Restoring an old fireplace for use?

SameOldRoundabout

We have a lovely late Victorian fireplace in our lounge. We were hoping to use it for an open fire this winter because it’s FREEZING in here due to the single glazed sash windows! Also, not only have we pretty much spent all our renovation cash for now, but we wanted to keep the original fire and tiles etc. 

Today I spoke to a very reputable chimney sweep who said that as the whole fireback is missing, while he could recommend someone to fit a new one the current building regs require a pressured test but these old chimneys will always fail whether they are dodgy or not! He advised us to suck it up and get a log burner, which means getting shot of the fireplace 😢 He also said we’d be able to find someone to fit one without regs but did we want the possible death of next door on our hands if carbon monoxide leaked through the party wall!

Is this the case? It is indeed missing pieces, but having seen photos of a previous family enjoying an open fire in it, we assumed that with new parts and a smoke test etc it would be fine as an open fire! 

FreeBear

You may be able to find an inset stove to fit in to the opening - Something that is well worth looking at so that you can preserve the surround. An alternative would be something like a Hobbit stove which might fit in the space.

Personally, I wouldn't want to be running an open fire in that grate. No fire back, probably no throat plate, and the possibility that the flue leaks like a sieve. A stove will be much more efficient (~70% compared to 20% of an open fire), so depending on the size of the room, a small stove would be more than enough.

sew_what

We have a reproduction fireplace very similar to yours & had a dual fuel logburner fitted very neatly. We had to have a flue up the chimney.  Not only is it more efficient but it's really cut down on draughts even when it's off!

Mutton_Geoff

The convection effect of an open fire takes lots of heat out of the room up the chimney. They are draughty and old fashioned and worked well when coal was cheap and everyone wrapped up warm in their own homes. As others have said, a small log burner installed in front of the fireplace would work well. But hurry, they will be banned soon.

Davesnave

SameOldRoundabout said:

We have a lovely late Victorian fireplace in our lounge.

Yup, it's Victorian, and I've no reason to doubt it's where you say it is. The rest is in your head, not mine!

I see it like an ornate Expelair fan, sucking expensive heat out of your house and chucking it into the environment.

It probably goes with the house well though, and if you love it you should keep it, but there's no reason either to park something else in front of it or use it. There are other ways to get warm.

FreeBear

Mutton_Geoff said: a small log burner installed in front of the fireplace would work well. But hurry, they will be banned soon.

Rubbish. Absolute tosh.

A ban on the sale of regular house coal and unseasoned (wet) wood is on the cards, but smokeless coal & seasoned wood will be available for many more years. What you may find is the introduction of catalytic converters and particle filtration systems once the technology improves. New "clean air" legislation may also be introduced for urban environments,  or existing regulations tweaked in an attempt to meet environmental targets.

Way too many voters would be affected by an outright ban on stoves, and in some parts of the country, it is the only practical heating solution.

Mutton_Geoff

https://www.hetas.co.uk/ban-on-wood-stoves/

Just my opinion that more focus will be on wood burners as they gain popularity. Look at the government u turn on diesel engined cars over the last decade.