Open Fire Advised is Dangerous

layfs

Hi all, I have been living In a rental property for just over 4 months with an open fire in the lounge. I had an inspection on it today and they have advised it is extremely dangerous and both a potential fire and carbon monoxide. I have been using it all winter with monoxide detectors and not had a problem but won't risk lighting it again until its resolved.

My question is if the landlord does not want to put it right (the house has oil central heating) can he just advise to no longer use it? One of the reasons we moved to this house was the character and if it came to it I'd probably end up spending the £1000 to make it safe for next winter but don't feel it should be my responsibility as a paying Tennant.

Thanks for your advise in advance.

Southend1

Um.... It's a fire. Of course it will be on fire! Who gave you this advice? I'd say get a sweep in and while he's there just ask his opinion on the condition of the chimney.

martinthebandit

Southend1 wrote: »

Um.... It's a fire. Of course it will be on fire! Who gave you this advice? I'd say get a sweep in and while he's there just ask his opinion on the condition of the chimney.

Is the right answer

nikki1520

The landlord is obliged to provide you with a method to heat the property, so he would be able to tell you not to use it if there is an alternative, which there is.

Of course a decent landlord will get it fixed- I would take the view that the open fire would provide an alternative if the central heating breaks down

DRP

layfs wrote: »

Hi all, I have been living In a rental property for just over 4 months with an open fire in the lounge. I had an inspection on it today and they have advised it is extremely dangerous and both a potential fire and carbon monoxide. I have been using it all winter with monoxide detectors and not had a problem but won't risk lighting it again until its resolved.

My question is if the landlord does not want to put it right (the house has oil central heating) can he just advise to no longer use it? One of the reasons we moved to this house was the character and if it came to it I'd probably end up spending the £1000 to make it safe for next winter but don't feel it should be my responsibility as a paying Tennant.

Thanks for your advise in advance.

Who inspected it today?

What is actually wrong with it?

Kayalana99

layfs wrote: »

Hi all, I have been living In a rental property for just over 4 months with an open fire in the lounge. I had an inspection on it today and they have advised it is extremely dangerous and both a potential fire and carbon monoxide. I have been using it all winter with monoxide detectors and not had a problem but won't risk lighting it again until its resolved.

My question is if the landlord does not want to put it right (the house has oil central heating) can he just advise to no longer use it? One of the reasons we moved to this house was the character and if it came to it I'd probably end up spending the £1000 to make it safe for next winter but don't feel it should be my responsibility as a paying Tennant.

Thanks for your advise in advance.

Is thier actally a problem with the fire or is it just geninely dangerous? Basicly how would he fix it?

I know its not the same but my Dad is an LL and someone complained the outside light wasnt working down the side of the house so he got his eletrictian to remove the light...I dont think he has any obligation to sort it.

Also if you do spend money trying to sort it I would advise you run these past your LL just to make sure its ok for you to make changes... not sure what would cost £1000 to do thats why I add not trying to be mean.

layfs

DRP wrote: »

Who inspected it today?

What is actually wrong with it?

It is leaking carbon monoxide and is missing the back iron plate so the fire is drawing back into the chimney where there is an old water heater that hasn't been properly decommissioned.

The is a large void behind the fire and had a large hole at the back of the fireplace and when lit rather than drawing up it was drawing back. It didn't produce a huge amount of heat so my original thought was to reintroduce an iron backplate and fill the void behind with fire cement to cause the fire to draw upwards.

Hope I managed to explain this coherently.

SG27

Probably has creosote build up in the chimney. Could cause a chimney fire and also prevent fumed being drawn out properly. Probably just needs a good sweep?

Edit: or maybe someone completely different as explained above.

POPPYOSCAR

How on earth will it cost £1000 to put right?

DRP

layfs wrote: »

It is leaking carbon monoxide and is missing the back iron plate so the fire is drawing back into the chimney where there is an old water heater that hasn't been properly decommissioned.

The is a large void behind the fire and had a large hole at the back of the fireplace and when lit rather than drawing up it was drawing back. It didn't produce a huge amount of heat so my original thought was to reintroduce an iron backplate and fill the void behind with fire cement to cause the fire to draw upwards.

Hope I managed to explain this coherently.

yet you detected no CO all winter? that's strange isn;t it?

Who inspected it for you?

POPPYOSCAR wrote: »

How on earth will it cost £1000 to put right?

This is why I asked who inspected the fire. IS it someone with an interest in telling the OP that there are problems?

layfs

Kayalana99 wrote: »

Is thier actally a problem with the fire or is it just geninely dangerous? Basicly how would he fix it?

I know its not the same but my Dad is an LL and someone complained the outside light wasnt working down the side of the house so he got his eletrictian to remove the light...I dont think he has any obligation to sort it.

Also if you do spend money trying to sort it I would advise you run these past your LL just to make sure its ok for you to make changes... not sure what would cost £1000 to do thats why I add not trying to be mean.

The fire is leaking as there is shooting up the front of the fireplace the wall is painted white and there is very obvious signs of sooting up the wall. I was concerned so did buy a monoxide detector which has never gone off.

There is an old water heater back boiler that has not been properly removed and the slate hearth is cracked.

Having twin two year olds I'm not willing to run the risk as it is until I get a second opinion.