Switch Switchover Wiring Advice for Gas Fire Replaced With Electric Ask questions and find answers to many subjects relating to electrics and electrical work

[diy_tony]

Hi I've just had a gas fire replaced with an electric fire. The old gas fire had a brass double switch at the side of the fireplace which controlled the fan for the powered flue 1=low 2=high (I forgot it was a double switch its been so long since we used the gas fire). Anyhow I've just bought a chrome fused spur switch thinking this is what I was replacing. I'm now at a loss to know what old wires go where and whether using the fused spur switch is a good idea. Surely it can't harm given its controlling an electric fire which will draw more load than it did in the past. Old in situ wiring and new socket connections shown. Any advice welcome https://share.icloud.com/photos/01jTZPAN-pb9MUjnqQ6l_jiyQ#Houghton-le-Spring,_England

[Mr White]

It depends on how the other end (Your new electric fire) is connected. When that is known then further help can be given.

Your old switch was connected with a live going to either one wire or both wires. Depending on which switch combination was selected.

[ericmark]

A gas fire flue likely needs around 3A and an electric fire 10 to 13A so there is no automatic it worked with gas so it will work with electric.

So the fuse box/consumer unit will have a 6A, 16A, or 32A fuses/MCB/RCBO which will supply the home with 1mm, 1.5mm, 2.5mm, 4mm, or 6mm cable with a length of 1 to 106 meters and what can be powered depend on which is used and what route is taken.

The original idea of the 13A socket on a ring final was to power fires, however things have changed over the years, but in the main you can use a 1000 watt fire any where you want, but as to move up to 3000 watt then one has to be a lot more careful.

But in the house the central heating boiler is 8 to 28 kW output for the whole house and the 28 kW is only really needed to work the shower, most the time you hear the heating cycling as it takes less than 8 kW to heat whole house. So in real terms 1 kW should be enough for any normal room. Even if the heater is 3 kW if thermostat controlled it likely works for less than 1/3 rd of the time.

However just because my house does not use silly amounts of power it does not mean you house is the same, and simply one can't answer a forum question like yours direct all I can do is try to make you think about it a bit.