Differences between flueless and flue gas fires

I'm in the market for a new gas fire but im not 100% sure what the differences are between flue and flueless fires? What do I need in my fireplace? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Asked by Jackie on 31st Mar 2020
Expert Trade Answers
"You need a gas safe engineer to have a look to see what's required."
Answered on 3rd Apr 2020 - Member since Dec 2016 - report
"Hi. If you have a chimney you are able to have a flue gas fire. However, If there is no chimney in your property then you will have to have a flueless gas fire. The flueless Gas fire will require a vent. Hope that helps."
Answered on 28th Feb 2021 - Member since Dec 2020 - report
"Hi,

If you have a chimney then you need a flued gas fire. If you don't have a chimney in your house then you will need a flueless gas fire.

For a flueless gas fire there will also be a vent which will need to be installed.

Regards,

Z. F Gas Engineer"
Answered on 31st Mar 2020 - Member since Jun 2019 - report
"Your best bet is to get a local fireplace specialist to visit and advise on the best route to go. Most guys offer a free no obligation survey

We do not recommend any fluless products due to their nature.

Good luck with the project

Rob"
Answered on 31st Mar 2020 - Member since Jan 2018 - report
"Hello Jackie - it depends on your current configuration or wether or not you even have a gas fire - if you do currently have one I would advise getting a like for like model as by changing the spec it could result in having inadequate ventilation or you could possibly have a certain Flueless fire that’s to big for the room due to ventilation requirements for free Air.

To keep it simple a flueless (Type A) fire is within the name - it doesn’t require a flue as it relays on a catalytic converters to disburse the products of combustion back into the room - The manufacturing instructions will state the size of the air vent required - The vent size is normally 100 Cm2 squared and the room being a minimum Meterage of normally above 23 m2. However, always refer to the Manufacturing Instructions as the will be the gas engineers contract to follow to keep you safe. Lastly with the flueless fire they are generally more expensive to use and quite frankly a waste of money if you’re thinking of a decorative fuel effect (DFE) fire.


With Regards to the opened flued fire (Type B) unless you already have the existing configuration set up in place the labour cost to get this installed would be quite excessive as you’ll either need a hole for the flue to pass through or an existing fire place which will need to be relined to accommodate the new appliance. There are a lot of regulations to follow which could effect the installation costs dependent on which option you go for.

I hope this helps some what - if you require further assistance please feel free to get in touch.

Thank you so much!
Harry"
Answered on 31st Mar 2020 - Member since Jan 2020 - report
"A flue less gas fire has a converter so doesn't need a flue but needs a vent, normal gas fire is fitted in the chimney space"
Answered on 15th Apr 2020 - Member since Dec 2015 - report
"Flueless gas fires have a catalytic converter and can be fitted on any wall. Gas fires with a flue can be fitted in a chimney or an outside wall."
Answered on 31st Mar 2020 - Member since Jan 2020 - report
"The main thing is ventilation requirements. This will be included in the manufacturers instructions. Then consider your chimney. Any flue will need to use your chimney or a new flue hole will need to be made in the wall (for a balanced or fan flue). A flueless fire needs none of this. The catalytic converter has a lifespan around ten years or ten thousand hours burning and converts the waste gases to safe ones. To be frank gas fires are highly inefficient and can be dangerous. Why not consider an electric fire?"
Answered on 31st Mar 2020 - Member since Mar 2020 - report
"A flued gas fire uses your chimney as a means of getting rid of the products of combustion but uses oxygen from the room it is situated in so you will require a vent to the outside.

A flueless fire does not require a chimney as it has a filter built in that cleans the products of combustion, but again uses oxygen from the room it is in. This fire requires a vent to the outside as well.

There is also a balance flue gas fire these have a flue that goes through the wall to the outside, just like a boiler. These fires don’t normally require a vent as they take their oxygen through the flue.
Hope this helps"
Answered on 31st Mar 2020 - Member since Jan 2020 - report
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