Flueless Gas Fire..... controversy please

[Agile]

Whilst ARGI needs members, someone who IDs 50% of gas fires?

Presumably you are salaried?

You dont get paid to cap off gas fires, so that means you are reducing your income by 50% !

Unless you can sweet talk the landlord into getting the remedial work done. ( Usually that vent in the wall. ) Landlords are not usually susceptable to sweet talk involving spending!

Are vents in the floor still allowed? Doesn't the extension cover all the series underfloor vents? ( thats when the carpet does not cover them! ).

Tony

 

[Paul Barker]

Who says it's Landlords?

Why should income be relevant in a gas safety situation?

Yes I have just joined argi thank you?

Thanks for the reply on flueless gas fires? Can't think of many customers who would be better off with one.

 

[Freddie]

Fitted two to date, a Burley for a customer and a B&Q focal point one in my own house, no problems with either, quite happy to fit them as long as fitted to installation instructions, with all the **** about the environment they should be compulsory in all house's which are big enough to fit them as they are 100% efficient, mine kicks out plenty of heat

The gas burner in this fire maybe nearly 100% efficient, but as a heating applience taking into account the ventilation you need it is at best second rate to a whole lot of things. Infact you would be better off by buying a superserve portable gas heater, which cost half the price and you can shove it in the shed in the summer

Any gas burner will give of water vapour as a by product of combustion, the more efficient the burner the more co2 it gives off, the less efficient the more carbon monoxide it gives off --both gases can kill if not flued away or ventilated.

If you wanted 100% efficient heat for your room then an electric fire/heater of some kind will be 100% efficient and you will not lose heat through ventilation ports so the extra expense of the electric will be offset by no loss of heat due to vents.

 

[Agile]

I think you are missing the original point!

The only benefit of this flueless applicance was admitted to be the "focal point".

Some might be sad to think that anyone has to consider a gas appliance as a focal point nowadays, but the customer is always right ( or thinks he is anyway ).

Could I suggest that if anything is required as a focal point then it should be for decorative purposes only! Any supplementary heating could be with clean dry electricity if you really dont want to put on the gas central heating.

Tony

 

[Freddie]

I think you are missing the original point!

The only benefit of this flueless applicance was admitted to be the "focal point".

Some might be sad to think that anyone has to consider a gas appliance as a focal point nowadays, but the customer is always right ( or thinks he is anyway ).

Could I suggest that if anything is required as a focal point then it should be for decorative purposes only! Any supplementary heating could be with clean dry electricity if you really dont want to put on the gas central heating.

Tony

Oh i totally agree mate infact i dont think you can beat a roaring log fire but i was just trying to clear up the myth on efficiency

 

[chrishutt]

Freddie wrote

If you wanted 100% efficient heat for your room then an electric fire/heater of some kind will be 100% efficient

Electricity is a grossly inefficient way of heating houses due to the inefficiency of the electricity generating process (around 30% efficiency I think - most is still generated by burning fossil fuels). That's the main reason why electricity is rightly so much more expensive to buy.

 

[Agile]

Sorry, Freddy, I was not replying to you specifically although on reading my posting again it looks that way.

The problem with fitting that flueless appliance is that it needs ventilation ALL the time whether its being used or not.

Unrequired air changes from that ventilation will increase the costs of running the central heating like leaving a window part open all year round.

There are some quite nice looking electric fires which are cheaper and dont require ventilation.

Tony Glazier

 

[Freddie]

Freddie wrote

If you wanted 100% efficient heat for your room then an electric fire/heater of some kind will be 100% efficient

Electricity is a grossly inefficient way of heating houses due to the inefficiency of the electricity generating process (around 30% efficiency I think - most is still generated by burning fossil fuels). That's the main reason why electricity is rightly so much more expensive to buy.

I know that Chris but my point is whats the use of letting your heat out through vents which is another way of adding to the problems we have and dont forget all gas's are fossil fuels aswell so you never get something for nothing.

But you will find that an electric heater is the most efficient way of heating a room as regards the costs well i should imagine with the increase in gas prices that there wont be much difference taking heat lost through vents and flues

 

[Agile]

I like to encourage efficiency and climate change initiatives although when in the middle of August its about 17*C today it may be difficult to believe there is much of a problem!

It does bother me when I see people with heating on at 22*C and dressed in teeshirts. A pullover may be less sexy but could allow the heating to be turned down to 18*C.

Tony

 

[Careful_Bodger]

...based on the foregoing useful contributions, we have now rejected the prospect of Flueless, primarily due to the additional, awkward, and drafty ventilation requirements; secondarily due to the prospect of condensation problems; and thirdly the vague suspicion that the safety case is not yet proven.

The current plan is a for a Powerflue replacement of what we currently have (balanced flue), which allows an open flame bed, and does not require significant addtional rework.

Ta,
CB

 

[Diyisfun]

There is a plus point to the gas fire not mentioned yet, POWER CUTS.