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Fireplace warranty Advice With Gas Fire Surrounds & Stoves

July 17, 2012

With so much fireplace choice available online, it is not surprising why most people leave installation planning to the very end as it is one of those processes that is often forgotten or unplanned till the very end.

1. The Rules governing installation

(a) By law all gas fireplaces must be installed by a Gas Safe Registered installer. It is illegal and very unsafe to ever attempt to fit a gas fire yourself. If you attempt to fit a gas fire yourself then you risk breaking the law & carbon monoxide leaks which is extremely poisonous, as well as odorless.

(b) Solid fuel appliances must be installed by a HETAS engineer by law. If you do not have your wood burning stove or appliance installed by a qualified engineer then you must have the installation approved by the local buildings authority (often a much lengthier and difficult process). Several stove manufacturers often insist on installation by a registered HETAS engineer to validate the defined warranty criteria.

(c) There is no legal restrictions on the installation of electric fireplaces currently. All CE approved electric fires simply plug into a standard 13amp socket to work. Many homeowners install electric fires and surrounds as a DIY process as it is a very simple fit if you have a working electric plug socket nearby. Electric fires can hence be installed in virtually any room in your home as a result.

2. Typical installation costs

The cost of fitting a fireplace will depend on what is involved. Standard costs range from as little as £150 to several hundred pounds for stoves and complex solid fuel installations. If you are looking for value for money, then it is often best to consider the cost of the fireplace & fire independently to the installation cost. Showrooms often try to mislead customers by combining prices and hence make it much more difficult to compare.