Over-The-Top Gas Fire Installation

11
Jul

Posted by admin

DANGER OF THE WEEK AWARD

Bad DIY Gas Fitter…

When called to a home last week we viewed a fire which was to be swapped with a new unit of the same type. Everything looked alright on first glance. The gas fire was old and the surround was worn. The flue terminal and chimney brickwork looked good too. So we showed up yesterday to remove the old fire and re-fit the new one but had to stop when we realised that we couldn’t gain access to the catchment space behind the fire.

[Show as slideshow]

The closure plate situated behind the fire could not be removed as it was sandwiched between the brickwork and the dry lining which had since been tiled. The closure plate is where the flue of the gas fire pokes through into the catchment space of the chimney and must be matched to the flue and be well sealed so that carbon monoxide does not escape into the room. As we couldn’t remove the plate to inspect the flue or the space behind we had to stop. It is very important to gain access so that items such as loose brickwork, broken off bits of mortar and building debris, bird nests or as was the case here, several sweetie packets, can be removed and if required maintenance carried out.

We capped the gas and did not mount the new fire until we could speak with the home owner who as told us that we can continue the job by removing the surround to gain access. At the same time we’ll be removing the ‘wooden’ trim seen near the bottom of the fire and if everything checks out we will reinstall the new closure plate and then the fire will be fit correctly and safely.

Category : Awards

Have you experienced problems having a kitchen appliance installed?(polls)