Installing Electric fire into an existing fire grate

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I'm replacing a gas fire with one of these new electric ones, optiflame I think it's called (flame effect on a sheet of glass behind some illuminated pebbles - looks better than the description).

Thing is, the fire (a dimplex one) is essentially, a non fixable one i.e. it comes with a 13amp 3 pin plug and there is no facility to directly wall mount, apart from hanging it off screws in the wall using large diameter holes on it's back plate in a 'key hole' type of fixing (i.e. you can lift it off without tools). Therefore, I suspect it should be connected via a socket and not wired in permanently? (that's question number one)

That's easily achiecheved of course by simply running the loose flex to the nearest socket outlet. Except you will see it and of course it will look unsightly. So Question number two, how does this sound:

Fix into the back of the grate (it's fed via a flexible lined flue which will be blocked up using expanding foam to stop moisture ingress) a surface mount single socket. There is a twin socket outlet near the grate that I can extent the ring from to the new socket and route the cable such that the only exposed part will be covered by the fire surround itself (stainless steel).

The only heat from the new fire will be from a 2KW fan heater in the top of it (under a hood which is mostly in the room, not the grate) so there is no heat into the grate as such as it's only drawing in air from the living room and blowing it out again so I do not see there's a heat problem. There would be if I inset the fire into the grate but i'm not removing any of the surround spacers (if you know the type of fire, you will know what the spacers do - fully inset without, surface mount with.)


Should there be a problem with the fire, you will be able to lift it off it's fixings and unplug it easily enough.

Overcomplicated? Dangerous? What does anyone think?

Just to add that I am a designer but of industrial (petro chemical) installataions so I'm familiar with mechanical protection of cables and mounting equipment etc - but you don't get many fireplaces on oil refineries :)
 
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1) I can't see any reason why you can't wire into a fused spur unit, socket or fsu method should be fine.

2) So long as the fire is installed in accordance with manufacturers instructions there isn't a problem with the mounting of the fire.
If I am reading this correctly you are wanting to hide the socket behind the fire. This, as far as I am aware is not allowed as there is no immediate point of isolation.
 
You could have an FCU next to the fire, chase out the wall to behind the fire, install a socket here on the FCU and plug the fire into this. Best solution i think.
 
Thanks for the reply. Yep, good point about the isolation, I will therefore install a DP wall isolator switch and feed the fire from that so that gives me immediate isolation and also I can remove the fire physically (without tools) and unplug from the socket as if it were a freestanding appliance (which it essentially is, despite it looking like a conventional fire).
 
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You mean feed the single socket via a DP wall isolator switch?, sounds OK to me.
 
Ah right, just thought about the isolator and if it needs to be fused or not. Thing is, I wanted to keep the 3 pin plug on the end of the fire feed cable which will have a fuse in it of course.

I don't want two 13 amp fuses in series on the same spur feeding one appliance so I'll go for a wall mount FCU and a local in line plug and socket behind the fire so it can be easily removed. I reckon that will do it?

Thing is, does this come under part P of the building regs? I think not but it shows that you have to consider the possibility.
 
OK, thanks for the advice. was thinking inline plug and socket but they are only rated for 10 amps which is getting close to a 2KW heater with lamps so that's what I'll put in.

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That didn't read right. I meant I'll use the 15 amp connector.

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please note 10a which is here
 
Why bother with a plug at all?

From the load side of the FCU run 1.5mm² T/E to a flex outlet plate, and connect the fire into that.
 

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