Efficient of Gas Inset Fires?

As my sisters daughter put it when she had one installed...

"We where throwing money up the chimney". :-)

Do you mean your "niece"?

All of the inset gas fire brochures that I've recently read (but don't have with me) give the input and output figures. From memory, it was about 40% up the chimney.

If you want efficiency, get a bog standard radient gas fire (eg: valor firelite). An inset gas "life fuel effect" fire will lose some heat up the flue/chimney, but they look a darn site more attractive and realistic than an electrical fire, even one of those fancy ones where cloth flaps around in the breeze simulating a flame. Some gas fires are more efficient than others, some have heat exchangers, some don't. "Decorative fuel effect" is literally for decoration only and not designed to give heat PLUS you would require 100sq cm purpose provided air vent, so would probably avoid those.

Angus

LIVE FUEL EFFECT

I suggest he'd have spelled it 'neice'.

Mary

On Tue, 16 May 2006 17:29:33 +0100 someone who may be "Fentoozler" wrote this:-

Some of the electric ones are now very good and give an impression close to the real thing.

Pretty looking gas fires don't give a perfect impression either. The blue twinge to some of the flames and dust on the "coal"/"logs" are a giveway.

However, none of these things give a perfect impression of a real fire, even one in a stove.

If it's a cheap decorative one that's about right.

There are others which have thick insulation around the fireback and are properly designed to burn the gas against radiants and radiate the heat into the room. This latter type are quite efficient. Certainly cheaper to run than an electric fire. When our central heating boiler was being changed we heated the whole house passably with ours by leaving it on 24/24 and leaving living room doors open.

DG

Absolute f**king crap, got rid of ours within 6 months of it being fitted.

Dave

Cheaper to put a second-hand telly in the hole and play a "Real Fire" DVD - available I think on Ebay.

In summer play a "Real Aquarium" DVD.

I haven't seen any "Dusty Arrangements of Dried Flowers" DVDs but I daresay someone would make one if there was a demand.

Owain

I've not yet looked at the other replies which may cover the same ground.

Display Fires (DFE) - Sandbox + maybe artificial logs + big sooty flames. Typically 10% efficiency - can even be negative in winter if they cause lot of cold to be drawn into the building to support the combustion which then requires other heating to compensate!

Grate burners - a type of inset fire going into a fire place but using the existing fire back and chimney. Better than the above because the 'coals' are arrange to glow into the room. Also may require less ventilation (or maybe no purpose provided if under 7kW). Say 25% give or take a lot.

Inset fire (ILFE type) - purpose made back box with a more restricted flow of flue gases. Typically 45%. give or take.

Outset radiant ("traditional" style gas fires). Around 75%.

Space heaters often room sealed combustion and even with fanned flues. Typcially 85% (e.g a Vulcana Kestrel)

HTH

Sorry, Dave, whats crap, inset gas ? or electri. Thanks

Inset gas

Dave

Hi Ed, Thanks for the useful information, will probably go for an Outset Traditional Fire - please do you know what the cost would be for connecting fire? Thanks