Flue-less Gas Fire

Acc72

Hi All,

I currently have an electric fire and am thinking of changing to gas.

It is an old (1930's) house with a chimney, but we no longer have a chimney breast in the living room and the fire will not go on an outside wall.

I am therefore thinking that I may not be able to have a regular gas fire.

Rather than paying for a survey etc. I thought that it would be easier (and possibly cheaper) to just have a flue-less gas fire fitted.

I would like to hear any opinions / experience of this type of fire - eg. are they safe ! (sorry for the daft / obvious question!) we have small pets and I don't want to harm them. We have a large open plan living room (about 25 feet by 15 feet) so hopefully this would be ok?

Also how are they for heat ? having a look on the internet the best output I have seen has been 2.5kw but the traditional gas fires can go above 4kw output.

Any comments would be appreciated.

Cooker_expert

Honestly I wouldnt bother, the latest electric fires look just as good plus you will need a 100cm always open vent for the flueless gas which in winter you will need it on just to counter the draughts you will be getting from outside..... Plus there's the fitting cost which isn't cheap.

garethgas

I agree. The catalytic converter could fail and cause big probs. Manufacturers say that safety devices will shut them down but most Engineers I know refuse install them.
Also, as has been mentioned you'll need a huge vent fitted which will cool the room and people are then tempted to block it up because its draughty.
Please go for electric.

sunshinetours

If you go for one of the decorative type flueless ones you won't get much heat from them is the biggest problem and unless you position the outside air vent in the right place you may experience drafts. In fairness they aren't huge as its 100cm2 which is 10cm by 10cm!

These fires are fitted round the world without issue in the main in countries such as Japan, USA etc, the same as we tend to fit balanced flue fires. Many gas installers don't knwo much about them and sre simply "taught" that they are dangerous so dismiss them, so yes you will struggle to find a registered fitter to fit them. Check out Burley fires if you want a decent make, they do some like the stove effect ones and are much nicer than the electric equivalent as you do have a real flame.

Saying all that a large open plan room will struggle to get to temperature with a 2kw or so fire and as many of them say they are simply a secondary heat source. So for that reason alone I wouldn't bother, nothing to do with safety.

In your case I would also stick with electric or look get a false chimney reinstated and get a flue added to connect up to your existing chimney?