Gas Fire fault.

[Popoff]

I have had installed a few months ago a focalpoint multiflue inset real flame gas fire from B&Q . It worked fine for a while but has recently started to soot up. I am aware that this can be down to the way the coals are placed and so we cleaned it etc. Recently it has started to develop another fault.

Where the gas enters the chamber below the jets from the main gas inlet jet it seems to flashback a little. This results in a flame occurring below the fire. It's hard to explain really. Can anyone offer any ideas as to why this is happening and possible cures. I don't want to get a gas man in that will charge me a fortune until I get a rough idea what it is.

[buildersmate]

There are others better-qualified to comment on some of your issues than me. However sooting up is a real problem because it indicates that complete burning of the gas is not occurring, because of oxygen starvation. This means that far more carbon monoxide will be being produced than should be.
If it runs off a balanced flue then these gases are finding their way outside, not inside - however it is still possible for carbon monoxide to come back inside through window ventilators.

[Popoff]

I have tested the flow in the chimney with those smoke bomb things and it seems to be drawing the fumes up ok. The main issue is that although the fire is working fine there is also burning beneath the main fire bed. It appears that the gas in the chamber beneath the gas holes ( the parts that ignite below the coals) is backing out and also burning. The flame in question is burning by the gas inlet jet.

[gucciman]

these type of fires are prone to sooting up because the manufacturers deiberately restrict the supply of air to the burner to give the realistic coal effect flame, this means that even a small amount of further restriction to the air supply can lead to sooting. it is for this reason that this type of fire should be serviced at least once a year.

it is very important that if you ever take the coals off to clean them that they are put back in the correct positions as shown in the fires instruction book. you must never add extra coals, never swop them for pebbles, and if you replace them you must buy the coals for that particular fire.

as for the burning around what is the primary air port, its difficult to say without examining the fire but the burner could be blocked, it could be cracked or it could be suffering from flame reversal, of there could be small gs leak on the fire.

you really need to call out a gas engineer as soon as possible. to give you an idea we charge �40 for a basic service on an inset fire but the going price seems to be around �50 to �70, i believe british gas charge around �79.

if your in the birmingham area then give me a shout.

[TWR]

Hi, get the people who installed it to put it right ASAP. I would explain to them what you have said & if they ignore you tell them you will get someone in to do the job & bill them.

[Popoff]

Gucciman I'm in B62. do you have contact details?

[gucciman]

b62, thats somewhere around halesowen?

i wont put my phone number on here but you can find us in the yellow pages under "west heath gas" (birmingham south west edition) were also in the birmingham phone book, and if you go to the corgi website and look under the find a local engineer section were in the b31 area, you'll also find our business card in gas-on-spares on the shenstone trading estate, bromsgrove rd in halesowen (0121 585 7799)

as already said if the fires still in guarantee you should try and get the original installer back to check the fire or call out the manufacturers, if we come out we will have to charge you for our time even if we decide its a manufacturing fault and you have to get the makers in.

[gucciman]

forgot to say if you ring my dad is the boss (phil armstrong) don't bother mentioning this website cos he wont have a clue what your talking about !