Cavity wall insulation + gas fire = hole/vent in the wall?

stilernin

I qualify for free cavity wall insulation (1930s semi) and have had a guy around to do a survey. He did say that because I have a living flame gas fire in each reception room I would have to have a hole/vent put in the external walls for ventilation.

This does seem to defeat the object rather.

I wouldn't have to do this if the gas was 'disconnected' from the fires. He also said that 'some people have been known to fill in the holes in the wall after the insulation had been done'.

In the next couple of years I will be replacing the gas fires, possibly with a mulitifuel burner, but don't want to have only the CH rads for heat.

What comments/advice can you guys give me please?

ormus

its the law. you must have an air brick/vent in the same room as the open gas fire.
it just might save your life.

EliteHeat

The requirement for permanent ventilation depends on the heat input of the gas appliance and the size of the room, where oxygen for combustion is drawn from the living space.

stilernin

ormus wrote: »

its the law. you must have an air brick/vent in the same room as the open gas fire.
it just might save your life.

OK, I do realise that I should have some ventilation, there is already a grid in the floor, but the 'hole in the external wall' option seemed to be a bit drastic. Also, I have only used the fire in one room twice in 12mths and the other one not at all.

The guy also mentioned something about new fires being 'condensing'/'sealed units'. What would I have to look out for when replacing the fire?

Canucklehead

Hi

Just to confirm what EliteHeat says, you need permanent ventilation to outside air with no screens ,closers or any other restriction on them. This applies to flueless gas fires as well. The floor vents should be considered At risk as you don't know if the air bricks to outside under the floor are clear.
Always consult manufacturers installation instructions.;)


GSR.

andrew-b

EliteHeat wrote: »

The requirement for permanent ventilation depends on the heat input of the gas appliance and the size of the room, where oxygen for combustion is drawn from the living space.

Can anyone provide a link please to these requirements on heat input and size of room as i want to check our living flame gas fire (flue is via lined chimney) has suitable levels of ventilation. no vents right now.

If it doesn't comply with ventilation requirements i may as well as decommission it rather than spend money on service and fitting vents to make it comply as we extremely rarely use it (think less than a few hours in so many years!).

C_Mababejive

Do you have the make/model/installation instructions for the fire? If so,it will stipulate vent requirements if any in there.

andrew-b

From the card chained to it: Valor Model No. 622 Heat Input 6.85kW. Acquired with the house without instructions. From looking before its no longer made and i've been unable to source the instructions other than for later equivalent models. Last service was 2 years ago and no mention was made to insufficient ventilation then.

C_Mababejive

I suspect/almost certain that as it is <7Kw input, you do not need additional ventilation.