Gas Fires

Gas fires are as popular as ever, with new exciting fires & effects being released all the time. There are many different types of gas fires & styles available, so to help you understand what you may require & what options are available we have outlined a guide below. This is just a starting point, if you have further questions or just require a little more information on a particular situation please do not hesitate to get in touch with us. Our contact details can be found here (link to contact us page).

Flue types. There are 4 different flue types that gas can be fitted to; Class 1 (a brick/stone chimney), Class 2 (a 5” flue system), Pre-cast (a rectangular flue built into the wall), or No Flue. The simplest way to identify your flue type is to look at the outside of your property.

Class 1 Chimney. Most houses built before 1960 were built with a Class 1 Chimney, houses newer than this may still have a chimney, but it is less common. Having a property with a chimney gives you the most choice of gas fires.

Class 2 Flues. These are often on houses built between 1960-1990. This type of flue is designed to fit a traditional coal effect or living flame gas fire. There are other options available now too like gas stoves & some hole in the wall fires but the installation of these depends on the space available.

Pre-cast Flues. These are often on houses build between 1980-2010. This type of flue is set into the wall & is designed to fit a slimline (shallow) coal effect or living flame gas fire. This flue type has the most limited options available. The earlier precast flues often do not comply to current standards so if you have a Pre-cast flue it is usually worth looking at the options available not using the flue to give you more choice.

No Chimney/flue. This is most common in newly built houses. There are lots of different fires available that do not need a flue. If your fireplace is positioned against an external wall the most popular option is a balanced flue fire, if the fireplace is on an internal wall then flueless gas fires or electric fires are suitable.

Fire Types. Gas fires come in all different designs, from the traditional living flame gas fires, hole in the wall fires, baskets, gas stoves to the ultra-trendy large format gas fires.

Energy Efficiency. We are all more conscious of not wasting energy, and the modern gas fires available now are more efficient than ever, with balanced flue & flueless fires being the most efficient. Glass fronted fires fitted on class 1 & 2 flues are now over 80% efficient. However, more traditional open fronted living flame fires & gas baskets are by design not an efficient heat source, instead these offer a beautiful realistic effect that can be used on occasion. When selecting a fire, we will discuss your heat requirements for the room & can help advise you of the most suitable fires in the design you like.

Gas Fire Technology. The technology on gas fires has moved on leaps & bounds in the last 10 years with most gas fires now having the option of a remote control & some with Wi-Fi so that they can be controlled from your phone or tablet. Other technology is available too such as the underbed lighting on some models of Bell Fire & Infinity giving the look of a glowing fire without any heat or gas usage.