I agree and the mantra was insulation insulation insulation it’s now shifting to no insulation without ventilation as sealing up a building is a bad idea. We used a few lossnay cross flow heat recovery commercial units in the buildings I looked after.
I’ve come to the conclusion that I am just not going to try installing an intake for the woodburner. The house is quite cold ad draughty enough as it is and in order to make a dedicated vent for the fire rather than just a hole on the wall, I’d have to dig up the (concrete, tiled) floor.
We were thinkig of getting a new woodburned as ours is over 20 years old, but I realise that the installers would be obliged to create a vent, probably through the floor if it was a Jotul, in order to comply with the norms. Shame, but we’ll stick with the old one!
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just wondering if the air could come via the chimney itself… ie a small vent/pipe???
no need then to make holes in walls or floors .. 
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It’s a shame, if an air tightness test was carried out you would probably prove sufficient leaks to comply with the actual requirements but in the world of dumbness that surrounds only if you have a vent fitted could a box on a form be ticked. Yes if it was that model of Jotul it would require a major upheaval. Hope the pipe I fitted is large enough as specs change and can leave a problem later. It was sufficient for the stove at the time. I see a lot of the new more efficient models using 125mm flue and not the more common 150mm so I will slide the 125 down inside the 150mm for even better heat retention.
Have you looked at other makes Angela?, some of the Scadie ones are supposed to be very efficient.
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ChatGPT offered a list of vacuums that should have good seals around the filters (they all should, as what’s the point of a filter if the air can go round?). I didn’t look at the list, but I guess this is a known problem.
I very much like breathing and prefer fresh air. There was never a question of trying to build an air-tight house without ventilation. I’ll be looking for the smallest heat recovery unit I can find (the house is just 50 sq m) with a bypass, and I want to control the fans and bypass using a Raspberry pi which has CO2 monitors and a humidity gauge attached. That way, the house will close up when it is unoccupied (just venting to adjust temperature inside), and start venting when it notes a change in the internal atmosphere. And when windows or doors are opened, it just shuts down. So hopefully, a comfortable house without having to faff with the heating/ventilation system.
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Yes indeed I have! I was just quoting Jotul as an example because a friend has recently had one installed in her very posh house with beautiful stone floors so I was aware of what was involved. I am very sure that whatever I had installed, the installer would have to do it to the norms and that would mean creating a vent somewhere…
We’ve just had friends from the UK visiting who had had someone in to repair/renovate their old stove. They were told that he couldn’t do it because they didn’t have the appropriate vent in the wall/floor. Our friend said that he (the repairer) had installed the vent in the floor and that he (the friend) had covered it up with the carpet. What staggers me is that the repairer was prepared to go along with this fiction but he did 
Sometimes the rules are just insane, hope you can get a new one installed, so much more efficient. Good luck, never know you might find a not very bright installer 
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You never know, @Debby_Wade - I just might 
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not wishing to rain on anyone’s sunny day… but saying one has done something “conforming” when one hasn’t… can throw a nasty wobbly into any future Insurance claim.
I’m sure there will be a way to do things appropriately without too much hassle
I couldn’t agree more, @Stella . I was shocked when my friend was happy to lie about it, which I am not. There are more investigations/discussions to be had before I change the stove (if I do).
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indeed - also it might actually kill you - carbon monoxide is nasty stuff. As mentioned earlier in the thread I have experience of dealing with customers complaining of headaches caused by open flame gas fires that were fitted without proper ventilation, and they were lucky - open flame fires burn inefficiently and produce lots of other stuff that gives you a headache to warn you of a problem - carbon monoxide is an odourless killer.
Unlikely to happen in most cases no doubt, but why take a risk?
When you are passing through Normandie next, Chris, do pop by. We can put you up, pour you wine and show you our draughts 
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Just hope all the dear people on this site have carbon monoxide detectors fitted as well as their fire alarms too
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And not just the type that go off when you are on your way out, buy those with a display that way you can see if there is a problem albeit a small one developing
I shall inspect your draughts with pleasure! Thank you!
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We have a combination smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector in one in the living room which speaks and says. “Fire ! Fire!” In a very loud voice plus a smoke alarm in the hallway under the bedrooms. Hopefully that’s enough
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I’d love to see some photos, thermal imaging or would you use smoke? 
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Trained penguins probably. Depends if I can get a vet’s certificate for them.
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