Dealing with an old gas fire and what to replace it with?

Discussion in 'Plumbers' Talk' started by SteveMJ, Feb 20, 2014.

  1. SteveMJ

    SteveMJ Active Member

    Hello guys,

    I would appreciate some advice as to what can replace an existing gas fire, perhaps a wood burning stove?

    This gas fire is in a house my son and I have refurbished. It has never been used or attempted to be used in the time he had owned the property (~2 years). I presume it is a Baxi Bermuda as the control on the top says so (see photograph) but no other words on it as and it may have a back boiler, as water pipes (disconnected before his house ownership) are boxed in beside the chimney breast. .

    Where it is situated had a large big ventilation hole in the corner that is now blocked off (damn big draft from it!!), that I presume was needed for this fire. Is that probable?

    I think there is a working chimney as I’ve heard the wind whistle down it.

    So my questions are:

    · Do I need a Gas safe fitter to disconnect the fire from the gas supply? It seems safest to me.

    · When I remove the old fire what can/should I do with the flue? This may depend on what replaces it?

    · My son & girly want a wood burning stove. Apart from the purchase what is required regards flue and room ventilation?

    · Is fitting a wood burning stove a straight forward job for a DIYer?

    · Lastly is there any value in a second hand old gas fire or just scrap?

    Many thanks for your help and advice,

    Steve







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  2. tom.plum

    tom.plum Screwfix Select

    1. yes you need a gasasge to disconnect it,
    2. the flue will be a flu-liner corrugated tin thing, if you want a wood burner it will have to come out,
    3. the woodburner will need a more robust flue
    4. the flue will depent on your existing chimney, you need to get it checked by a qualified solid fuel installer
    5.fitting the wood burner is easy as long as the flue is fitted and tested by the qualified man.
     
  3. SteveMJ

    SteveMJ Active Member

    Cheers Tom,

    Can you guess a rough cost for the flue checking? And the cost of a more robust liner (I presume I could fit that - I helped my Dad do that when I was about 13; in 1968).

    Thanks, Steve
     
  4. Dave does Gas

    Dave does Gas Screwfix Select

    Best way I see for you to proceed is to get the BBU de-commissioned if its not already, If your able, you remove and dispose of the old boiler, fire and flue liner. You'll need access to you roof to do this, whilst your there check that you still have a chimney, many were removed to fit the GC1 terminal for the BBU. What I would then do is call in a couple of solid fuel companies for a survey, which they should do free of charge and discuss with them the next steps. As regards you fitting the flue, forget it, even burning wood can produce carbon monoxide so no reputable company would even consider you doing it for them. The BBU and fire may fetch you about a tenner at the scrappies.
     
    Last edited: Feb 20, 2014
  5. teabreak

    teabreak Screwfix Select

    I'm an ex-gas fitter so no solid fuel expert, but I suspect you will need to keep an air vent in the room for the solid fuel appliance. So if the draught from the air vent bothers you maybe the woodburner is not the way to go.
     
  6. itchyspanner

    itchyspanner Member

    you will def need a air supply, you can get stoves/appliances that can have a ducted supply.

    the exisitng chimney will probably need lining and filling with insulation with a register plate, bird cage, co alarm etc..... this will prob cost around 1200 squids plus. the fire place will need alot of work, hearth construction etc......

    you will also need to have it registerd with building control via a cps or a visit from there engineer.
     
  7. SteveMJ

    SteveMJ Active Member

    Hmm, all sounds a mission.

    May be easier to get rid of the old gas fire. Tile up the hole and put flowers or whatever in the gap to look nice. That sounds like a simpler and easier plan to me. What do you guys think about that?

    Steve
     
  8. Sean_ork

    Sean_ork Screwfix Select

  9. teabreak

    teabreak Screwfix Select

    Flueless gas heaters are liable to increase condensation best avoided IMO, some electric "stove" heaters can look quite convincing, or perhaps a basket and and a few logs to give the apperance of a laid fire, as long as nobody lights it:)
     
  10. tom.plum

    tom.plum Screwfix Select

    I would't go down the flueless fire route, they rely on a catalyc converter , they need an air brick and the settings need regular attention, imho they're lethal and have caused deaths I don't understand why they've not been banned, you can buy these death traps from B+Q and without any proof of gassafe registation, fit um yourself and kill the whole family, :(
     
  11. CraigMcK

    CraigMcK Screwfix Select

    for a log burner, you generally don't need additional ventilation if it's less than 4kw, anything bigger and you will need it.

    They do require a surprising amount of work, it's not as simple as throwing a few logs on and instant heat. you also need to consider log storage, you'd be bankrupt in a week if you ran it from small bags from the garages etc. I run a 10kw stove most days through the winter from about 7am ~ 10pm and spend about £150 month on wood. That's about 4m3 of log storage, if that does not sound much, try moving it when it's dumped on the driveway

    If we had mains gas I would not be running it nearly as often
     
  12. Sean_ork

    Sean_ork Screwfix Select

    I'll bet you my house that there's been no cases of a correctly installed flueless heater being found to be the cause of a death - come on Tom back that comment up with some proof please.

    If these heaters are installed in accordance with the MI, specifically the room sizing and reference to BS 5440 they won't cause any issues what so ever - if they are installed in a room that is too small, with inadequate ventilation then you may well see some condensation build up

    as an aside they are one of the most efficient uses of gas to provide heat as there no loss through the flue, around 3x the heat is retained

    if there was even the slightest of concerns about their safety they would have been banned a while back - along with every other gas fired domestic appliance
     
  13. tom.plum

    tom.plum Screwfix Select

  14. Sean_ork

    Sean_ork Screwfix Select

    o_O
     
  15. tom.plum

    tom.plum Screwfix Select

    sean read my comment at 9.30 properly, then make comment, and please try to understand, why I've put you on ignore, whilst i'm logged in I cannot nor want to read your ever contradictory comments to my posts, you are a troll please go stalk somebody who reads you piffle, o_O
     
  16. Sean_ork

    Sean_ork Screwfix Select

    if you have me on your ignore list I wonder why you have opted to start reading and replying to my posts ?

    I've read it enough times to recognise you are simply scare mongering, you've posted an opinion that has no basis in fact - so either you, or the 20+ milion (yes 20 million) people, over numerous continents, who have had such fires installed are wrong

    if anyone is considering buying such a fire, please base your decision on facts rather than opinions and myths
     
  17. tom.plum

    tom.plum Screwfix Select

    I cannot read your piffle but the thread indicates an ignored member has posted, since you are the only person in the entire world that I've ever ignored on any forum I don't need to be too clever to know who has posted, I do not wish to read it, so i won't,
     
  18. Sean_ork

    Sean_ork Screwfix Select

    where's the selective deafness emote
     
  19. Glad its Friday

    Glad its Friday Active Member

    I've never been asked to fit a flueless, but service 2 for customers who already have them. I just go through the checklist confirming everything including that the air vent still lets air through. Gas pressures of course and I do a CO test on the FGA to confirm that the CO detector in the room actually works.

    I've not heard of any other fatalities or incidents with these fires since the one in 2006 and there are loads of these fires sold. So Sean asks a fair question Tom, where is the evidence that they are as unsafe as you say?

    Anyway, its Friday and the rugby is on, have a great weekend, I'll catch up on Monday :)
     
  20. tom.plum

    tom.plum Screwfix Select

    glad its friday, happy friday, my point is, any tom dick or harry can buy one of these death contraptions from B+Q etc and fit it themselves without the knowledge that you have, it has probably happened in many cases but gone un-noticed and not reported,
    call me old fashioned, but burning fuel with no flue,, wuld you fit one in your house ????:oops:

    p.s sean's a google miester he has no hands on experience of any kind, there's people that 'talk the talk, then there's the people that walk the walk'
     
    Last edited: Feb 21, 2014

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