FAQ
This page has a list of frequently asked questions and our answers to them. If there is something that you'd like to see answered on here, please Contact us.
- What are 'outset' and 'inset' fires?
- Who should I get to install my fire?
- Why would a liner needed to be fitted into my chimney?
- Can I install a gas fire if I do not have a chimney or a flue?
- I would like to install a real flame fire but do not have a mains gas supply to my house, what are my options?
- Will my gas fire require an air vent installing?
- Are gas fires safe?
- What if my new gas fire develops a fault?
- Why are you cheaper than my local showrooms?
- Are your products new?
- I have seen a fire/fireplace that I like that doesn't appear on your website. Can you obtain it for me?
- Will the pebble or driftwood fuel bed on a gas fire discolour?
- Will my chosen fire be able to heat my house?
- I cannot find the fire that I am looking for.
- Some fires on your website do not display prices, why is this?
- I have seen a cheap gas fire for under £100; can you supply me with one of these?
- How quickly would I receive my purchase?
- How much do you charge for delivery?
- I am nervous about giving my credit card details over the internet.
- Do you accept alternative methods of payment?
Q1. What are 'outset' and 'inset' fires?
Inset fires sit within the fireplace itself and open behind the hearth, Outset fires are either wall mounted or are placed on the hearth in the fireplace opening.
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Q2. Who should I get to install my fire?
Consult the fitting information guide which comes with the fire.
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Q3. Why would a liner needed to be fitted into my chimney?
This depends on the age of your house and the condition of your chimney.
Houses built pre 1966 with wood or coal chimneys were usually built with a 9" by 9" square flues, which enabled good evacuation of smoke and gases. These chimneys are normally suitable for installing Class 1 or Class 2 Gas Fires without having to install a flue lining.
If you believe that your chimney may have deteriorated and needs attention we would recommend installing a flue line. The condition of your flue will in most cases be determined by the CORGI engineer when they perform a smoke test.
Never take for granted that your flue / chimney is in working order simply because it is there, due to the nature of a chimney most problems and blockages are hidden from view.
Having a flue liner installed can have an effect of the type of fire you are able to install, if you are unsure please contact us.
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Q4. Can I install a gas fire if I do not have a chimney or a flue?
You can still install a gas fire, there is a wide range to choose from.
A Balanced Flue Fire can be fitter to an outside wall and can either sit inside a fireplace or be mounted on a wall. The flue is run up the outside wall and the fire is sealed from the room in its own casing with a window to display the flame effect. The fires are also known as “room sealed fires”.
Power Flue / Fan Flue fires are open fronted with a fire effect but do not require a flue or chimney. These fires have a power supply to the horizontal flue through to the outside wall.
Flueless Fires do not have any type of flue installed, instead they have a built in catalytic converter which removes any toxic gasses and only produces water vapour and carbon dioxide instead of the harmful carbon monoxide.
Each fire has a minimum ventilation requirement determined by the size of the room where it will be fitted; these sizes are between 23 and 40 cubic metres.
Modern electric fires are become increasingly popular as they tend to have very convincing flame effects and are very easy to install, as easy as just plugging it in.
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Q5. I would like to install a real flame fire but do not have a mains gas supply to my house, what are my options?
Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) is a natural hydrocarbon fuel made up of propane and butane which becomes liquid when under pressure. This means it can be easily and conveniently stored as a liquid and is usually supplied to homes in gas bottles or fed into a storage tank.
The majority of gas fires will need to be converted to enable them to work on LPG fuel, some fires have a converter kit but with still require the injector changing and the pilot assembly to be changed. The manual which comes with the fire must also be updated to incorporate the new fuel type. These changes and updates must only be undertaken by a qualified Gas Sarfe Register gas fitter who will test the product to ensure it is safe to operate. Your LPG fire maybe made to order as they are not off the shelf products.
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Q6. Will my gas fire require an air vent installing?
This will depend on the input of the gas fire.
All open fires apart from electric fires must have adequate air supplied to it so the fuel is burnt properly. If the fire does not have a sufficient supply of air supply the fire will produce combustable toxic gasses and also reduce the efficiency of the fire and make the flue ineffective.
If the room is of adequate size then you may not need to have an air vent installed into the outside wall. This will depend on the type of fire and how much fuel it uses. If a fire uses only a small amout of fuel then it may be able to draw enough air from the surrounding room to be able to work efficiently, this is due to the room itself being ventilated by the small gaps around doors and windows which can be sufficient for some fires.
EU regulations state that gas fires with less than 7Kw of input do not require extra ventilation or air bricks. As most modern houses are highly efficient and insulated and are sealed to prevent drafts, expert advice should always be taken and the installation of an air brick should be considered.
Air bricks or other ventilation must be installed for gas fires which are over 7Kw of input, this extra ventilation can be calculated at 5cm squared per kilowatt over 7Kw of input. A fire with an input rating of 18Kw would require just one standard air brick.
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Q7. Are gas fires safe?
Gas fires are tested and approved by government bodies and will have the CE mark displayed on them to show they have been authorised and is safe. The fire must be installed in accordance with the manufactures instructions by a qualified engineer.
All modern gas fires are fitted with a safety device called an Oxygen Depletion Sensor (ODS), this detects when the oxygen level in the room drops below a safe level which makes the pilot flame move away from the probe. This initialises the Flame Supervision Device (FSD) which turns off the gas supply making the fire safe.
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Q8. What if my new gas fire develops a fault?
All manufacturers of gas fires supply a 12 month warranty or longer, so in the unfortunate circumstance where you may have a fault within the first year, an engineer will replace or fix your fire without charge. This will only apply if your fires was installed by a Gas Safe Register registered fitter according to the manufactures guides and instructions.
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Q9. Why are you cheaper than my local showrooms?
Our fires are bought in bulk direct from the manufactures and stored in our large warehouse. We also ensure the discounts are passed onto our customers rather than enjoying a huge mark up.
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Q10. Are your products new?
Our fireplaces and stoves are all new and provided to our customers as they were supplied to directfiresonline.co.uk from the manufactuers. None of our products are used or seconds.
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Q11. I have seen a fire / fireplace that I like that doesn't appear on your website. Can you obtain it for me?
Yes, of course.
Quite simply, there are very few products that we are unable to obtain and all at competitive prices too!
Why not give us a call now and speak to one of our experienced advisors?
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Q12. Will the pebble or driftwood fuel bed on a gas fire discolour?
Yes, but this can happen over a long period of time.
This is produced when the flame impinges on the pebbles or driftwood but correctly maintaining your fire will keep the soot to a minimum. Removing the fuel bed and gently brushing will remove the soot build up and help maintain the appearance of your fire. Another method is to maintain a high heat on the fire for up to twenty minutes which should help to burn off any excess carbon. The manufactures instructions will advise on how to best care for your fire.
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Q13. Will my chosen fire be able to heat my house?
Modern gas fires are made to act as secondary heating to back up your homes central heating system, should you wish to have a fire as your homes primary heat source then please ontact us so we can advise you on a solution which suits your needs.
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Q14 I cannot find the fire that I am looking for.
We have a fabulous range of traditional and contemporary fires and stoves from some of the worlds leading manufacturers but if you cannot find a fire that you have seen somewhere else, give us a call and we should be able to locate the product and even beat the price.
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Q15 Some fires on your website do not display prices, why is this?
This is a manufacturers' decision.
Unfortunately, there are certain manufacturers who will not allow us to display prices online for their products.
For unbeatable prices on any of these products please call us on 0845 833 4335.
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Q16. I have seen a cheap gas fire for under £100; can you supply me with one of these?
We could, but...
Directfiresonline.co.uk has been selling fires and fireplaces for years and we are often contacted by companies offering ´bargain budget´ gas fires. These fires are generally made in China using cheap materials. Whilst we do our best to offer you the lowest possible prices, we will not compromise on quality and safety by selling products we feel are inferior.
The purchase of a fire or fireplace is an extremely important decision and not one to be taken lightly. We want you to enjoy yours for years to come.
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Q17 How quickly would I receive my purchase?
Very quickly.
We hold a massive amount of stock for our popular lines and these usually get dispatched within 3-5 working days of placing your order.*
Temporarily out of stock items usually get delivered within 10-14 working days, but you would be notified of this.
Delivery times can vary if items are out of stock from both our warehouse and the supplier. In this unlikely event we will contact you and advise you of the delay.
For certain special order items, then please allow up to 28 days.
* Please note we recommend you not to organize any installation of your goods based on any provisional delivery dates given to you, as goods can, on very rare occasions, be short delivered, arrive damaged or get lost in transit by the couriers. We advise you to wait until the correct goods have been delivered to you and checked.
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Q18. How much do you charge for delivery?
Delivery is free to most Mainland UK addresses.
The cost of delivery to mainland UK is already incorporated within the price, so there are no additional costs. We deliver to mainland UK excluding the Scottish Highlands, Offshore Islands Isle of Wight, Northern Ireland and Eire.
For the cost of delivering to these other areas, please call or e-mail for costs.
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Q19. I am nervous about giving my credit card details over the internet.
There is no need to worry.
Security is probably the most significant concern for shoppers during an online transaction. In reality, an online transaction is probably more secure than a card transaction in a shop, conducted over the telephone or by fax, as the information transmitted online is strongly encrypted using complicated logarithm combinations. This ensures that the credit card information cannot be read by any unauthorised people once it is sent by your computer.
Our web site uses protx as its e-commerce partner, which is the largest online independent Payment Service Provider in the UK.
Protx provides secure online credit card and debit card payment solutions for thousands of online and mail order businesses throughout the UK.
Protx have achieved the highest level of compliance under the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI).
Protx adhere to the most stringent levels of fraud screening, ensuring that your details remain secure throughout the transaction process.
However, if you would prefer to carry out your purchase over the phone, please call 0845 833 4335 during office hours and any one of our advisers will be more than happy to assist you with both your payment transaction and product advice.
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Q20. Do you accept alternative methods of payment?
Yes
If you prefer you can pay for your purchase over the phone by calling our sales team on 0845 833 4335. We also accept payments by either cheque or postal order; but please note that these can take up to 10 working days to clear before the order can be processed.
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