Replacing old open gas fire (coal type with flue) with a modern gas fire of high efficiency

_Sam_

I'm playing with the idea of replacing our old open gas fire for a modern glass-fronted closed one, but there are so many options out there I'm confused what to look for and where to start. 

I'd like to keep the cost of updating as low as possible (would a budget of up to £1000 be enough?) I think I have ruled out flueless fires (as they require hole to the outside for the vent) and balanced flue fires (there is a garage on the other side of the wall).

So it appears I need to look for an efficient glass-fronted fire that could use the existing flue, and also doesn't require electricity to operate (would this mean manual start/ignition to rule out electricity?)

Are there particular brands of fires that tend to come recommended, or perhaps shops/installers? 

The overall idea is to have the sitting room as a warm hub, the rest of the bungalow relatively cold (though not allowing it to freeze and we also use desiccant dehumidifier on bright days from solar energy). The current heating is warm air gas central heating, hoping to use it as little as possible this winter (haven't turned it on yet, still holding out) 

Bendy_House

Yes, lack of electricity supply will mean 'manual' firing, usually repeatedly (perhaps just once) turning a knob until it goes 'clunk' and produces a spark, then holding the knob in for a few seconds. Not a biggie.

Electrical also gives the option of remote control, but usually at a cost.

Sounds as tho' you need a 'conventional flue' type fire. Is your existing chimney lined appropriately? I don't know what the regs are, but I suspect it'll require a continuous metal flexible liner, terminated correctly at the top. So, I'd imagine a significant extra expense over the fire itself.

All you can do - hopefully with assistance of folk on her - is to keep researching, including finding true figures for the efficiency of these fires, compared to that of your existing heating. I presume you do have decent control over your warm air system? Ie, you CAN shut off rooms you don't want to heat, and you can set the required temp for the single living area?

Any rooms not used at all (not heated) should be kept thoroughly ventilated to the outside, and their internal doors shut. They should be fine.

_Sam_

That’s the problem I don’t think I can regulate central heating temp in individual rooms, I prob wouldn’t have bothered with the gas fire otherwise. There is only one thermostat attached to the dining room wall, and vents in the floor throughout the bungalow. (I actually plan to duck tape the kitchen and bathroom vents, as I don’t need them and they get really mucky where they are placed - I hope i won’t cause the system to explode on me!)

Otherwise it seems straightforward reliable central heating, and it heats the bungalow quickly. We only have two bedrooms one of which is half-used, half of the things are still in boxes from the move and that’s where all boxes are piled up, so I go there to sort things and otherwise keep the door closed except when dehumidifier is on then I open all doors. 

Not sure if I can check the existing gas fire flue, but it appears to have been installed specifically as the bungalow did not have the chimney originally. So on the other side of the wall from the fire (in the garage) there is a narrow sticking out chimney where I suppose the flue is. 

Bendy_House

Don't the grilles have shutters on them to control the output? And what controls are on the main burner unit - any chance of a photo?

Did you have the current gas fire installed, then?

You really need a GasSafe to come out and assess the whole setup. You can get some clues, tho', by looking at the stack, and especially what is coming out t'top. Photo?

_Sam_

You absolutely correct I completely forgotten about the shutters on the vents!

Would closing the shutter mean spending less energy though, thinking that the vents aren’t hermetically sealed to the underfloor ducting, and shutters are not particularly tight either, so there’ll be some leaks both underfloor and in the room.

_Sam_

The gas fire came with the house, and I think we have a paper instructions or something about it, will have a look when I get home. 

Ideally I'm hoping for most "straightforward" update, remove the old gas fire and put in the new, and just connect to the existing flue etc. But I will prob need to know the dimensions of the old fire (e.g, how deep it goes in the wall etc - there is a brick feature fireplace mantel and a connected corner tv shelf built around it)

Bendy_House

Ok, you do have a purpose-installed flue, but I simply do not know if it's up to current standards. Access and everything looks ok, tho'. All you can do is get a few GSs out to quote.

Yes, closing off unused shutters should have the warm air burner cycling off a lot more, as it's bound to have a built-in 'stat to control the burner. Yes, some air will escape, but that's probably not a bad thing?

I guess it's research time - get quotes for a sealed gas fire, COMPARE THEIR EFFICIENCY RATINGS WITH THE FIRE YOU ALREADY HAVE, start experimenting with closing off shutters and monitoring the burner - stuff like that?!

Once you get quotes for a new gas fire, you'll know if it's worth it. Say it's ~£2k (and good chance), that will cover a lot of energy bills if the actual savings you'd have from this new fire is only, say, 10%. Ie, you'd need to work out the difference in running costs between the two types of gas fire, and then work out how far £2k (or more) will get you. Probably quite a few years before break-even.

EssexExile

We went to a local fire specialist, they came out and surveyed to make sure everything was up to current standards and did the fitting and subsequent testing. Our fire has a pilot light which is ignited by piezo electric so no mains electricity required.

_Sam_

Thank you both. I have found the manual for the existing fire, and it looks that it was installed in 1997 - the manual only says the fire has "improved efficiency" and doesn't quote the percentage, I suspect it is not much.

On the other hand we have turned the main heating on for few evenings experimenting with it a bit, and will probably stick with it as the source of heating in the room with closed vents everywhere else. The consumption appears to be 15-17Kwh for 3 hours heating (the closed vents do leak so the whole bungalow warms up a bit as well as our "warm" room). The old fire will have to go eventually but in the mean time we just won't use it.

macman

The usual determining factor in gas fires is the depth available in the recess. You are certainly correct in that a glass fronted unit (enclosed) will be much more efficient than an open-flame gas fire.