Are fluless gas fires any good?

[ayashasky]

Hi
We are thinking of having a fluless gas fire installed.The efficiency rating seems to be excellent and we do not have to put a liner up the chimney so it seems it might be the more trouble free option.We have thought of balanced flue models but the efficiency is not so good.Will be getting a corgi in to install obviously. Has any one had any experience of this type of fire and what are the pros and cons.
Currently we have central heating via a gas fired rayburn which is proving to be a right gas guzzler and we are thinking of putting a gas fire in the sitting room so we do not have to have the rayburn on so much.Could you please give us your thought!
Thanks very much.

 

[MdB]

Flue less appliances have been around for some time and incorporate the latest in gas fire technology using a catalytic converter which the combustion gases pass through converting all harmful gases into carbon dioxide and water vapour. The result is an appliance, which is 100% efficient with low running costs.

It is the water vapour bit I would be worried about. When I've ever used a portable gas fire, the room has ended up full of condensation. This could have been due to the rooms being poorly insulated - generally caravans but it is something I would want to know more about.

 

[Flyfisher]

I presume that any fire with a flue must lose some of the heat of combustion through it, hence it can't be 100% efficient, whereas any fire without a flue can only be 100% efficient because all the heat and combustion products remain in the same room/house as the fire. I would question whether this is desirable,

As Mdb rightly points out there will certainly be increased water vapour retained and extra CO2 indoors isn't a great thing, so my guess is that extra ventilation will be required to deal with these extra emissions . . . in which case, is there any real advantage over a flue?

I suppose the water vapour could be mopped up with a dehumidifier and the excess CO2 mopped up by those lithium canister-thingy's they use in spacecraft (remember the 'Apollo 13' film), but who wants to live in a sealed capsule anyway? :wink:

 

[AMc]

I suppose the water vapour could be mopped up with a dehumidifier and the excess CO2 mopped up by those lithium canister-thingy's they use in spacecraft (remember the 'Apollo 13' film), but who wants to live in a sealed capsule anyway? :wink:

Submariners, astronauts and cosmonauts...

 

[Flyfisher]

Well obviously submariners, I mean, submariners are a given. And, yes, alright, astronauts and cosmonauts. But, apart from submariners, astronauts and cosmonauts . . . who wants to live in a sealed capsule?

 

[Feltwell]

who wants to live in a sealed capsule?

Ant & Dec.

Boris Johnson.

Michael Winner.

Anne Robinson.

Anyone to do with X Factor or Big Brother.

Anyone who supports the BNP.

Oh, you said who wants to live in a sealed capsule, not who do we want to live in a sealed capsule.......

 

[AMc]

Oh, you said who wants to live in a sealed capsule, not who do we want to live in a sealed capsule.......

I'm happy with the sealed capsule, the living part is entirely optional IMHO :twisted:

 

[ayashasky]

Hi
Thanks for all the replies...the increased water vapour is not something I had thought about....will carry on thinking.....!