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Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Who
are J.B.Fires Ltd?
We are a family run business established
in 1978. Our professional, yet personal, approach has meant
that our satisfied customers come back to us time and again.
We have seen
our business and reputation grow steadily. Over the years
we have supplied thousands of fires and fireplaces to individual
home-owners as well as to some of the most respected local
builders and property developers such as Bovis Homes, Charles
Church, George Foster, JP Construction, Manor Construction,
Robert Hitchins and Westbury Homes.
Our showroom
offers the best range of quality fire and fireplace products
in Gloucestershire, and we are also confident that our staff
are the best in the business.
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Q. I would
like to change my old fire and fireplace. Where do I start?
The best place to start is our
showroom at 141-143
Prestbury Road in Cheltenham. We have over 70 different
fires and fireplaces on display, many of them working models.
We believe
this will give you a good idea of the choices that are available.
Our sales consultants will be on hand to give you any help
and advice you need, and can supply you with brochures and
pricelists.
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Q. I think
I have a normal chimney. Which kind of fire can I have?
A normal chimney, also known as
a class 1 flue, is at least 7" in diameter and is suitable
for a real solid fuel fire or any type of gas fire.
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Q. I have
been told I have a class 2 type of flue. Which kind of fire
can I have?
A class 2 flue is smaller, with
a diameter of 5", and only suitable for certain types
of small gas fire or gas stove. Fortunately, these days there
are several types of gas fire on the market specifically designed
for class 2 flues.
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Q. I do
not have a chimney at all. Can I still have a fire?
Yes. If your new fire and fireplace
can be situated on an outside wall, you can have either a
balanced flue or power flue gas fire.
If you do not
have a suitable outside wall, then either a special vented
power flue, or an electric fire, or these days, a flueless
gas fire, can be installed.
It may also be possible to install a prefabricated flue system
through the roof of your house, to serve either a solid fuel
or gas fire.
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Q. Some types of fire are
more efficient than others. What does this mean?
With any type of flued heating
appliance, some heat will be lost up the flue or chimney.
A fully open
fire, whether solid fuel or gas is only about 25-30% efficient.
This means that about 75% of the heat is lost up the chimney.
When either a solid fuel or gas fire is partially enclosed
as either a hot box or a convector fire, the efficiency is
doubled, i.e. to 50-60% efficient.
When either
fire is enclosed as a stove, then the efficiency is even greater,
i.e. 70-80%. Hence, for the same amount of fuel or gas, more
heat is produced into the room.
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Q. Do I
need an air vent in the room where the fire is being installed?
For any solid fuel fire, or gas
fire with a heat input of more than 7kW, purpose ventilation
(an air brick or wall vent through an exterior wall, or a
floor vent in a suspended floor or a door vent connected indirectly
to an exterior vent) is required by law.
Although you
may live in a draughty old house and have plenty of ventilation,
this is a Gas Regulation and as such it is mandatory. Fortunately
many gas fires are now available with an input of 6.9kW or
less, and hence do not require an air vent.
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Q. I wish
to have a minimalistic 'Hole-in-the-Wall' fire. Do I still
have to have a front hearth with my fire?
We recommend that every open solid
fuel or gas fire be fitted with a hearth in front of the fire,
projecting at least 12" in front of the fire, and at
least 2" thick.
Document 'J'
of the current Building Regulations does however state that
if the fire is raised 6" above the level of the floor
then a hearth is not mandatory. Most manufacturers of open
gas fires though recommend that a hearth still be installed
for safety reasons. Any other type installation would be at
the customer's risk, and not recommended by us.
Q. I have
seen a fire and fireplace that I like. How do I know if it
is suitable for my home and situation, and how much will it
all cost?
The next step is to arrange for
a survey. One of our surveyors will phone you and arrange
for a convenient date and time to visit you at home and survey
your fire and fireplace situation. He will examine your existing
fire, fireplace and chimney, take measurements and advise
you on choosing your new one.
He will also
advise you on what will be involved in installing the new
fire and fireplace. This will include removing the old one,
and possibly some rebuilding work and some re-plastering.
He will advise you on the amount of any mess and dust produced,
and how long the whole job is likely to take.
The survey will cost £20.00, though this will be refunded
against your new order.
The surveyor will then send you a fully itemised estimate
in the post within the next few days, detailing exactly how
much the removal of your old fire and fireplace and the installation
of the new one will cost.
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Q. Once
I have received my estimate and have decided that I wish to
proceed with my new fire and fireplace, what should I do next?
The next thing is for us to order
your new fire and fireplace. We ask for a 25% deposit (cash,
cheque or credit card) to confirm your order, and an invoice
for the balance will be sent to you in the post.
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Q. How
long will it take for my new fire and fireplace to be ordered
and installed?
This will often depend on the
type of fire and fireplace, whether it is of a standard or
bespoke size, and which supplier is involved. However, generally
it takes about 2-3 weeks to order a new fire and fireplace,
and we can usually fit it the following week - so about 4
weeks in all.
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Q. I have
paid my deposit in order to confirm my order, when do I pay
the balance?
We normally ask that you pay the
balance on completion of all the work.
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Q. Does
my new fire and fireplace come with a guarantee, and what
should I do if something does not work properly?
Every fire comes with a manufacturer's
guarantee of at least one year. In the unlikely event of something
not working properly, please contact us as soon as possible.
We will arrange for either one of our own engineers, or if
necessary one of the manufacturer's engineers to give you
a call and arrange to visit you and sort the problem out.
There will be no charge for this during the guarantee period.
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Q. Is there
anything else to consider with the installation of my new
fire and fireplace?
If a lot of dust is likely to
be produced during the installation of the new fire and fireplace,
we recommend that you cover carpets and furniture in the room
with dust sheets (though we always bring a few of our own
in case).
If a lot of rubble is produced from your old fire and fireplace,
since we do not have the facilities to dispose of this, we
recommend that a small skip be hired (we can organise this
for you if necessary).
If your existing carpet is to be refitted up to the hearth
of your new fire and fireplace, we recommend that you arrange
for a professional carpet fitter to do this after we have
installed your new fire and fireplace.
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