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Help - replacement of gas fire advice needed please

Hi all

We were flooded out in July this year and are finally dried out! Have been told by the underwriters that our back boiler will be replaced but at the moment there is no plan to replace the gas fire unless it's 'beyond economical repair'!!!!!!!!!!!

Can someone help me out here and let me know if I am being dim but why would this be the case? The gas fire (one of those dated wooden and metal ones) was obviously sat under the same amount of water as the back boiler behind it so why wouldn't this be removed? All our internal wooden doors have been removed and will be replaced as will our radiators so why wouldn't a wooden/metal fire? How can a fire be repaired? And whilst is might look okay now in the future couldn't it warp or rust a few months down the line

I'm assuming it's down to cost but if they are going to pay to replace the back boiler would it really cost them that much more to replace the fire front as well, or even take out the back boiler altogether and replace it with a modern little one that goes up on the wall and just take out the fire altogether? Also if (God forbid!) we were flooded again wouldn't it be cheaper in that the boiler wouldn't need replacing again as it would be well above ground level.

Sorry for length of this but I am just amazed at this to say the least and want to challenge the loss adjustor about this but don't know if I'm just missing something obvious here so any advice gratefully received!:confused:

Thank you.

Comments

  • trogg
    trogg Posts: 107 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10 Posts Combo Breaker
    Back boilers can’t be replaced, repaired but not replaced.

    Also the fire front can only be used with the back boiler so that would also need to be replaced as well

    Replacement boilers have to be energy efficient and back boilers reach nowhere near the current standards for efficiency.

    Time to get on the phone I think

    ;)
  • jackieb
    jackieb Posts: 27,605 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    My next door neighbours replaced their back boiler with a new one last year. Are you sure you can't get them anymore?

    When I get our boiler replaced i'm getting rid of the back boiler though. You're very restricted to the fire fronts you can get, and they're expensive. It cost us £500 for the fire alone in 1994.
  • trogg
    trogg Posts: 107 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10 Posts Combo Breaker
    Hi jackieb,

    I should of put this in my original post :o

    (The only exception is when it is either too complicated or expensive to install a condensing boiler.)

    But I would find this extremely unlikely.


  • Hi there, thanks for reponses so far. We do live in an end terrace with our outside wall being the living room/dining room one rather than the kitchen so maybe that is why they will not put a condensing boiler in.

    My main concern however is still the fact they want to try and repair (rather than replace!) a wooden firefront that was sat under water! I'm also concerned now that if they replace the back boiler that they won't simply be able to stick the old firefront back on but should replace with a new one - unless the very old fronts are compatible with a new back boiler? Does anyone know?

    You're right Trogg a phone call is in order!
  • Hi


    As trogg says the fire front is for the boiler only, it should be thrown away with the deathtrap that is a back boiler.
    To fit a new back boiler you would need to complete an exemption form . It's very difficult to achieve the 1000 points to get exemption .
    Most manufacturers do flue parts that allow the flue to be run up to roof level periscope style, to avoid pluming problems.
    Good luck.
    Corgi Guy.

    PS. Plus, why would you want to fit an extremely inefficient boiler? Excellent info from the Energy Saving Trust on the specification and installation of gas cental heating here http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/uploads/documents/housingbuildings/ce30.pdf
    Ask to see CIPHE (Chartered Institute of Plumbing & Heating Engineering)
  • cattie
    cattie Posts: 8,844 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    If you would prefer to have a wall mounted boiler instead of a back boiler & do away with the gas fire altogether, then have you considered putting this to the insurance company to see what their response would be? They can only say no & may just be willing to negotiate on this.
    The bigger the bargain, the better I feel.

    I should mention that there's only one of me, don't confuse me with others of the same name.
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