Fireplace "literally breathes life into your room"

This is the sort of technically ill founded hype that "you know who" takes as gospel true.

Flueless gas fires are not death traps but are subject to a number of rules so that they don't become so. Principally, the power per unit volume is set at a low limit, and additional substantial (100cm^2) ventilation is mandatory. The also have a catalyst to oxide traces of CO to CO2 in the combustion products.

They are much more expensive than basic open flued and balanced flued models of comparable rating.

They have the very big disadvantage that they produce a large amount of water vapour which in some circumstances might be useful in many others will do nothing to reduce any potential or actual damp problems.

They can hardly be described "as breathing life into your room" unless you are a spore of A.Niger.

Reply to
Ed Sirett
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True. If enough gas fires/ gas boilers/ cars/ bottle openers/whatever are sold, then a number of people will manage to hurt themselves with the product.

The concern seems to be that the catalyst needs to be tested and replaced at regular intervals and the only ventilation opening is accessible and can be blocked by the users, either accidentally or intentionally. A chimney/flue is less liable to be blocked. I think casualties from flueless fires may become unacceptably high.

They're also very inefficient, by the time you've ventilated the flat enough to disperse the condensation.

True. Strangely, that's not mentioned in the manufacturers' brochures.

That must be the 'black mold' so beloved by American no win/no fee injury lawyers?

The acid test; Would you install one in a flat belonging to a member of your family?

If you were given an expensive designer one free, would you install it in a flat belonging to a member of your family.

Reply to
Aidan

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