the stove with the door open, all extraction units turned on, all windows and door closed. If once the risk assessment procedure has been carried out and the stove does not smoke into the room then it is deemed to pass. Its a bit more complicated than that, but your HETAS installer has access to the full procedure. If the stove does smoke into the room then simply install one of our AirSmart devices which open a vent to the room only when the door of the stove is opened. You can choose a standalone model or a fully automated controller which will also adjust the burn rate of your stove and shut it down if its getting too hot. It's from here... https://www.stovesonline.co.uk/stoves-for-airtight-houses.html?srsltid=AfmBOorH3fCB3YvftCiKXuTS6zR6cpAxJAgDISJgrGbFcoALM9ZwCFc5 Firstly, are we correct in that we should be able to do this? Secondly, if we are correct, can anyone suggest an installer that would do this under HETAS, as we would need to get this signed off for buildling control? Many thanks, Mike

Hi Bozza, thanks very much for the information that is much appreciated.

Thanks very much newhome. Yes am aware of te VAT rules about new buils, thanks. I'll aim to have a look at that sub forum once I am able to view it.

Hi All I'm doing a self build that has planning permission granted. It is an old cottage that was in no fiit state to live in, had no water, bathroom or kitchen. The previous owner had used the councils 2 years of no council tax exemption. I did apply for exemption as it was uninhabitable, the council wouldn't budge, so I reluctantly paid the council tax last year at double the normal band as they said it was long term out of use. They are now wanting to charge 3x times the band cost as its now longer term not being used. We have now demolished the house having built a detached garage under PD. Previously we needed the PD in order to build the garage, this has now completed. We will hopefully be starting to build later this year once ground work is done, but won't likely have it habitable to move in till at least the end of the year. I've asked the council for exemption again as the house has been demolished. If they won't, I'm thinking of deregistering for council tax, but have some queries... 1. If it is deregistered, we don't lose planning permission? I'm fairly sure we don't. 2. If we deregister, does that affect previous buildings built under PD? I.e the detached garage. 3. If we deregister, do we get rebanded when the new house is built? 4. Is there any disadvantage to deregistering? Or is there anything else I need to consider if going down this route? Thanks Mike