swapping gas fire for electric - fitting question

TeetersOnHeels

Am wanting to have my old gas (old as the ark) fire plus surround removed, and replaced with an electric suite. I've seen one in B & Q, but don't know how to go about getting it fitted. Do I need 2 different fitters? One to safely remove the gas fire, then an electrician to fit the new one? Don't know any tradesmen, and have no idea how much this might cost - any tips would be great!!

phill99

Your assumption is correct. A gas fitter does the Gas bit and and electrician does the electrical bit.

Capping the gas off and removing the fire is not a major job for a gas fitter. Say £60 - £90. He may well remove the surround for you, but once the gas is capped off, this is something you can do for yourself. Depending on the set up of your ring main and where the electrician can take a spur from, you could be looking at a similar price for the electrical work.

Lube

Gas is cheaper to use than electric and I always find it looks better too but that's a personnel choice

TeetersOnHeels

Thanks for the tips...Gas is cheaper, but as we don't use the fire anyway that's not too much of an issue..and believe me, in the looks dept nothing could look worse than this gas fire
Am a bit wary of removing the surround myself, think it's sort of plaster, and looks like it's embedded in the wall!!

dander

My gas fire went when my back boiler was removed. Putting an electric fire in the hole was very easy DIY. The electricity was already there in the chimney breast to run the boiler off. Check what your set up is before you start paying people!

Incidentally, I'm a huge convert to electric fires - it's brilliant to have the fake flames going without having to turn the heat on. Cosy feel without having to pay for extra heat.

McKneff

We had our gas fire capped off, hubby boarded the hole up, decorated the wall and the room seems much bigger, put a coffee table where the small gas pipe sticks out (just in case a future buyer wants to reinstate it. Put a big print on the wall as a focal point.

More wall space now, we have warm air heating which is instant so havent missed the gas fire for a minute as we never used it.