Buying Guide
Whether you have bought a Fire before or are a first time Fire buyer, buying a Fire is a complex process and there is a lot to consider.
Our guide to the buying & Installation process has six sections that you can follow in order to get a comprehensive understanding of the entire process, from buying the “right sized fire“ for your room to “what happens next” in the rare but unfortunate situation you need to use Aftercare services.
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Room
Find your perfect Fire, right sized for your room to create a warm and inviting environment
Enter your room dimensions below to calculate your heat output
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Eco Rating
The Eco-design Regulations set new minimum seasonal efficiency and maximum emission requirements for solid fuel burning stoves, stoves with boilers and cooker appliances supporting the governments clean air strategy. Only those appliances that have been tested and verified as meeting these new limits will be able to be sold. The emission limits include those for Particulate Matter (PM), Organic Gaseous Compounds (OGC), Carbon Monoxide (CO) and Nitrogen Oxides (NOx).
After 1st January 2022, all solid fuel burning appliances were required to have been independently tested to show that they meet the seasonal efficiency and four emission limit provisions as laid down within the Eco-design regulations, this will include a dramatic reduction in the CO minimum emission limit stipulated. SIA Eco-design Ready stoves are designed to reduce PM emissions by burning wood more efficiently and completely.
The stoves have been independently tested by an approved test laboratory and met the emissions and minimum efficiency criteria for Eco-design. The test results have also been verified by HETAS and listed on the HETAS web site. Click on the Eco-design logo to see verified list of SIA Eco-design Ready stoves on the Hetas web site.
Eco-design is the European-wide programme to lower emissions. It is due to come into force for stoves in the UK in 2022. SIA Eco-design Ready stoves will meet the Eco-design requirements and are available now. The PM emissions limit for Eco-design is 55% lower than for DEFRA exempt stoves.
By purchasing an eco-design stove you are helping towards a greener planet! So, you can sit back and enjoy the fire, knowing that you are doing your bit for the environment.
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Installation
Your Fireplace Journey starts here………
When it comes to choosing a new fire for your home it may not be as straight forward as installing the one you like. Ahead of picking the style, it is important that you first determine the type of fireplace that will be suitable for your property. Essentially this comes down to the type of chimney and flue your home has as choosing a fireplace is not a one size fits all approach. The style and size of a chimney can really influence the type of fireplace you will end up with, so it is an important first step to know what you are dealing with before making any decisions
If a property does not have a chimney, it does not necessarily mean that having a fireplace is not an option. While an electric fire is always an option as they do not require a chimney there are other options such as a new external twin wall flue system or a Flueless Gas fire
The next steps………
Before we can book you in for a survey we require a few things from you first, and the more information you can provide will allow our team to make an accurate assessment & estimate Please can we ask you to email surveys@westcountryfires.co.uk with the following information and images;- Confirmation of your address, postcode and best contact details.
- A photo of your existing fireplace; chamber and chamber side or the area you would like your fire or stove to go.
- Photos of the room in which your fire place sits, giving us an idea of the room profile, the area you are looking to heat and the space available for the fire place perspective.
- If applicable, and accessible, a photo of the bottom of your chimney from inside the chamber facing upwards.
- Photos of your chimney from outside your home, helping us to gauge the access and the equipment that will be required. Please include a shot of the chimney pot and chimney stack where applicable.
- Dimensions of your chamber and approximate dimensions of your room.
- Location of gas meter or Gas point (where applicable)
- And Finally a brief outline of your desired end goal
Our Full Installation process and payment schedule is
- Request full location details including location address
- Qualification as to if you are out of our area
- Understand your Product fitting requirement
- What are you looking to achieve in terms of an end design achievement
- We email you our survey document
- We request you to send photos
- We send you an outline installation estimate
- We receive your £60 survey Fee and any out of area additional charges
- We arrange an onsite survey date and time
- We carry out your site survey
- We send you revised costings
- You review and accept our revised costings (if applicable)
- You sign our contract documentation which includes the written acceptance of our revised costings (where applicable)
- You pay a 50% deposit of the cost of Installation
- 7 days prior to your installation date we request the balance payment of your installation.
- We advise you of receipt of your final payment and confirm the installation date / time
- We attend and complete your Installation
- We photograph your completed installation and carry out customer handover
- We ask you to sign off your installation on our Installation closure documentation.
We really look forward to helping you achieve your dream fireplace, at a very competitive price!
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Delivery
At West Country Fires, wherever possible, we pride ourselves on delivering our fires and stoves nationwide, on our own transport. Deliveries are available Tuesday – Friday, and are free of charge to post codes in mainland England and Wales. In addition, we can offer Pallet deliveries on a Saturday to selected areas for an additional charge. More information can be given by calling our friendly sales team on 02380 333818 selecting option 1. For our customers based in Scotland there is a delivery charge and this is calculated by area, this will be added to your order at checkout. If your chosen fire or stove is in stock, we aim to deliver within 7-10 working days, and once a delivery has been scheduled in your area, a member of the operations team will call you to arrange this with you, we will never try and deliver your fire without speaking to you first. Please note that delivery runs need to be built and scheduled, these are dependent on the orders we receive in each area. Please let us know if you require your fire or stove by a specific date and we will endeavour to get this to you by this date where possible. In some instances, this may need to be pallet delivery which will incur additional charges depending on your area. If your chosen fire or stove is not a stock item, we will order it from the manufacturer and you will receive an email to inform you of the current lead time. If your stove or fire is on back order with the manufacturer, a member of the team will update you with any changes to lead times as we receive them. Please note lead times can change, and this is completely out of our control. We pass on the information that the manufacturer gives to us, and we advise our customers not to pre-book installations prior to taking delivery of your fire or stove as we will not accept responsibility for your Installers aborted costs. Although we do not offer delivery of our Fires and Stoves outside of the UK, we do sell fires and stoves to customers worldwide. In this instance your fire or stove will be delivered free of charge to your chosen courier for ongoing export, or alternatively you can arrange your own courier to collect from our Southampton showroom. Please note all orders placed outside of the UK will need to be paid by Bank BACs payment. We are only able to deliver your fire or stove to the address your chosen card is registered to, if you require an alternative delivery address then please make payment by BACs payment. All goods will need to be signed for otherwise the delivery will be aborted and a recharge fee of £100 will be incurred. All goods will need to be signed for otherwise the delivery will be aborted and a recharge fee of £100 will be incurred.
Delivery on our own transport
Delivery on our own transport is generally on a Luton van with a tail lift. It is your responsibility to make our operations team aware of any access issues when your delivery is booked in. Our driver will contact you when he is on his way but we are unable to give you an allocated delivery time due to changing delivery routes and unforeseen traffic events. We always try to advise if your delivery will be an AM or PM delivery. The driver will remove your fire or stove from the van using suitable lifting equipment, they will then use a sack truck to deliver it safely to your front door or into a garage or into your back garden, providing there is no gravel or unfinished driveway, narrow openings, or steps. If there are access issues, your delivery will be a kerbside delivery. Due to the weight of the fires and stoves we sell, the drivers are unable to assist you with carrying the fire or stove and they are not insured to enter your property. White glove deliveries can be arranged for fires and stoves under a certain weight, and these will incur an additional charge depending on the area and type of property you live in. Upon delivery, please check you have received the correct fire or stove, and that the outside packaging is undamaged (large holes, badly crumpled packaging etc). If there is substantial damage to the packaging, please refuse the delivery and call our operations team on 02380 333818, option 2. If there is substantial damage to the packaging, please refuse the delivery and call our operations team on 02380 333818, option 2.Pallet and Parcel Delivery
If your fire or stove is being delivered on a pallet or via APC, these are all day deliveries and we are unable to advise on a delivery time. The driver will remove the pallet from the truck and providing there are no access issues they will deliver this to your front door or garden. If there are access issues you will receive a kerbside delivery. If you are not at home when your delivery arrives, the driver will try to make contact with you, and will wait a maximum of 15 minutes before leaving. Failed deliveries will incur a redelivery fee of £100 and this will need to be arranged directly with the pallet company. Upon delivery, please check you have received the correct fire or stove and that the outside packaging is undamaged (large holes, badly crumpled packaging etc). If there is substantial damage to the packaging, please refuse the delivery and call our operations team on 02380 333818, option 2.Click and Collect/Collection
We offer collection from our Southampton showroom and warehouse Monday – Friday. 9am-3.45pm. We require 48 hours’ notice for a collection. Collections can be arranged for a Saturday with prior agreement but please note that our warehouse will not be open and our sales team are unable to assist with loading fires and stoves. When collecting please check the weight and size of the packaging of the fire you are collecting. Please ensure you have a suitably sized vehicle with adequate space to safely transport your purchase. Our warehouse team will help you load your purchase on a weekday but cannot be held responsible for any damage or breakages to your purchase or vehicle whilst assisting in this process. -
Find my Fire
The Benefits of an electric Fire:
Electric fires are ideal for people wanting their fire to be the focal point of their room, and to enjoy the cosy flames all year round. Electric fires and stoves are perfect for adding a little bit of warmth to a room without having to turn on the central heating for the whole home. Electric fires are a fantastic alternative to traditional wood burners and gas fires, they are easy to set up once purchased, cheap to run, and simple to operate, with many offering manual control, remote control and app control. They do not require maintenance, and come in many variations to suit all requirements. Electric fires utilise LED lighting onto a screen to create a realistic flame effect, and the majority include a fan heater, with a maximum heat output of 2kW, which will distribute hot air into the room. Several come with a thermostatic remote control as standard, allowing you to control the temperature of the room at the touch of a button. Many of the latest electric fires come with the option of real wood logs, which are resin coated, giving the fires the most realistic fuel bed possible. They come with a standard 13-amp plug, and for may it is as simple as plugging them in and they are ready to use. There are several variations of electric fires, ranging from linear media wall fires, electric stoves, wall hung and inset electric fires, and all these variations can be found on our website, but if you are still unsure of what will work best for your home, then do not hesitate to call our friendly sales team who will be happy to help. The most important factors to consider when choosing an electric fire are the size and shape of your room, if the fire needs to fit in an existing opening, the budget you have available, and the overall aesthetic you are trying to achieve. The benefits of choosing electric over solid fuel or gas are ease of use, lack of mess, cheap running costs, they are efficient, and they do not create any emissions. With an electric fire there is no expensive initial installation cost, they can be placed almost anywhere as there are no clearances, and they are no danger to children and animals, as the glass and body of the fire do not get hot.The Benefits of a Gas Fire:
Gas fires are a great way of adding an additional heating source to your home. To choose a gas fire you will need to identify the type of chimney you have, to establish the type of gas fire you are able to have (Please see our installation guide for full details). Gas fires are a very convenient and authentic option, producing a real flame that can be controlled manually, with slide control or remote control. We only supply gas fires and stoves from the most reputable manufacturers, designed using the latest technology, in a range of styles. You can choose from conventional flue or balanced flue fires, natural gas or LPG, inset gas fires, wall hung gas fires, gas stoves, open fronted or glass fronted, and even flueless options. To ensure you choose the right heat output for the room size you are installing your fire in, you can calculate your requirement using our heat checker. If you purchase a fire with a heat output that is too high for your room, you will need to run the fire on a low temperature which can be inefficient. When considering if you would like a glass fronted or open fronted gas fire, it is worth remembering that although open fronted fires are often cheaper, they are less efficient and a great deal of your heat is lost up the chimney. With glass fronted fires you have the increased efficiency along with radiation heat which comes through the glass front. When choosing a gas fire, it is worth thinking long-term, slide control and remote control are much easier for controlling your fire than having to bend down to manually control it, particularly for those with limited mobility. Several gas fires and stoves come with fuel bed options, allowing you to choose between coals or logs, and all gas fires should be marked as UKCA assessed. The main benefits of choosing a gas fire over an electric fire are the powerful heat output, the realistic flame effect, they are cheap to run, easy to control and once they have been installed, you can enjoy the heat without the mess of a traditional wood burner.The Benefits of a solid fuel stove:
With the increase in price of energy bills, many people are considering switching to solid fuel as a more cost-effective way of heating the home. All newly manufactured stoves must comply with Ecodesign efficiency and emissions regulations, ensuring they are designed with high thermal efficiency, minimising the loss of heat energy during combustion. All stoves will be given an energy rating between A++ - G. When considering solid fuel stoves, it is important to find out if you reside in a smoke-controlled area, as you will be required to choose a DEFRA exempt stove, which have been tested to demonstrate particularly clean burning combustion. Size really does matter when choosing your stove. Use our heat output calculator to find out what is required for your room to ensure you are making the right choice. To ensure your stove provides optimum heating performance, only dry seasoned wood, with a moisture content of 20% or lower, should be burned, and you should have your chimney swept, and your stove “serviced” once to twice a year by a qualified chimney sweep. New installations must comply with either the manufacturer guidelines or building regulations, regarding the flue run, hearth, and distance to combustibles and non-combustible materials, and you need to bear in mind that the stove itself will get incredibly hot, making them hazardous for children and some pets. If you love the smell of a real fire, along with the cosy feel on those cold winter nights, there is no comparison to a solid fuel stove.Our guide to finding your next fire starts here. Is it Electric, Gas or Solid fuel? Use our handy tool...
Fuel Type
Flue Type
Style
Fitting
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Aftercare
At West Country Fires we pride ourselves on the Aftercare service we provide to our customers. Our Manufacturer partners offer their own individual warranty which varies in length and conditions. In all cases they ask you to register your purchased product with them and typically this will need to be done within four weeks of your purchase. Please refer to the warranty information included with your purchased product for specific instruction.
We supply quality fires and stoves from most leading manufacturers and under normal operating circumstances their products provide many years of service if cared for and maintained in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. If in doubt of how to care for your product please refer to the manufacturers care line or website for further guidance.
Inappropriate use of cleaning materials, or accidental damage will not be covered by the manufacturer’s warranty.
Warranties offered by manufacturers will vary so we advise you to refer to your operating manual for further details.
If you experience an issue with your purchased product, we will require you to fill in the aftercare form at the bottom of the home page on our website We are only able to raise a warranty claim on your behalf when this form is completed in full.
If you are raising a warranty on a solid fuel stove you will be required to send your appliance commissioning checklist or HETAS certificate of compliance to operations@westcountryfires.co.uk along with your name. The manufacturer is unable to carry out any warranty work for you without either of these documents.
If you are raising a warranty on a gas stove or fire, you will be required to send your appliance commissioning checklist or Gas Safe certificate of compliance to operations@westcountryfires.co.uk along with your name. The manufacturer is unable to carry out any warranty work for you without either of these documents.
Once you have completed all the information on the aftercare form you will receive an automated response that your form has been sent successfully.
This denotes that our Operations team has received your form who will then proceed to raise a warranty claim with the relevant manufacturer on your behalf.
Once this has been carried out you will be emailed with a date in which we would expect the manufacturer to have made contact with you directly.
If you have not heard by this date, please email our operations team directly operations@westcountryfires.co.uk and a member of the team will chase this up for you.
Please note, your warranty is supplied by the manufacturer and is dependent on your purchased product having been fitted by either a Hetas or Gas safe registered engineer.
Once a claim is reviewed and then accepted by a Manufacturer, they will arrange to carry out any repairs or supply replacement parts where necessary.
West Country Fires do not carry out any form of warranty work or issue spare parts on behalf of its Manufacturer partners.