fireplace question...

  • Hey Guest, Early bird pricing on the Summer Moot (29th July - 10th August) available until April 6th, we'd love you to come. PLEASE CLICK HERE to early bird price and get more information.

FerlasDave

Full Member
Jun 18, 2008
1,758
529
Off the beaten track
We have an old gas fireplace here at home and I was pondering on weather a small wood fire would be OK in the fireplace. It burns coal from the gas at the moment (I think its some sort of ornamental coal though as it doesnt actually burn) and the chimney is a masonry chimney so Im guessing there wouldnt be too much of a difference in heat and that the draw would have the same effect.

Any Ideas? or suggestions? :)
 

Aliwren

Nomad
Jan 2, 2006
429
2
46
Bedford
I would strongly advise against lighting a real fire where you have a gas connection - :eek:

If the fireplace was originally built for traditional coal/wood fires it may be ok to revert back to a wood/coal fire but only after all the gas fittings have been professionally removed and I would recommend getting the chimney swept/checked to ensure it is clear all the way up. If you house is newer and built with the gas fire fitted you may only have a narrower flue designed for gases which would probably not be suitable for a real fire.
 

mr dazzler

Native
Aug 28, 2004
1,722
83
uk
Have you considered installing a woodburning stove? They can be extremely fuel efficient if you get a good quality one and have it professionally fitted. You can heat hot water with them too.....Aliwrens advice would still apply (decomission and remove all gas installation, inspect flue etc) A house close to me burnt down because there were cracks in the (admittedly very old lime mortared brick) flue. Hot gases from a woodburner leaked and set the thatch alight.
 

Ogri the trog

Mod
Mod
Apr 29, 2005
7,182
71
60
Mid Wales UK
I believe that the difference lies in the quality of the flue/chimney - a gas flue cannot cope with a solid fuel fire, but a solid fuel flue can cope with the heat output of a gas fire.
A gas fire will have been designed and built with regulation (of heat output) and safety cut-offs in mind - which a solid fuel fire will not have and therefore not be able to withstand.

If you want to change the type of fire in your home, I strongly suggest employing a professional to assess the type of flue you have and the size and type of device that the building is permitted/capable of taking.

ATB

Ogri the trog
 

Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
38,937
4,570
S. Lanarkshire
We used to have a fitting along the skirting board a yard or so away from the hearth that connected directly to the gas. It was a bayonet like coupling that allowed us to plug in a gas fire for the occasional night in Summer when it was cold enough to want a fire but not to go to the bother of lighting the coal fire. It also allowed us to plug in the gas poker that lit the coal fire quickly.

I'm sure these things are considered totally dangerously obsolete now, but they worked fine. We just plugged things into the gas the way we plug into the electricity back then. Even the fridge was gas powered since the kitchen came with the same kind of couplings.

cheers,
Toddy
 

BCUK Shop

We have a a number of knives, T-Shirts and other items for sale.

SHOP HERE