Gas Fire Issue

50Twuncle

We have an approx 5 year old gas fire fitted in our living room - I have never liked the way that it was fitted, in that the "back plate" does not seal around the fire place properly and they used tape to seal the gap - every year that the fire is serviced, they replace the tape !!!
I see that, now - the tape is peeling away - which leaves me to wonder whether any fumes are getting into the room ??
Is this usual - to seal a fire in using tape ?
Any comments ?

HappyMJ

21Twinkle wrote: »

We have an approx 5 year old gas fire fitted in our living room - I have never liked the way that it was fitted, in that the "back plate" does not seal around the fire place properly and they used tape to seal the gap - every year that the fire is serviced, they replace the tape !!!
I see that, now - the tape is peeling away - which leaves me to wonder whether any fumes are getting into the room ??
Is this usual - to seal a fire in using tape ?
Any comments ?

Why wonder if fumes are getting into a room?

If you are wondering at all you should be turning it off and getting someone out to check. If you don't think it's at all a serious issue then at the very least get a carbon monoxide detector (a proper one with batteries and one that makes a loud sound).

50Twuncle

HappyMJ wrote: »

Why wonder if fumes are getting into a room?

If you are wondering at all you should be turning it off and getting someone out to check. If you don't think it's at all a serious issue then at the very least get a carbon monoxide detector (a proper one with batteries and one that makes a loud sound).

We have a co detector - which hasn't beeped! !

Lgas

Standard practice to use fireplace tape to seal around the fire backplate. However if it is replaced at every service (as it should be, when they remove the backplate to inspect the space behind and check the chimney) it shouldn't be peeling already. If you are concerned, get your gas engineer out to check it.

Please get a carbon monoxide alarm for any gas appliances, especially fires!

rustyboy21

The amount of fumes, IMO that may be coming out of the holes in the tape, will be virtually nothing, that is why your CO detector is not registering it. The chimney will be creating enough suction, to draw 99.9% of the fumes up the flue naturally.

As said above, You could get the installer back out and retape it. Failing that B&Q sell closure plate /gaffer tape for a few quid and you could tape over it, if you wanted.

It is really only keeping the closure plate against the wall, it is not creating a hemetic seal so no fumes come out. The fumes can quite easily come out of the spigot hole for the fire exhaust, or the aeration hole at the bottom of the plate, if the flue was blocked.

It isn't a major issue, but just to make you more comfortable, get some closure plate tape from your local shed.

50Twuncle

rustyboy21 wrote: »

The amount of fumes, IMO that may be coming out of the holes in the tape, will be virtually nothing, that is why your CO detector is not registering it. The chimney will be creating enough suction, to draw 99.9% of the fumes up the flue naturally.

As said above, You could get the installer back out and retape it. Failing that B&Q sell closure plate /gaffer tape for a few quid and you could tape over it, if you wanted.

It is really only keeping the closure plate against the wall, it is not creating a hemetic seal so no fumes come out. The fumes can quite easily come out of the spigot hole for the fire exhaust, or the aeration hole at the bottom of the plate, if the flue was blocked.

It isn't a major issue, but just to make you more comfortable, get some closure plate tape from your local shed.

Thanks - just had the fire serviced and the engineer re-taped it to the fire surround - how long this will last for is the question ...