Replacing Gas Fire with Electric?

[Radam87]

Hi all

We've got an old gas fire which has been serviced and deemed okay but we are thinking of replacing it. I've had little experience with this so thought I'd ask for advice before pricing up.

We are considering getting an electric and had two questions:

1. Are electric fires good value for money and how can I spot a good and economical performer?

Should we have the area behind the fire bricked over or covered after the engineer has capped the gas?

If, in your opinion, getting an electric is a waste of time - can you suggest an alternative please.

 

[flameport]

how can I spot a good and economical performer?

All electric fires are equally efficient. Whatever electrical energy is put in will come out as heat.

Are electric fires good value for money

That is far more complex.
Electricity costs a lot more than gas - but you get all of it as heat.
Gas is cheaper, but gas fires waste a substantial amount of the heat in the chimney / flue.
Gas fires require annual servicing, electric fires do not.

 

[transam]

Leccy no. Co. Issues

Probably 100 % effiecent gas is not

No flue although u can get flu less gas fires

Blocking up. A chimney completely may not or is not a good ldea they need to breath or u could get damp. Issues

Some leccy fuel effect fires u would be hard pushed not to know they were not solid fuel u can even get them that have a smoke effect

 

[Radam87]

Leccy no. Co. Issues

Probably 100 % effiecent gas is not

No flue although u can get flu less gas fires

Blocking up. A chimney completely may not or is not a good ldea they need to breath or u could get damp. Issues

Some leccy fuel effect fires u would be hard pushed not to know they were not solid fuel u can even get them that have a smoke effect

Thanks - Will not blocking up the old fire place cause draft and let more cold in?

 

[Radam87]

All electric fires are equally efficient. Whatever electrical energy is put in will come out as heat.


That is far more complex.
Electricity costs a lot more than gas - but you get all of it as heat.
Gas is cheaper, but gas fires waste a substantial amount of the heat in the chimney / flue.
Gas fires require annual servicing, electric fires do not.

Thanks - the engineer that serviced it said he hated these types of fire with a passion and said to get an electric.

 

[transam]

Tbh if any o e is a landord and renting property out

They would be best advised to keep gas appliances to a minimum.

Room. Sealed boilers only

preferably not the older positive flued room. Sealed boilers either

No. Gas fires no gas cookers Imho

Air brick in the chimney Imo

Builder would advise

Noseall and I don't get on but dare say he would know

 

[durhamplumber]

Noseall and I don't get on but dare say he would know

Did not know that

 

[gasbanni]

Electric fires are more expensive to run and don't throw out the heat like gas fires.

A properly installed and maintained gas fire beats electric hands down every time. No issues with carbon monoxide on modern fires.

Flueless gas fires are 100% efficient but I'd go for flued.

 

[durhamplumber]

Electric fires are more expensive to run and don't throw out the heat like gas fires.

A properly installed and maintained gas fire beats electric hands down every time. No issues with carbon monoxide on modern fires.

Flueless gas fires are 100% efficient but I'd go for flued.

Agreed.Some glass fronted gas fires with a heat exchanger give off loads of heat and look v cosy in winter..Loads better than electric.Expensive but worth it in my opinion.

 

[ajohn]

Gas fires vary. They may be fitted with an oxygen sensor. When they have a flue they draw some air in - easy to check. There will be a grill of some sort - it's a case of checking air is being drawn in via a bit of smoke from something. Flueless I think must have an oxygen sensor now. Not had much interest in them for years, House did have a gas fire but an owner went electric and while it looked like the gas pipe could be reconnected up it turned out to be tricky. We have a pretty electric flame effect thing filling the hole but I wouldn't see it as anything like a main source for heating the room.

I'd say gas can win on power output and some electric need a fan to get heat out and spread it around the room. Those are never quiet. Gas seems to circulate the air in the room well enough. We still have one that works that way in another room. It's glass fronted, flued and has an oxygen sensor.

I think they are called oxygen depletion sensors now but there could be variations on how it's done. That way is cheap, done via a pilot light.

We also have a carbon monoxide sensor but on the ceiling of the first floor landing. Where these have been fitted like this I'm told central heating boilers have set them of even when they are on the ground floor.

 

[Bodd]

Noseall and I don't get on but dare say he would know

I think he knows

 

[transam]

I think he knows

dunno tbh Noseall is the most ignorant poster on here ?

 

[Bodd]

dunno tbh Noseall is the most ignorant poster on here ?

He's not bad all the time... I'm sure in real life he's not a bad fella.

 

[JohnD]

some gas fires and stoves can look attractive, if you like that sort of thing.

I can't see the point in an electric fire, if you have central heating.

 

[Bodd]

some gas fires and stoves can look attractive, if you like that sort of thing.

I can't see the point in an electric fire, if you have central heating.

Some of the older lot like to replace their back boiler and fire with something that looks nice.... A clean well designed central heating should do the job...