Removing an open fire to fit a flueless gas fire

jenny-wren

We were originally going to replace our open fire with a new open fire with a limestone surround but have decided that we'd prefer to have a gas fire instead. The fire would only be used occasionally and as I'm fed up with having a drafty room and dirt coming down the chimney it seems the obvious choice. We'd need to get the chimney lined (estimated at £1000) if we wanted to fit a standard gas fire so we want to fit a flueless gas fire to keep the costs down.

How difficult would it be to do? I have no idea what would be involved in sealing up the existing fireplace/chimney. We will be getting the room replastered anyway and therefore don't mind how messy it is but is it a job for a relatively competent DIYer or should it only be attempted by a professional? If so, is it likely to be a costly job? We'd get a CORGI registered gas fitter to do the LPG piping (already have a quote) and will get the chimney swept before we start. I'm assuming we'd need to put a cap on the chimney but have no clue what we'd need to do at the room end.

Can anyone give me some advice?

jenny-wren

Bump!

Anyone?

djheath

Only thing I can think of to note is that if you are having a flueless fire, you will most likely need to have proper ventilation to stop Carbon Monoxide build up. I dont know if these flueless fires cater for this, but in my flat (12 foot by 12 foot sized room), there used to be a gas fire fitted. There are two 12 inch by 6 inch air holes in the wall either side of the fire place to provide adequate air supply. I have since covered these up as they are ugly as hell, and as the fire place is no longer installed they are redundant. If you need to have ventilation it needs to be worked out properly and the correct sized air bricks installed to allow proper ventilation or you could potentially poison yourself.

Rosebery_2

jenny-wren wrote: »

so we want to fit a flueless gas fire to keep the costs down.

or if you want a death trap in your room but thats only my opinion.

How difficult would it be to do? .................................... for a relatively competent DIYer or should it only be attempted by a professional?

It should ONLY be done by a Gas Safe Registered engineer. Most I know personally will politely decline to quote or undertake the work on the grounds that the things are dangerous. That might give a clue.

If so, is it likely to be a costly job?

You'll have to get quotes for the whole job.

We'd get a CORGI registered gas fitter to do the LPG piping (already have a quote) and will get the chimney swept before we start.

You should get the Gas Safe registered man to do the whole job (CORGI ceased to manage the gas register on 1st April).

I'm assuming we'd need to put a cap on the chimney but have no clue what we'd need to do at the room end. Can anyone give me some advice?

You should not be doing any of the work yourselves IMHO. If you put a cap on the chimney how do you ventilate the chimney? Yes I know you won't be using it any more but thats exactly the point - it will still need ventilating.

Sorry if I sound like a broken record

Cheers

Rosebery_2

djheath wrote: »

I have since covered these up as they are ugly as hell, and as the fire place is no longer installed they are redundant.

Actually they aren't redundant - you still need to ventilate a chimney flue even if there is no fire in use especially if the fire hole is blocked up.

Cheers

swagman

Depending on the age and type of property, replacing original fireplace surrounds can dramatically reduce the value of a property.
If this is a relevant issue in your case one option is to retain the surround and have a gas fire fitted professionally within it.

EliteHeat

Rosebery wrote: »

It should ONLY be done by a Gas Safe Registered engineer. Most I know personally will politely decline to quote or undertake the work on the grounds that the things are dangerous. That might give a clue.

I agree with this. I wouldn't fit one for a customer or give one house room in any property I owned.

Why not think about an electric fire, somed of the new ones are pretty much indistinguishable from gas fires.

Cknocker

The flueless gas fires also lead to a moist environment and their run time should be limited, I think you would be better off just getting a flue liner installed.

dander

Just asking another question here. In the original post, the OP says that to put a gas fire into the open fireplace they would need to have the chimney lined at a cost of £1k - is this standard for putting a fire in?

jenny-wren

Basically this is the story: Cost to replace damaged mahogany fire surround. cast iron inset (& hideous tiles) with limestone surround, granite hearth & back panel £1400. To put in a gas fire add an additional £150 for the fire, £400 for piping & fitting and £1000 for chimney lining (judging by the state of other brickwork in the house this will need done). OH doesn't want a wood surround and limestone will become stained and marked if we have an open fire (guaranteed this will happen in our house no matter how careful we are!). Hence the flueless idea which will work out much cheaper (and mean much less cleaning for me )

I'm worried now that a flueless fire could be dangerous. The room is narrow but big enough to take a flueless fire according to the manufacturers guides I've looked at. It would be in a dining room that is separated from the main living room by double doors (which we could always open when the fire is in use). It's not an option to put a fire in the living room (chimney breast has been removed and the room has been taken over by my OH by positioning a large sofa and the TV on the two sides of the room where a flueless fire could go). The dining room end of the room is too small to use as a living room (it used to be the living room and the only place the TV could go was in an alcove and it drove us nuts!). We want to keep a fire of some sort for when we sell the house (in a year or two) - another reason to keep the cost down.

We hadn't considered letting anyone but the properly qualified professionals to do the gas bit, but we were hoping to do the removal of the old fireplace and any bricking up of the hole ourselves before the plasterer comes in.

Would putting in another 'open' fire add more resale value than a flueless gas fire in a late 1960's red brick semi?

Doozergirl

jenny-wren wrote: »

Would putting in another 'open' fire add more resale value than a flueless gas fire in a late 1960's red brick semi?

No, Not really. Not in a modern house. You wouldn't exactly expect a traditional Victorian cast iron insert in a 1960s house.