Advice needed re Power Flue/ Balanced Flue fires please

Lizbetty

Hi everyone

We're moving soon. The people who we're buying the house from are really lovely, have been really honest and told us their powerflue fire has broken. They asked me to choose whichever one I wanted and they'd buy it and fit it!

We haven't exchanged yet, and I'm far too nice to let them do that. I know them from years ago and I want to make sure we deal with this fairly.

They've been told that it could be the control box (approx £90) or the fan (approx £230) which needs replacing. They don't have the internet, so I managed to source the spares (even though they were told they're obsolete).

Apparently, when the owner switched the switch on the control box it made a noise as if it fused, and when the engineer changed the fuse, it fused immediately. The owner thinks it could be the control box on that basis.

I don't particularly like the fire, mainly because I know that we could get a more efficient balanced flue one, but I'm not very up on these things and I'm unsure how much work would be involved in swapping a slimline powerflue for a balanced flue fire.

Anyway, I offered to help them source the parts to save some money. Then my husband pointed out that it could be that another part has gone causing the control box to fuse And so it could be that the owner ends up spending money on parts which could have gone towards a new fire. And because I'm the one doing the internetting and they're doing the paying for the parts, I would feel bad about that.

I'm not sure what to do at all.

Does anyone have any experience of these fires, please? I'm wondering whether spares are the way forward, or a replacement unit is the best option. And if replacement is the best option, if we bagged a second hand balanced flue fire from ebay, might it end up costing a fortune for the cost of fitting it into the existing space?

I hope that makes sense. If anyone can offer any input that would be great. I'm worrying about it far too much, probably (not great with the usual moving stresses!).

Thanks in advance,

Lucy

rustyboy21

TBH with you, I would suggest swapping it for a balanced flue fire and cutting your losses.

A power flue fire, although nice looking with open flames, is not very efficient and will let a draught into your room, if the wind is blowing in the wrong direction. The |BF fires are sealed units, so you don't have this issue.

You could be spending bad money on repairing. They are not a fantastic product anyway, the more parts you have to a gas fire, the more issues you will have. PF fires have always been nightmares to have. I stopped selling them years ago, as I was sick of having to go out to them to fix, also, if the electric goes off, you cannot have your fire on, as it needs it to run the fan. They are usually quite noisy too.

If you have to buy a fan unit and a control box for the old one, you are paying round 1/2 of what a new fire would cost. Why don't you find the fire you like, offer to pay 1/2 and get them to fit it for you. They sem decent enough people.

Lizbetty

Thanks for your reply. That's just the advice we were looking for!

It's such an awkward situation because they are being so great about it, I don't want to take advantage of that but I agree about the spares. It's always a gamble and if the new control box fused again when it was fitted, that'd be £90 down the swanny as I doubt Focal Point Fires would accept a return on it

I have asked them the fire manufacturer for some technical advice and I'm hoping that they'll come back say yes it sounds like the control box, if it's not and it blows when you've fitted it, we'll take the return. I'm not expecting that but I thought it was worth a try Although I'm not sure about the cost of fitting it..!

If we don't get a positive response on that then it looks like a new fire.

I'm still wary about any type of fire to be honest, I'm wondering how much money the balanced flue ones cost to run - I know they say 90 odd % efficient which is a guide but I'm not entirely sure what that means in terms of pounds and pence.

Thanks again for your help, I really appreciate it

Lucy

rustyboy21

You have chosen right, especially when you gave the fire manufacturer in your post. I wouldn't be surprised if you don't hear from them , their service is awful and the fire sounds like a motor boat when it is going, all of them do TBH.

Balanced flue fires are very efficient. The highest input of gas I have seen on one is 4.5kw, which is quite a bit less than a normal fire. They are good little heat machines and you would miss a fire if you didn't have one. Electric fires just don't cut it , as far as I am concerned.

Just go for a decent manufacturer. Flavel,Valor,gazco, are all decent ones.

If you feel like splashing out a bit, then Faber, Dru and Bell Barbas ones are stunning ! ( but think of a price and maybe double it ! These go for £2k + without flue pipe and fitting ! )

Jonesya

Costs depend on your exact tariff but as a guide:

Say a 2kW electric halogen heater, will cost ~24p per hour (12p/kwh for electric)

A 90% efficient gas fire, giving out 2kW of heat into the room would cost around 9p per hour. (2.2kW heat in, 2kW heat out, 4p/kwh for gas)

So the running costs are a lot lower, less than half that of an electric fire but the up-front cost is much higher so really depends on how much you see yourself using the gas fire as to whether it makes sense.

Personally I tend to have the central heating turned down lower and run a HE gas fire to keep the living room warmer so for me it made financial sense. Also I think gas fires are cosmetically better than electric fires.

Lizbetty

:j (I'm actually doing that right this second, now I know I'm speaking to people who deal with this stuff. It's been a steep learning curve!)

Thanks so much for your replies.

I have seen a couple of Flavel balanced flue fires which I like, actually. I'm just not sure of the fitting costs. What I would prefer to happen is that the owners give us say, half of the cost of the power flue fire they'd planned on replacing their broken one with (I think that was £409, so say £200). Then, when we moved in we'd get a Flavel balanced flue fire fitted instead.

My main worry was the fitting cost. The current fire is a slimline 'Asaba' model fire. I'm worried that the fitting might cost a bomb. Would I be naive to think that it could be possible to remove a Focal Point Fires 'Asaba' slimline power flue fire and fit a new balanced flue fire without any huge refitting costs? I'm hoping that a new one would just slot in, as long as we choose a slimline one. I don't know enough about it to know whether this is the case, though.

Now we know that having this would be more beneficial than having the heating on high (especially as the main lounge is next to the patio door which leads onto a conservatory, and it's an old style boiler), it's got my cogs going!

I'm a really cautious about heating bills as it will be a bigger house, and we're *still* paying off our heating bill at this place which accrued last year due to being complacent about it. The thermostat at the new place isn't numbered either, they usually just twist it until it clicks on. Whereas after our bills last year, I want to make sure we are efficient as we can be, we can't afford not to be with the cost of the move, etc.

All advice on that would be welcomed.

God, I love MSE. I've had so many sleepless nights over this and finally I feel like people are answering my 1001 questions! It's ace! :T

Lucy

Lizbetty

rustyboy21 wrote: »

If you feel like splashing out a bit, then Faber, Dru and Bell Barbas ones are stunning ! ( but think of a price and maybe double it ! These go for £2k + without flue pipe and fitting ! )

Lordy. I'm from Yorkshire, I think even if I did have the money it'd give me a twitch paying that! :rotfl:

rustyboy21

It should be straightforward really to replace the Power flue with a balanced flue fire.

The chamber for the fire to fit into should actually be a hole cut into the internal brickwork of the room, into the cavity wall. The only issue really is that the flue pipe hole, could be at the wrong height, so all it means is that the fitter wil have to knock out at the right height and fill in where the old hole was.

Price wise, if it is a straight swap and no real building work ( which it shouldn't be) it shouldn't be anymore than £150 to fit. I would normally charge around £125.

Have a look at some other makes too, flavel service isn't the best and they seem to always suggest that it is your fault, the fault has happened !

I have seen and have placed a display order for some of the new valor products, which are due in soon. |They have 2 balanced flue products. They aren't available online, but you can get them from your nearest valor centre.

Find your stockist here

http://www.valor.co.uk/stockists/index.htm

New products are below, just a little different.

http://www.valor.co.uk/product_details/0554114.htm?ref=/catalogue/Valor-Centre/index.htm

http://www.valor.co.uk/product_details/0554115.htm?ref=/catalogue/Valor-Centre/index.htm

Prices similar to what you are looking at, via a shop and come with a 3 year P&L warranty too ! Come side control as standard,. so no bending down.

Lizbetty

Thanks for that. I was worried about is the fact that I have no idea which fitter our vendor is using. I know he mentioned he's had trouble finding the right people in the past (no internet and it's a small village), and as the engineer has told him he had to go for a new fire because the one he has is obsolete/spares are no longer available, it rang alarm bells a bit.

It's so useful to know what we should expect. That's invaluable information. We can take this info to him now and work out what he wants to do.

I love the look of the new black balanced flue fire from Valor - the current fire is not our taste at all as it's in a bright gold, which is why his offer to replace it at this stage was a bit awkward. Their tastes and ours are so different, I could see us choosing one which they didn't like, having it fitted and the sale falling through! I bet these things happen.

By the sounds of it you have a showroom, I'm not sure if I'm allowed to ask whereabouts in the country you are?

Thanks so much again by the way. My head has stopped spinning now thanks to your help!

Lucy

rustyboy21

I am over in west Lancs Lucy.

I know it all looks like a massive Job, but it is fairly straightforward, if you have the right people doing it.

I would just get a contribution from the owner and get it done yourself. At Least the fire's warranty will be in your name and you have employed the installer, so you know it is done right.

Hope all the above has helped

Lizbetty

What a shame you're a distance away. Yes, your advice has been fantastically helpful. I've already told my parents that we're wanting contributions towards the new balanced flue fire for Christmas! :j

I can't thank you enough.

God I love MSE. :T

Best wishes

Lucy