Open Fireplace

[buildersbutt]

Hi all, wishing to take out a gas fire which will leave the old open fireplace right back to the brickwork as I know the old fire back and rubble has been removed. My question is after cleaning the flue and open area can I put in a large fire grate and use as a open fire as it is. Thanks for your time.

 

[macfudd]

You would have to get a Gas Safe Engineer in to disconnect the fire and seal the gas supply pipe at a safe distance from the fireplace.

As to fitting a solid fuel fire,best bet would be to go to a fireplace centre and ask for advice.

At the very least the chimney would have to be smoke tested and depending on the size of fire being installed an air vent may be required.

 

[Richard C]

Reinstating an open fire or installing a solid fuel stove is controlled building work & should ideally be undertaken by a HETAS installer or submit a building notice & get your LABC to inspect & issue a compliance certificate. The old gas flue liner will also have to be removed, they aren’t suitable for solid fuel & you may need to install a new solid fuel liner if there is any doubt about the flue condition. Take it from me, open fires look nice but are very inefficient & make a lot of mess, a much better bet would be to consider installing a free standing or inset multi-fuel stove. Read below;

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As this comes up so often, I’ve put together this generic post; read the links but not all may apply to you.

You can DIY but you need to understand the Building Regs (which changed in October 10), submit a Building Notice & pay a fee. Your LABC will inspect &, assuming everything is OK, issue you with a compliance certificate; the BI may want also to witness smoke & spillage tests.

Lots of archive threads on this, & other things you have to watch out for, here a few links for you to read:
http://www.stovesonline.co.uk/stove_building_regulations.html
http://www.hetas.co.uk/public/certificates.html
http://www.solidfuel.co.uk/pdfs/buidling_regs_consumer leaflet.pdf
//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=183614
//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=211524
//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=242738
//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=224751

Some more sobering links in case you think it’s all a load of old tosh:
http://www.solidfuel.co.uk/main_pages/news.htm
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...wood-burning-stove-leaks-carbon-monoxide.html
http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/news/warning_over_heaters_after_norfolk_couple_s_death_1_811099

By far the easiest/safest route is to use a registered HETAS installer who will do all the necessary work, commission the stove & provide you with a certificate of compliance. You can use one of the many stove shops around but you will find it much cheaper to employ an independent installer who is happy for you to source your own stove, liner & ancillaries & even undertake the necessary building work but do check with them first. You can download a list of local installers here;
http://www.hetas.co.uk/nearest_member

Get at least 3 quotes & you might be pleasantly surprised; you should ask yourself if you really want all the hassle & risk getting it wrong & climbing onto a roof with an 8M stainless steel snake on your back is not for the feint hearted!