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Gas fires can offer several advantages for homes:
Convenience and ease of use:
Unlike wood burners, gas fires require no chopping, storing, or carrying of logs. They can be turned on and off with a switch or remote, providing instant heat and eliminating the need for constant tending.
Cleanliness:
Gas fires burn without producing ash or soot, reducing mess and simplifying cleaning. This can be especially beneficial for allergy sufferers or those who dislike the dusty residue associated with traditional fireplaces.
Efficiency:
Modern gas fires are highly efficient at converting fuel into heat, minimising energy waste and potentially lowering heating bills. Some balanced flue models can achieve efficiency ratings of up to 85%.
Cost-effectiveness:
While gas prices can fluctuate, they can sometimes be cheaper than electricity, especially when considering the high efficiency of modern gas fires.
Safety:
Modern gas fires come equipped with various safety features, including automatic shut-off mechanisms and flame failure devices, offering peace of mind for homeowners.
Ambiance and aesthetics:
Gas fires can create a warm and inviting atmosphere in a home, similar to a traditional fireplace. They come in a variety of styles and designs to complement different decors.
Versatility:
Gas fires can be installed in various locations within a home, even in rooms without a chimney, thanks to flueless options. This flexibility allows for greater design freedom.
Convenience and ease of use:
Unlike wood burners, gas fires require no chopping, storing, or carrying of logs. They can be turned on and off with a switch or remote, providing instant heat and eliminating the need for constant tending.
Cleanliness:
Gas fires burn without producing ash or soot, reducing mess and simplifying cleaning. This can be especially beneficial for allergy sufferers or those who dislike the dusty residue associated with traditional fireplaces.
Efficiency:
Modern gas fires are highly efficient at converting fuel into heat, minimising energy waste and potentially lowering heating bills. Some balanced flue models can achieve efficiency ratings of up to 85%.
Cost-effectiveness:
While gas prices can fluctuate, they can sometimes be cheaper than electricity, especially when considering the high efficiency of modern gas fires.
Safety:
Modern gas fires come equipped with various safety features, including automatic shut-off mechanisms and flame failure devices, offering peace of mind for homeowners.
Ambiance and aesthetics:
Gas fires can create a warm and inviting atmosphere in a home, similar to a traditional fireplace. They come in a variety of styles and designs to complement different decors.
Versatility:
Gas fires can be installed in various locations within a home, even in rooms without a chimney, thanks to flueless options. This flexibility allows for greater design freedom.
Conclusion:
As you can see Gas fires can offer several advantages for homes, however it’s important to note that gas fires also have some drawbacks. Such as the need for an annual service and potential concerns about carbon monoxide emissions. It’s crucial however to ensure proper installation, ventilation, and maintenance for safe and efficient operation.
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What should you consider when purchasing a gas fire?
Don’t take any chances when purchasing a gas fire. Choosing the right gas fire needs a systematic approach that depends on your home. The size of the space to be heated and your personal taste. It is important to know in advance what are the options in your home. Also what exactly you expect from the fireplace. Is heat your priority or is the atmosphere created by the gas fire more important? Or are both of equal importance? Fortunately, you don’t have to decide all by yourself; we will list the options for you.
What type of gas fire should you choose and in which situation?
There are three main types of gas fires: Built-in, freestanding and suspended gas fires.
- A built-in gas fire can be installed in a wall or in a chimneybreast; this can be done with or without a frame depending on your interior design. A built-in gas fire is a good option if you want a streamlined finish, although it often needs considerable room, even if that is not your first impression.
- A freestanding gas fire offers greater flexibility and makes it easier to perhaps replace it with another model in the future.
- A suspended gas fire heats large and open spaces quickly and effectively, because it radiates heat to all sides. The great advantage of this type of gas fire is that the floor space remains free and therefore the room in which the fire is situated appears to have more space.
Gas fires offer more options than open wood fires. You have a choice of fire view: do you want to view the fire from two or three sides? Or even from two different rooms? Tunnel view is a good option in the case of a long wall between to areas; both areas enjoy the vista of a single fire. It makes good use of space and is very eye-catching.
Selecting a gas fire with open or closed combustion?
Oxygen is always necessary for combustion. Where the oxygen comes from will depend on the type of system.
Open and closed combustion: the differences
- In open combustion, the oxygen is drawn in from the space around the fire. In the case of closed combustion, the air is drawn from outside for combustion and the residual gasses are extracted using the same flue.
- Ventilation is a vital point in an open combustion system, because the residual gasses must be extracted by the natural draw in the flue. An open combustion system cannot be installed in a residence with mechanical ventilation. In the case of closed combustion, the air is drawn from outside for burning the fire and the residue gasses are extracted using the same flue. In this case, there are no special ventilation requirements.
- In open combustion, the fire can be glass-fronted or open-fronted. Open combustion is less efficient and mainly provides immediate radiated heat. In a closed combustion system, the fires are always glass-fronted. This ensure that the fire achieves a higher temperature and therefore a higher output.
A gas fire with open combustion is an option when it is installed in an existing fireplace. For example, when replacing an open fire, when there is little room for a suitable flue and when the fire is used only for creating a warm atmosphere. In a well insulated residence with mechanical ventilation, a gas fire with closed combustion is almost always a better option.
Other things to consider
In addition to choosing the type of gas fire and combustion system, there are other issues that should be considered:
- Capacity
It is important to choose a gas fire with a capacity that matches the space that you want to heat. Examine how much capacity you need for your home.
- Technical options
Do you have doubts about whether it is possible to install a gas fire in your home or do you have a particular place in mind for installing it? Consult our section on technical questions or what the PowerVent system can do.
- Environmentally-friendly and safe
Is a gas fire environmentally-friendly and safe? Years of experience have made DRU gas fires very efficient and low on energy consumption. Check here to see what is the average consumption of the gas fire.
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The Importance of gas fire servicing. All gas appliances should be serviced once a year for your safety.
A Gas fire service will ensure your fire is set up properly and that all the products of combustion are being extracted into the chimney correctly. Not spilling dangerous carbon monoxide (CO) into your room. It will also ensure that your fire continues to provide the maximum heat it can. Fires that are not serviced will suffer a drop in heat production, as they won’t burn cleanly.
Over time, with the constant expansion and contraction. This affects the coals as they settle and the fire flame picture suffers. The service will include removal of the coals and burner bed also a repaint of the coals to make them look as new. The fire will then be relaid and tested so that it looks as good as it did the day it was installed.
Some of the signs to look out for when your gas fire needs servicing are;
- a build up of soot on the coal
- black streaks on the wall or fireplace from the top of the fire
- difficulty in lighting
- the fire won’t stay alight for long
Gas fire servicing MUST be carried out by a GasSafe registered engineer, details of your local engineer can be found on the GasSafe website. Should you live locally to Beckenham and Bromley, Orpington, Dulwich Eltham then we also carry out gas fire servicing.
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