Fireplace suggestions

scumboss

Hi All

We have bought a house (STC). The house was built around 15 years ago so it's fairly new. It doesn't have a chimney and currently there is an electric fire there which the vendor is trying to sell to us. There is a capped gas pipe there and the vendor said there is a gas flue there as well.

1. Remove the fireplace and put our TV there. We have a new born so safety wise this would be better for her.
2. Get a smaller fireplace installed, gas stove and if possible mount the TV above that.

Any ideas?

MisterBaxter

If it is an electric fire suite it should be fairly easy to remove it; although how would you heat your living room if the main heating failed; having the fire at least provides some heat. If you are worried about safety for a child then you could just pull the fuse out of the fused spur when you don't need the fire on. You can also quite easily get a smaller electric fire suite installed.

If you want to go down the route of gas then you would need to get a Gas Safe registered installer to check out the flue arrangements. If there is already a capped off gas pipe it suggests that there may already be provision for a gas fire but I wouldn't take it for granted and even if there is a flue it would need to be checked to make sure it is working as it should; the gas engineer should also be able to give advice on what sort of appliance could actually be installed on the existing flue/gas supply.

Even if there is no flue I'm sure that the engineer will be able to provide options.

If the main heating in the house is gas it can sometimes be an advantage having an electric fire; if the gas main is turned off for some reason you still have heating in one room.

As for a TV over the fireplace; I personally don't like it; the TV always feels like it is too high and you have to look upwards (neck pains), then there is the issue of rising heat if you do have the fire/stove turned on for some reason. Putting the TV in place of the fireplace may make your TV look too much like it is the centrepiece of your room; so you have to decide if that is what you want.

scumboss

Thanks for your comments.

EssexExile

We have a gas fire because the electricity goes off more often than the gas & the central heating won't work without either. Having said that, our gas fire is very old & simple, some modern more complicated ones need electricity which rather defeats the purpose. We only ever use the gas fire when there's a power cut.

wallbash

As for a TV over the fireplace; I personally don't like it; the TV always feels like it is too high and you have to look upwards (neck pains)

So true

Remove mantle piece/ fire.
Put the dvd player/ tivo ?? sky box ? game boy / x box into fireplace
Run all wires up the chimney to behind lower tv .

Advantage, all wires out of sight, boxs do not take up any floor space

Result clean modern appearance

A_Frayed_Knot

Agree with above - although you mention "they are trying to sell you the fire and fireplace", never known this, thought it would come as a fixture. I suppose some folk have the cheek, I even know someone that bought and they left just a couple of lightbulbs and took the rest.

System

just tell them to take the fire away with them (they wont) - every solution is better than that electric fire!
even a nicer looking fire would be a start...

looking at the size of the room a tv over the mantle would be too high up the wall - as per comments above.
It's an awkward proportion of room especially with the door/window positions

dirty_magic

the_r_sole wrote: »

just tell them to take the fire away with them (they wont) - every solution is better than that electric fire!
even a nicer looking fire would be a start...

My friend bought a flat with a lovely feature fireplace and the vendors took the whole thing with them so they might take it!

I also think that TVs above fireplaces are too high to watch comfortably. I would keep the current arrangement, I think a fireplace gives a focal point to the room. Do you not like it or is it because you don't want the tv in front of the radiator?

scumboss

They said the fireplace is staying but want money for the electric fire. There's no chimney.

Our biggest issue is where to put our TV. It probably won't fit in the corner theirs is quite small. And you are right, above the fireplace is to high. I guess we have two options. Remove fireplace altogether and put tv there. Or we could get a hole in the wall gas fire, position it lower and put tv above that. Heat could be an issue for the TV.

missbiggles1

scumboss wrote: »

They said the fireplace is staying but want money for the electric fire. There's no chimney.

Our biggest issue is where to put our TV. It probably won't fit in the corner theirs is quite small. And you are right, above the fireplace is to high. I guess we have two options. Remove fireplace altogether and put tv there. Or we could get a hole in the wall gas fire, position it lower and put tv above that. Heat could be an issue for the TV.

Too small?:eek:

scumboss

Vendor told me their TV is 32 inch.