Can we install fire infront of old back bolier

baxterdo

Hi,

Was wondering if anyone could help with this questio. We have currently got a hole in the wall where a fire should be . I was hoping to have an open fire or an inset gas fire in there. When the chimney sweep came to clean the chimney he said we had an old backboiler in there. I never realised this and have only just worked out what it was for. Would it be possible to have either a solid fuel fire or a gas fire in this hole and keep the back boiler there or would we have to remove the back boiler for safety reasons. We have had our central heating and hot water system replaced with a new combi boiler and so the back boiler is not in use what so ever.

Thanx

phill99

Depends on the depth of space from the front of the chimney breast to the front of the back boiler. If that is sufficient for a new gas fire then no problem, but if it is not deep enough then it has to come out. I'm assuming there is no gas supply to it as you have a new combi. It just takes brute force and ignorance to remove it. There is no subtlety about it. I'm not sure about a real fire - it may have to come out to install one of those.

When it is out, just leave it in the front garden and within 2 days the pickies would have taken it so you din't even need to take it to the dump.

ormus

its most likely to be an old solid fuel boiler rather than a gas fired boiler. a gas fired back boiler would be very obvious.
as long as there is room to fit the new fire there should be no problems.
but i would remove it anyway. with any associated pipework still left.