Conflicting advice re fiting fire

Lally

I have bought this fire http://www.fireplaceworld.co.uk/The-Focal-Point-Contemporary-Vogue-Gas-Fire with a limestone surround.

I know a plumber who can fit the fire but nobody to fit the surround so i called the place I got it from.

They sent someone round who said they could fit it all for £280 but they would need the flue removed. They gave me the card of someone who could do that (about another £80)

Called plumber who said that sounds dodgy, he is wary of them telling me to have the flue removed. It does say it can be used with or without though....

Any advice?

Lally

bumppppppppppppp

richardw

Get three quotes from Builders who can do the full installation and sort out the Bldg regs for you and then compare the quotes and go for the one you prefer.

adaze

I would agree, why would the flue need to be removed, surely you would then have to put in another one for the new fire you are fitting (im assuming you already have, or had a gas fire here?) I would just get a handy man (or DIY) to do the surround, its only a matter of fixing it to the wall and making good.

Lass

I don't like sound of this advice at all, but it's difficult without knowing exactly what type of flue you have.

I work in the fireplace supply and installation industry, please do not let anyone remove anything until you've checked this out! Almost anyone can fit the actual fireplace (registered gas fitter to do the fire obviously) - you could probably do it yourself!

What type of chimney or flue do you have? Is it a 'real' chimney with a pot on the top of your roof? It may be a prefabricated flue or similar, which will have an outlet on your roof but not of the old-fashioned chimney pot type. Alternatively, it could be an old-fashioned chimney which has a flexible liner inside it. Best practice is usually to get your chimney checked by a chimney sweep/specialist before you have a new gas fire fitted anyway - this assures you that the chimney/flue is actually safe to use and the sweep/specialist would be able to tell you what type of chimney/flue you have.

Please do not hesitate to pm me if you can't resolve this.

Lally

It's a proper brick chimney with the pots on top. In fact the quote for removing the flue has now gone up to £140 for that and an extra £30 for fixing (or replacing? can't remember) the cowl once it is done.

The surround has to be built up, set, and sealed, it is several pieces of limestone. That wasn't explained to me though in the showroom, I just picked the one I liked the look of, and the one which fitted best. I thought it was one piece.

Plumber who has done work on the heating says it is illegal to have a chimney with no flue. Fire fitters say that isn't right, you can have one without (and so does the fire website) I called another few fire fitter people from the yellow pages, there were only about 3. Only one answered, he could do the fire but not the rest. He did however say that was rubbish about it being illegal, you can have a fire without a flue.

This is really beginning to do my head in, I am scared about who to choose as I don't want to be messing when it comes to gas!

Lally

Oh, it's a class 1 flue, 6 inch diameter, previously worked with the old back boiler which has now been removed. I now have the chimney breast with a big hole in the front and you can see the flue hanging down.

koza_2

1. class 1 flue is a minimum of 7" in diameter
2. fire should be fitted by somebody competent, not 'a plumber' (should be a Corgi registered fitter really)
3. Yes, you can use a fire without a flue - its called a flueless fire, the one you bought requires a flue (fixed the link for you ->> http://www.fireplaceworld.co.uk/The-Focal-Point-Contemporary-Vogue-Gas-Fire

Lally

Ah well I have given the fitters the job. It is a lot more than I had expected, but it has to be done. Refurb budget is steadily going through the roof (pardon the pun)

Lass

Lally wrote: »

Oh, it's a class 1 flue, 6 inch diameter, previously worked with the old back boiler which has now been removed. I now have the chimney breast with a big hole in the front and you can see the flue hanging down.

Right, this is starting to make sense! The flue you see hanging down is a 'flue liner', probably 5" copex or similar. This was needed for your old back boiler. It MUST be removed before the gas fire is put in. When the old flue liner is removed, your chimney sweep should then check the original class 1 chimney (ie the brick chimney) to make sure that it is not cracked anywhere within. If it is, then the fumes from the gas fire can leak out of the cracks and therefore get into the attic/the house above/whichever and this is obviously not safe. IF your chimney has any cracks, then it will need to be relined again, with 5" copex liner - I know this sounds nuts since you'll have just pulled one out of there, but the one that is there at the moment was particular to your back boiler and is not suited to a new gas fire. However, if your chimney is in good condition, then nothing more will need to be done (save an appropriate cowl on your pot) and the fire can then be fitted no problem. It's worth mentioning to you that regardless of whether your chimney is fine as it is (class 1) or if it needs lined (becomes class 2), the fire you have will be suitable to use.

Finally, if someone has offered to fit the limestone suite for you, please please check that they are familiar with doing this - limestone is actually relatively soft, very porous and HEAVY! - which is why it comes in bits rather than complete, otherwise you'd never be able to actually move it! If they seem to know what they're doing, it's not that difficult, and I'd bite their hand off if they're offering to do it for £280 (we'd charge at least £350). Once the fireplace is fitted, they should wash it down thoroughly - please bear in mind that it will take about a week for it to dry out properly and will initially look much darker than you might have expected, simply because of the water content.

Hope some of this helps!

Lally

That's brilliant Lass, thanks! It is going in tomorrow so I will report back.