Converting gas fire back to original coal

[bunnybunyip]

I have a victorian fireplace that has been altered to be a gas fire (with real flame effect). I would love a real fire. Does anyone know where to start or how much it might cost?
I'm not even sure who to call to ask about it.

Get a chimney sweep out to have a look at your chimney, they may be able to do the job or recommend someone who can. We replaced our gas fire with a coal one, best thing we ever did (as I sit in front of lovely coal fire!)

Hi...you will need a HETAS engineer to install anything to do with solid fuel. A lot of builders will take on the job, but if they can't commission it could cause problems with insurance, house sales etc etc and they can be fined. (one builder recently fined £15,000). Go online to the HETAS website (it is the governing body) and get a list for your area. Shop around for quotes though...depends on whether you need a gas liner removing, have a cowl on top of pot, need any building work doing and whether you want a stove or just a grate etc etc etc. That said..go for it..really lovely to have a real fire.

Brilliant, thanks. Biffandchip, do you mind me asking how much it cost? I know the situation might be different but am just trying to get a ball park figure.

watching with interest as we are thinking of doing the same

But don't forget that having a real fire means you have a hole in your nice centrally heated room that lets all the warmth out - and that fires themselves work at 5% efficiency.

Hmm..depends if you have an open fire or a multifuel stove. Multifuel stoves have in a recent government report been shown to be more efficient than many other forms of heating, and we are talking clean burn here. A lot of local authorities now fitting them as very viable alternative...effeciency very dependent on type, size, room etc etc..we have a woodburning stove which heats entire house and hot water, hell of a lot cheaper than gas. You can minimise heat loss with anti down draught cowl suitable for solid fuel, and by fitting a closure plate if a stove with a flue pipe (make sure it's made out of stainless steel..fibre board against the regs)...and if you ever have a blocked chimney and fumes seep out you can smell them unlike gas! Oh...millions more reasons but got to do the washing..

I have a multi fuel stove . In it's favour it heats the water as well as topping up the central heating. It's cosy and it looks good. It also still works in a power cut.
However the downside is that it's filthy, coal dust gets everywhere, you have to clean it out and relight it every day , no instant heat as it takes time to light and time to get going.
You also need coal or logs and sticks.
I don't think it can possibly be cheaper than gas unless you have your own supply of logs and a chainsaw . Otherwise you have to buy them. With the fashion for multi fuel/ woodburning stoves the price of logs has rocketed even in rural areas. Two bags of smokeless "coal" costs around £25 and logs are £80 a load.

I do love my stove, but, I don't have a choice and if I did I would choose gas any day.