Gas Fire Problem!!!

lemontree

Baxi Gas Fire slimline inset bought about 10 months ago.
Switch not consistent and 2 weeks ago started to burn soot. It now does not ignite at all.
Used for only 4 months due to hot weather and being away.
Rang Local Dealer and he said it would probably need servicing.
I told him this was imossible as I would have to service 3 times a year.
He asked had I removed the pebbles to clean and put them back incorrectly. I have never taken them out.
He also asked if I had a big dog; I have a Chihuahua!
He said he will call and try to get it working.
Baxi asked the colour of the flames and I said they had always been yellow so they said it had been installed incorrectly.
Rang Consumer Direct and they said to ask for replacement or refund.
If the dealer manages to "get it working" it may fail again and will soon be out of guarantee.
I do not want to keep this fire!
Opinions welcomed.
Thank you.

lemontree

I have read online that yellow flames and soot on the gas fire are lethal and should be turned off immediately.

wealdroam

lemontree wrote: »

I have read online that yellow flames and soot on the gas fire are lethal and should be turned off immediately.

You may well be right, but why are you posting such alarmist statements without any citation?

A slight adjustment by the installing engineer will have the thing working properly again.

You have no right to be able to reject the thing if the supplier can fix the problem.
Remember, under the sale of goods act you are entitled to choose a remedy, but the supplier can refuse your choice of remedy if it is disproportionately costly.

rustyboy21

It sounds like the aeration on the burner is incorrect, It should have been adjusted on installation. With it being pebbles, it should be a bluey falme with a tinge of yellow.

Also , If you are the type of person, who swithces the fire on at night and automatically sets it to low/med, it will soot up badly. The owners guide does state that the fire should be used for a good 20 minutes on high, to warm the flue and burn off any excess soot. You can then turnit down. You must turn it up to high periodically through the night though to burn off any soot.

More than likely it just needs cleaning out, you installer guide will show you how to do it. It is a 10 minute job, with a hoover nozzle. All fires will soot up, the soot will then create yellowy flames, which you are experiencing. Not using the fire over summer doesn't help matters out. I went out to a fire last year that hadn't been used in the summer. It wouldn't light. It transpired that their was quite a big spiders nest on the pilot system and it was stopping the spark working. Dog hairs can get sucked into the burner and underneath it, which wil then stop it working. That is why you were asked that question.

A yellow flame won't kill you, as long as your flue is working correctly. That is just scaremongering

I would suggest a good clean out by yourself, if that doesn't work, get the installer back out to see what is wrong. Baxi don't make fires anymore, what is the model of yours? They haven't made them for years, but they did own Valor fires.

lemontree

Valor Fire.Ihave had 3 Gas Fires in 20 years and always follow instructions implicitly! Never had a problem before!!!
Fireguard in front of fire so no dog hairs from my chihuahua.
Sometimes a pebble will fall down from its position and I have had to switch off and put this back following instruction book (arrow under pebble) Switch works on and off from having this fire and before soot problem.
I will not accept that this fire is stable and the dealer will not do anything once out of guarantee!!!!

arcon5

lemontree wrote: »

Baxi Gas Fire slimline inset bought about 10 months ago.
Switch not consistent and 2 weeks ago started to burn soot. It now does not ignite at all.
Used for only 4 months due to hot weather and being away.
Rang Local Dealer and he said it would probably need servicing.
I told him this was imossible as I would have to service 3 times a year.
He asked had I removed the pebbles to clean and put them back incorrectly. I have never taken them out.
He also asked if I had a big dog; I have a Chihuahua!
He said he will call and try to get it working.
Baxi asked the colour of the flames and I said they had always been yellow so they said it had been installed incorrectly.
Rang Consumer Direct and they said to ask for replacement or refund.
If the dealer manages to "get it working" it may fail again and will soon be out of guarantee.
I do not want to keep this fire!
Opinions welcomed.
Thank you.

If that's all consumer direct told you then shame on them. A replacement or refund is just two of 3 remedies they can effectively choose from -- the third one being a repair.

lemontree

As the Dealer has made so many reasons why I am to blame without even seeing the fire(He promised to come round Friday and did not) I do not trust him as I am sure he will find another excuse to blame me so I will contact Gas Safe in the morning.

arcon5

Well technically the dealer could insist you prove the fault is inherent and not that of misuse (usually by obtaining an indepepndant report) before even offering a remedy. After 6 months the burden of prove is on the consumer.

rustyboy21

lemontree wrote: »

Valor Fire.Ihave had 3 Gas Fires in 20 years and always follow instructions implicitly! Never had a problem before!!!
Fireguard in front of fire so no dog hairs from my chihuahua.
Sometimes a pebble will fall down from its position and I have had to switch off and put this back following instruction book (arrow under pebble) Switch works on and off from having this fire and before soot problem.
I will not accept that this fire is stable and the dealer will not do anything once out of guarantee!!!!

But you haven't said if you have tried cleaning the fire out yourself. It does tell you how in the user instructions.

All fires ( as I have said already) will create soot. It is part of having a gas fire is cleaning it periodically. Do the pebbles soot up badly, or is it mainly the burner area ( steel loo roll shape piece under pebbles? Soot will be attracted to the pilot ign, so will stop it working. It can be a lot of things stopping i working, a lot of them user error.

The dealer should go out to it, you need to let him come and see it, if you wish to take it legal anyway. It does sound like the areation isn't set correctly. If you got the manufacturer out to it and it was found that it was incorrect installation, or user error, you wold be billed something like £129 for the callout.

Speak to the retailer calmly but firmly. You don't have an automatic right for a refund or replacement, he can offer a repair if necessary. Why go down the refund route, when you will have all the upset and dirt from removing the fire and then have to go through it all again, with another installation.

Arcon, am I right that you would have to have an independant report done first, before cliaming for a refund? Just checking

rustyboy21

lemontree wrote: »

As the Dealer has made so many reasons why I am to blame without even seeing the fire(He promised to come round Friday and did not) I do not trust him as I am sure he will find another excuse to blame me so I will contact Gas Safe in the morning.

Gas safe won't fix it, they more than likely will not even tell you what is wrong with it. They will just check if it is incorrectly fitted and if so, report it back to the retailer/engineer concerned. Try again to get the engineer back out to it.

I sell these fires too, they are a good product. When I encounter problems like yours, I always ask if the customer has cleaned them out. Most of the time the answer is no, why should I. When I go out it is 98% of the time, that they needed cleaning. When I show the consumer what to do to clean it, I never hear from them again ! Hence my questions to you.

lemontree

If Gas Fires need constant dismantling and cleaning, why have I never before had this problem? I have never before had soot problems!!!
A quick regular dust and yearly service has been sufficient.
Twenty years and 3 fires later says it all to me!
Even when first used, the odd pebble rolled down and I had to switch off, wait for the fire to cool and replace pebble as per instructions.
I expected that dealers online would blame me as my dealer has before even seeing the fire!
I have spent in total £2.000 on fireplace and surround.
He has lost a good customer!!