Balanced flue in a conventional chimney

KateBrown

I want to reopen the fireplace in my Victorian terraced 2 storey home.
BF systems are a lot more efficient than conventional flues.

Can I put a balanced flue system in? I plan to live here for a long time so fuel efficiency is important to me. I'll also want to remove the current radiator and rely solely on the gas fire.

Thanks!

Davesnave

If you understand that the air for combustion in a BF system has to come from outside the house and the toxic waste gases also have to leave the house unimpeded, you can probably answer your own question.


You need access via an outside wall for both. Through the chimney isn't possible, though it's not clear if you meant that.

FreeBear

Davesnave wrote: »

You need access via an outside wall for both. Through the chimney isn't possible, though it's not clear if you meant that.

Not sure if anyone does a flexible liner suitable for a balanced flue. One would be needed to install in a typical chimney. It is either that, or make sizable holes at intervals up the chimney so that a rigid liner can be installed.

Mutton_Geoff

KateBrown wrote: »

I want to reopen the fireplace in my Victorian terraced 2 storey home. BF systems are a lot more efficient than conventional flues.

Can I put a balanced flue system in? I plan to live here for a long time so fuel efficiency is important to me. I'll also want to remove the current radiator and rely solely on the gas fire.

Thanks!

It won't be efficient in a leaky Victorian house. I'm not sure you can run a balanced flue the length of a chimney. The purpose of a balanced flue is to draw cold air in for combustion from outside, not use warm air up from inside the house. Your house is going to be leaky due to it's age so balanced flue a waste of money.


Have you considered a log burner? Cheaper than gas if you can source your fuel for free or at low cost. They are a whole lot more attractive than a gas fire.

Davesnave

Mutton_Geoff wrote: »

Have you considered a log burner? Cheaper than gas if you can source your fuel for free or at low cost. They are a whole lot more attractive than a gas fire.

I beg to differ. Before we lived in the country, we had a gas fire with artificial coals. While the flame picture never changed, it was attractive and heaps easier and cleaner to manage than a log burner. Put out a max of 3.7kW if I remember correctly.

Now we live in the country with our own wood supply and no gas, a 5kW log burner makes sense. It's heating the whole living area right now. I have no idea, however. where all these sources of cheap wood are that people go on about. Even generating fuel from our own land costs money and time.
And then there's storage Where's a person with a Victorian terrace going put green wood for 2 years?

But I agree it's pointless worrying about a balanced flue, especially in a Victorian property. Our old gas fire was a straight up the chimney job and reasonably efficient.One might spend years recouping the extra for modifications to enable a BF, if they are even possible.