Chimney & Fireplace

Old fireplace with leaking water tap on back wall

Anonymous user 09/03/2024 - 3.31 PM

Hello there, we have just bought an old house with a fireplace. It has a large sheet of metal on the back wall with a faucet to the upper right. There are pipes that are embedded in that wall above the sheet and are semi-exposed. We were told that the fireplace heats the water, which to our joy, does just that for the kitchen sink and shower. However, the faucet leaks when opened. I'm not sure to what extent we'll need to repair/replace (there is damaged brickwork too). What is the best course of action to take to get the fireplace back to its former glory? We'd like to keep the water heating feature as we're in the mountains and utility supply can be erratic, and there's a regular chance of being snowed in.

AI Plumbing & Gas

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Bromley By Bow, London

The chimney for fireplace will need to tested with a smoke pellet to inspect if there’s any leakage through the chimney inside property. Also the room with the fireplace must have sufficient fresh air ventilation, this needs to be calculated according to the size of the room. you should also get a co alarm in the room where there’s a fire place on. The leaking tap, not too sure, best to get a local engineer out to have a look. If it is a solid fuel fire place, i would check the integrity of the chimney prior to setting it alight.

Answered3 November 2022

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Anonymous user

as per the advice of the other sweep, get the flue checked for integrity, by means of a smoke test, get flue swept to be sure no obstruction. Get stove serviced to confirm glass and door rope seals are all ok, check fire bricks also for any damage, with regards to the leaking tap, best stop is an approved plumber.

Answered30 November 2022

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