Do gas 'real flame' stoves look tacky?

Michela

I have two wood burners in our house and want to replace an open fire with a gas coal effect 'stove'. I was all set to buy it when someone mentioned how tacky they look in reality.

Now I'm wondering if I should just get another wood burner, but it feels excessive having three and it would be nice to just switch something on.
I guess it's all personal choice but I am wondering if they do look a bit rubbish, especially when not turned on.

They are not cheap so I want to make sure I make the right decision. 

daveyjp

Personal preference.

A friend has just had one fitted in one room and she is now changing her lounge real woodburner for one as its to much faff so never gets used.

Paula_Smith

I think they look ok and I guess you do as well.

Michela

daveyjp said:

Personal preference.

A friend has just had one fitted in one room and she is now changing her lounge real woodburner for one as its to much faff so never gets used.

That's my reason, they look great but then when it comes down to lighting it etc sometimes it's a pain.
We don't have gas in the room so they need to bring the pipes through for it, so I want to ensure it's the right decision.

dcouponzzzz

We splashed a bit for an Optimyst stove by Dimplex. If you don't mind replacing the filtered water and the regular maintenance schedule, the flame effect is incredible, and not tacky at all

Chickereeeee

They are better than poisoning the neighbourhood with particulates anyway. A wood burner stove is equivalent to having 6 diesel lorries running their engines in your driveway, apparently: even the good/expensive ones.

Jonesya

I think it depends a lot on the model, looking around a fire-place and stove shop a year or two ago, some of the models looked very impressive, great fire depth, realistic glowing logs, even had the same random ember flickering glow you see when the fine ash catches the flames as they dance around. Very impressive, though not cheap.

They're also much better for air quality, unless you live out in the countryside wood-burning stoves are awful, they make smokey old diesel cars and buses look positively clean.

SootySweep1

Hi
I've got a gas stove & tbh no I don't think they look tacky but you need to go to some showrooms and have a look for yourself.
I'd love to have a woodburning stove but I couldn't cope with the faff & I like turning the knob & having instant heat & not having to clean it out etc etc
Jen

Michela

Chickereeeee said:

They are better than poisoning the neighbourhood with particulates anyway. A wood burner stove is equivalent to having 6 diesel lorries running their engines in your driveway, apparently: even the good/expensive ones.

If we opted multi-fuel, does it not have less of an environmental impact?

SootySweep1 said:

Hi
I've got a gas stove & tbh no I don't think they look tacky but you need to go to some showrooms and have a look for yourself.
I'd love to have a woodburning stove but I couldn't cope with the faff & I like turning the knob & having instant heat & not having to clean it out etc etc
Jen

Thanks. Yes I have been to a gas showroom and I thought they looked ok, I guess I am a little worried I will regret it. The heat output of the one I am looking at is around 3.6KW.  So if that's on will I get a lot of warmth from it? 

Davesnave

Chickereeeee said:

They are better than poisoning the neighbourhood with particulates anyway. A wood burner stove is equivalent to having 6 diesel lorries running their engines in your driveway, apparently: even the good/expensive ones.

 Emissions from wood stoves depend on the  the quality and dryness of the wood being burned and the way they're operated, so your 'fact' may just be a worst case scenario. However,  I agree, wood burners do no one in urban environments any favours.

When we chose our wood burner, I noticed that some of the better manufacturers had gas models which were identical to the solid fuel versions,. They didn't look 'tacky' to me, but appearance is in the eye of the beholder. If I liked something, I'd buy it and to hang with what others think.

On the subject of the Optimyst, I have no experience, but I've read others'. Google around if considering one.

Davesnave

Michela said:

. Yes I have been to a gas showroom and I thought they looked ok, I guess I am a little worried I will regret it. The heat output of the one I am looking at is around 3.6KW.  So if that's on will I get a lot of warmth from it?

Our last gas coal fire was 3.7kW and it was fine in our average semi. Here, with a 5kW wood stove, we can heat a largish 21' x 16' room (and include a 30m2 conservatory if we push it!)