Open fireplace in bedroom?

Open fireplace in bedroom?

13:25 PM, 28th February 2016, About 9 years ago 8

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I know that you cannot have an open vented gas appliance in a room used as a bedroom, but can you have an open fireplace? Fireplace

I have a three bedroom house with two reception rooms, and my tenant has asked if they can use the one reception room as a fourth bedroom, but as there is a fireplace in the room I am unsure.

Many thanks

Greg


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Neil Patterson

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13:35 PM, 28th February 2016, About 9 years ago

I am not sure on this one even after visiting the .Gov site. although my gut feeling says it is not a brilliant idea.

Health and Safety says:

Carbon monoxide is a colourless and odourless gas which is difficult to detect. It is formed when domestic fuels such as gas, coal or wood are burned and can cause serious brain injuries or even death.

To lessen the chances of CO poisoning, you should make sure that all fuel burning appliances are installed and regularly maintained by a suitably qualified engineer. You should also make sure that rooms are well ventilated when an appliance is used and fit a suitable CO alarm.

Martin

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16:26 PM, 28th February 2016, About 9 years ago

If you have an open fireplace with no appliance fitted, then of course there is no problem. Most houses built up to the fifties had open fireplaces to the bedrooms. You can of course block it up, but put in a vent to allow the chimney to breath and prevent damp.

Jon Pipllman

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18:12 PM, 28th February 2016, About 9 years ago

we have - and use - open fires in bedrooms in our house

we also have a bedroom with a multifuel stove, in which we burn coal

CO and smoke detectors in each room - never so much as a peep out of them

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18:41 PM, 28th February 2016, About 9 years ago

As a matter of course I always disable all fireplaces in rental property (carpet into the recess or blank off with a decorative mantelpiece and infill). I also specify in the tenancy agreement that fireplaces are not to be used. I'd be fine with using it as a bedroom.

Puzzler

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20:21 PM, 28th February 2016, About 9 years ago

I think you would need to do a fire risk assessment (i.e. by a qualified person), check you are not in a smokeless zone (council) and have the detectors now required by law for solid fuel.

Andrew Holmes

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11:32 AM, 29th February 2016, About 9 years ago

In bedrooms there has to be certain sized openings for double glazed units as a matter of fire regulations, i would make sure using a room for a different purpose was legal in a rented property and if so it met all fire regulations.

The fire will also have to meet certain specs regarding the hearth size and construction, materials used and spacing for those materials. The old fire places in some houses were built way before these regulations came in and do not meet new regulations.

I would defiantly liaise with the local housing officers to check regulations and where i stood regarding an open fire in a bedroom in a rented property you are responsible for.

Andrew

Joan

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15:09 PM, 10th July 2018, About 6 years ago

I wanted to put a closed appliance in a bedroom after a HETAS-qualified installer pleaded with me not to choose an open grate. A HETAS-qualified sweep later told me that coal fires are illegal in bedrooms as, unlike a gas fire, oxygen levels cannot be controlled. Some years ago, I checked about bedroom gas fires with what was then CORGI, and was told that it was a grey area, with some companies doing differently from others. (For example, some companies refuse even to take a gas pipe up to the bedroom.) To be legal, a bedroom gas fire has to have a flame-failure/oxygen-monitoring burner. The problem is that a coal fire can never have one. The sweep had done a lot of work for councils and I believe his advice was based on the fact that the Law is always a lot stricter for landlords and tenants than for homeowners.

Rob Crawford

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15:36 PM, 16th July 2018, About 6 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Martin at 28/02/2016 - 16:26
"If you have an open fireplace with no appliance fitted".... and the fireplace is not in use..."then of course there is no problem" .

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