Open Fire - fire bricks problem

skywalker_208

Just noticed the other evening that there is a big enough crack in the fire bricks at the back of the fireplace.. when you push the whole lot moves a little..

is it a big job to get this sorted? does the whole lot have to be replaced? how safe is it to light a fire?

thanx

yop

I presume it is just a case of taking them out and replacing them, I think my da replaced ours at some stage.
You get the fire brick and fire cement and off you go??

skywalker_208

thats not so bad then.. hope the fireplace doesnt have to come out or anything! or the chimney doesnt go on fire in the mean time!

yop

That I couldn't tell you tbh, I would ask a builder just in case lad

LegacyUser

Well, you could always have a fire in your wheelie bin instead! Like my neighbour did yesterday morning. All you have to do is put hot ash :rolleyes: in your wheelie bin and your sorted!! Better than having a chimney fire!

rooferPete

Hi Skywalker,

The fire back is usually a dirty job even when the unit is a standard one.

At worst you may have to buy a fire back and cut it into sections if your fireplace is a very old cast iron one.

You have two options, one is measure the front of your fire ope, they are usually 16" or 18" wide, buy a replacement unit from your local builders provider, then cover everything in the room and start to gentlyl dismantle the old unit.

All the back filling may have to be taken out to allow the replacement go in, then replace the back filling as it helps with the life of the fireback and throws the heat into the room..

Or get someone who has done one before, they can be messy even with standard replacements.

The last one I bought cost about €80.00 plus fire cement, and took about four hours from start to finish.

antoinolachtnai

I have heard that the smokeless fuels burn hotter than the old coal products, and that this is what leads to the fire bricks breaking (not that that's much help to you in your present circumstance).