Gas fire & heat output??

JustAnotherSaver

I think for the time being, we are deciding against a gas fire but we may have one in future. I'd like to be armed with information for when/if the time came though as we've gone in to it this year a bit unprepared.

I did an online calculator which said the heat output we need is 4.25Kw.

Dimensions are: 7.0mtr-x-3.5mtr-x-2.5mtr high of the living room.

The fire would be a secondary heat source, very likely only used over winter time.

I personally am not a fan of 'fires for show'. If we have a fire i would want it to belt out some heat.

My mother has a 'real fire' which i think she said is about 4.8KW. Ok her living room is smaller, but that thing really does belt out the heat. Too much even.

So if we were to get a gas fire, i would also want it kicking out some nice level of heat.

BUT i read that the majority of the heat disappears up the flue ( we would be wanting a fire WITH flue).

I wouldn't want to have to sit on top of the fire to get scraps of heat from it.

I've seen glass fronted 4.1KW fires that claim 90% efficiency, but all this is to me is numbers on a screen. It could say 41KW with 900% efficiency for me - it's still numbers on a screen, i don't know what that translates to as to how it makes a room that size feel.

So what can you (in real world sense) expect to feel from these fires? Are they really more for decoration, despite their fancy 90% claims, or can they actually pack out a good amount of heat in to a room of that size?

Furts

Your 90% efficient fire would give out around 3.6kW. This is similar to a fan heater on full setting, or the old fashionned two bar electric fires - if you are of an age to remember these. The problem is if this heat is going up the flue, and some will be, what will be the end result with your room? It is impossible to say.

Your figure of needing 4.25kW- is this in addition to what you already have for heating or as the main heat requirement? Likewise how accurate was your on-line calculator?

JustAnotherSaver

Yeah that's a very good point. We have no idea.

http://www.stovesonline.co.uk/calculator.asp
http://www.stovesandfires.com/stove_size_calculation.asp

My wife would like a fire in anyway, but with other areas of the house currently needing work, I can't justify us spending money on installing a fire 1) just for looks or 2) if it's not going to do what we want it to.

It'd be much easier (& this was our original idea) & cheaper to just do out the recess & put some shelving in there or whatever.


The main radiator in the room is also single panel, so i think updating the radiators & going double panel would also help. Also, i've no idea if the system is balanced or not. One radiator upstairs especially kept being cold at top/bottom (can't remember which) even after bleeding.

Radiators are quite cheap these days I think, so some new suitable rads should surely help with the heat.

daveyjp

You will find the highest outputs are from the fires with ceramic heating elements, but they can look old fashioned. Open flame ones are generally lower output.

If you want decent heat output and your flue type can handle one go for a gas fired stove as the metal of the stove will heat up and transfer to the room.

MX5huggy

The efficiency, is how much ends up in the room. A 90% efficient fire puts 90% of the heat into the room and 10% out the flue.

Like car MPG figures you have to take the figures with a pinch salt.