where to get fireplace-mounting radiant electric fires?

[John Stumbles]

I'm looking for an electric fire to mount in the fireplace instead of a gas fire for an elderly neighbour who occasionally turns on the gas but doesn't get it lit :-|

(All the electric fires in DIY stores these days seem to be elaborate fake coal/log/stone effect things with fan heaters built in - nothing radiant.)

Alternatively, anyone know of a gas fire with auto ignition? Not just a flame supervision device: I'm afraid that having to twist & hold down a control for 30s or so is going to be beyond her.

Or if anyone has an electric fire of this sort they're getting rid of that'd be welcome (I could make sure it's electrically and mechanically sanitary to fit).

[BigWallop]

Would this type of fire be any use?

version:

[BigWallop]

Bugger!!! Sent the last reply before I could add, have a look on the

website. :-)) LOL

[John Stumbles]

Blimey: they even have electric fires made to look like gas fires ("equals its gas equivalent for aesthetics" i.e. presumably looks just as crap :-)) with glowing radiants (shown in the picture) but is actually a convector!

[BigWallop]

>> I'd seen that but it says it has an "Atmospheric Sensing Device

I think I saw one somewhere that has a gas valve which doesn't open until the ignite button is actually pressed. So you have to turn the control knob, but nothing comes out of the valve until you actually press the ignition button. I'll keep looking and get back to you when, and if, I find it again. Keep fingers crossed.

[BigWallop]

I've just been told that the "Robinson Willey" fires have a flame management system fitted to them as standard, not just an atmospheric or oxygen depletion system. Maybe a web search will give more info' on these for you to browse through.

[Ed Sirett]

AFAIK Oxy-pilots/ aka ASDs aka Vitiation Detection Devices are all implemented as a thermocouple + pilot-light + MF gas valve combi.

Once lit they can stay on pilot for the whole winter. It only then requires a turn of the knob to turn the fire on and off. But the knob is in an awkward place.

[Ed Sirett]

It might not give a great deal of radiant warmth but there are a range of gas convector heaters which have full sequence controls (and can be operated any way you like by an electric switch) see.

You would need the fire place to be on an external wall though.

[John]

There are also a couple of fires and boilers around which employ electronic (flame rectification) ASDs where the thermocouple is omitted and a sensing probe in place of the thermocouple. Again the ASD is the flame supervision device

[Lurch]

On Sat, 27 Nov 2004 22:17:43 GMT, John Stumbles strung together this:

How about one with electronic ignition? The ones I've fitted are usually controlled by a standard 2 gang switch, one being on-off and the other high-low.