Using an existing but unused flue

[CmCm]

Hi

Our house is about 10 years old, built by one of the major builders, and has provision for a gas fire in the living room. There is a false chimney breast with a K vent twin wall insulated flue with a signed certificate of installation and an internal ledge at about 40cm fom the floor. The flue is suitable for a gas fire of the type we would like to fit.

We wanted to have a simple hole in the wall gas fire installed thinking that would be the lowest cost and lowest disruption option so we had a local company come in and quote for the installation.

The surveyor(salesman) barely looked at the flue and through the course of the meeting increased the scale of work from a simple installation to demolishing the chimney breast and flue and replacing it with one that they install. The cost of this was £1000s in labour alone.

We can't understand why we shouldn't be able to use the existing flue, or at least have it tested, before deciding to use it or not. Are we missing something?

Also assuming the flue is ok, could anyone offer a guesstimate for the cost of fitting a cassette fire?

Any help would be appreciated as the cost of the fire doesn't leave us with much budget for installation and the initial quote is making us think about giving upon the whole idea.

Thanks in advance for any advice

Cm

 

[denso13]

We can't understand why we shouldn't be able to use the existing flue, or at least have it tested, before deciding to use it or not.

Was it explained to you? Did you ask? Perhaps get some more quotes but ask for options which include using the existing flue. It it cannot be used you should know why.

 

[CmCm]

Hi

Thanks for the reply. At the start of the meeting he said that he would rather use one of their flues and at the end said that if we wanted to use the existing flue he would probably turn down the job. At no point did he give a specific reason for concern, simply that he couldn't vouch for its safety as he didn't install it, this is without any tests and after charging us £40 for him to come around and do a survey.

To be honest we were left feeling a bit ripped off and with the strong feeling that, because they make bespoke fireplaces which we weren't interested in, the job wasn't worth their while unless they got their hammers out.

As most companies seem to charge for a survey it makes us a bit hesitant to repeat it with another company.

Cheers

Cm

 

[denso13]

Does sound a bit of a rip of if you paid for a survey but the flue wasn't checked. If you know which kind of fire you would like then a independent Gas Safe person could probably advise better. As for charging for quoting I wouldn't, but I don't know the norm in your neck of the woods.

 

[gas112]

The flue you will have is a precast flue and is only suitable for your small standard fire fitted on a hearth
a casssette fire sits up on the wall so the bottom part of flue you have in place would have to be altered with new flue blocks and probably also widdened.
It would need significant building work and will cost you a good deal of money the guy is not ripping you off he just isn`t explaining it to you properly

 

[swbjackson]

The flue you will have is a precast flue and is only suitable for your small standard fire fitted on a hearth
a casssette fire sits up on the wall so the bottom part of flue you have in place would have to be altered with new flue blocks and probably also widdened.
It would need significant building work and will cost you a good deal of money the guy is not ripping you off he just isn`t explaining it to you properly

The OP says that the flue is K vent.

 

[CmCm]

Thanks for the replies. It is a k vent twin wall insulated flue that terminates just over a meter above floor level with a 'shelf' at about 50cm. I am assuming the shelf is there to bear a 'hole in the wall' type gas fire but could easily be removed to give the 1m height if required.

Thanks again

Cm

 

[gas112]

I know he said its k vent but he didnt say from where, took it it was from loft up .
SO when the flue comes down in this false chimney breast how does it terminate is it into a metal fire box or is it a properly constructed brick and rendered opening with flue exiting at top

 

[CmCm]

Thanks again for the reply.

There is only the false chimney breast made out of, I believe, heat resistant plasterboard. There isn't a metal firebox or brickwork of any kind. But I'm guessing that wouldn't mean that the flue would need to be replaced, most of the documentation I have seen suggests that the type of fire I am looking at connects directly to the 5" flue.

The main concern about the visit from the surveyor was that he was happy to ignore the existing flue, and put in a new one, without any apparent reason.

That said any information on the required works would be useful. To a lay person it looks like the plasterboard needs to be opened up an the glass fronted cassette out in, secured, gas and flue connected and then made good.