Fireplace frustration

[Hayley]

I'm in the process of removing an old fireplace and having stripped everything away I'm left with the original fireback/insert and the fire grate (which appear inseperable). It seems to be fixed in with concrete around the top but there are gaps at either side. Can anyone tell me the best way to remove the fire insert? Is it okay to just take a power tool to it to get it out? I'm a bit concerned that the fireplace may be taking the weight of any brickwork above. Also, the fireplace used to heat the back boiler which in turn heated the radiators throughout. The system has now been drained but I want to get rid of the back boiler. How do I do this? Any help is much appreciated. I really want to get the hole in the wall patched up before the Scottish winter descends.

 

[numpty with a crowbar]

Hmmm - tough old one this. Had excactly the same problem myself back in the summer.
F'raid you're probably going to have to bite the bullet and remove the lot - but without photo's it's a bit tough to say for sure - can you provide any??
Going from personal experience I had to install a new lintel (make sure you support the wall / chimney work above the lintel while you fit it, once you do that you're free to start cutting out the back boiler / grates as you want - I used a combination of angle grinder, brute force and my trusty knacker bar to remove it all - if it's a cast boiler a few solid blows will speed it on yer way and use the grinder to remove any bits of detritus. As for getting rid of it once extracted - do what I did with my cast bath and boiler - save a trip to the tip and leave 'em outside yer door - within a few days some enterprising person will have "removed" them for you

 

[Hayley]

Thanks for the advice numpty with a crowbar! I think we may have a wee issue with the lintel coz I was a bit enthusiastic when I attacked the fireplace with a sledgehammer. Never mind, we have the chimneysweep coming on Monday so hopefully we'll get some good advice from him as to whether the lintel is safe enough or not. Is it very expensive to replace one? Wish us luck!

 

[numpty with a crowbar]

I think we may have a wee issue with the lintel coz I was a bit enthusiastic when I attacked the fireplace with a sledgehammer.

D'oh!

we have the chimneysweep coming on Monday so hopefully we'll get some good advice from him as to whether the lintel is safe enough or not. Is it very expensive to replace one?

Nice one - yer sweep will be able to give you an idea of what to do - as for a replacement lintel - a reinforced concrete one will set you back about a tenner - maybe a bit more depending on what size it has to be - try yer local wicks. You'll need to support the stack while you swap the linetl out mind - a couple of props from the local hire shop and a couple of what HSS hire refer to as "strongboy" wall supports to hold the wall will keep things from collapsing while you do the necessary

Wish us luck!

Good luck! And put lots of dust sheets down - you'll get soot everywhere

 

[Hayley]

Numpty! The chimney sweep came and told us the lintel was safe enough despite me hammering away at it. We now have the fire insert/boiler thingy to remove. We only realised they were one and the same thing when we chipped away some concrete and saw the pipes going into it. We actually thought the bolier was somehow stuffed up the chimney somewhere! Doh!
Mr Hayley is going to try and saw through the pipes and use brute force to get the insert out. Now we've been told the lintel is safe I'm less worried about him pulling the wall down along with the fire insert.
Anyway, thanks for your help!

 

[numpty with a crowbar]

Mr Hayley is going to try and saw through the pipes and use brute force to get the insert out.

Possibly too late - but try and get hold of an angle grinder - it'll save yer fella loads of hard work and frustration - the pipes on mine had best part of half a cm thick pipe walls - way too much for a saw - even the grinder took a while.... Or you could just laugh at him struggling....