Gas fire servicing and removal in north and east London

Thousands of Victorian and Edwardian terraces in Stoke Newington, Walthamstow, Tottenham and Ilford still have gas fires in their original fireplaces. Many are conventional flue fires, which rely on the old brick chimney to take the fumes away. If the chimney is blocked by a bird's nest, debris or a cap fitted during roof work, fumes can come back into the room. That is why a service includes a check that the flue draws properly. Gas Safe Register lists types of gas fire, including conventional flue, balanced flue and flueless, and each has its own checks.

In a converted house or HMO, rooms change use. HSE guidance says that since 31 October 1998, a room converted for sleeping should not contain a gas fire unless it is room sealed, or for fires of 14 kW or less, has an atmosphere sensing device. If the room was a bedroom before 1998 with such a fire, the landlord needs a risk assessment. Landlords must also fit a carbon monoxide alarm in any room used as living accommodation with a gas fire.

If you never use the fire, removing it can make sense, especially before you open up a fireplace or sell. The engineer disconnects the fire, caps the gas pipe at a safe point, and tests that the capped pipework is gas tight. If there is a back boiler behind the fire, removal is a bigger job, because the back boiler also heats your water and radiators, so a new boiler is needed. See back boiler removal.

Book a check straight away if you notice any of these: flames that burn yellow or orange rather than blue, soot or dark staining on the fire, the surround or the wall above, a fire that is hard to light or keeps going out, or more condensation than usual in the room. Headaches, tiredness or feeling sick that ease when you leave the room can be a sign of carbon monoxide, and the NHS lists headache, dizziness and feeling sick among its symptoms. Turn the fire off, open a window, get fresh air, and call 0800 111 999 if you suspect carbon monoxide. If the engineer finds the chimney flow is poor, have it swept by a sweep and the fire retested before you use it again.

If you let a property with a gas fire, it must be on the yearly landlord gas safety record, and a carbon monoxide alarm must be fitted in the room. Many landlords in north and east London choose to remove fires they do not want to maintain, especially in flats where the chimney is shared with other flats above or below. Removing and capping a fire you no longer need takes one appliance off the yearly check.