What are Flueless Gas Fires, and How Are They Installed?

How flueless fires and stoves work

As mentioned above, flueless gas fires and stoves do not require chimneys, or flues, however, they do need to be connected to a gas supply.

Flueless gas fires and stoves are some of the safest products on the market and to further improve their performance a catalytic converter system is positioned at the top of the appliance to convert any combustion gases into carbon dioxide and water vapour, levels of which are typically present in fresh air, meaning you can safely enjoy warmth from your gas fire or stove.

FAQs about Flueless Gas Fires

Here are a couple of the more common questions that we get asked frequently about our range of flueless gas stoves including how safe they are, where they can be installed, what to do before installing a gas fire etc.

1. Where you can install a flueless gas fire?
Flueless gas fires and stoves are the perfect flat wall, no chimney solution to instant warmth. The innovative technology provides a flexible design for your house or apartment, allowing you to install a fire or stove not only in the living room, but also dining room, office, study and kitchen.*

If you have a natural gas supply** and can run a standard 8mm gas pipe to the fire installation point, while ensuring you have the minimum room size and adequate ventilation, you can benefit from this technology.

*Flueless fires are not permitted in the bathroom.
**Available in natural gas (NG). Selected models are also available in LPG.

2. Are flueless fires safe?
For complete safety and peace of mind flueless fires incorporate an Oxygen Depletion Sensor (ODS), which detect when the oxygen levels in the room fall below a specified level and cause the pilot flame to lift away from the sensing probe. This activates the Flame Failure Device (FFD), which cuts off the gas supply to the fire and renders the appliance safe. For additional safety, flueless fires are fitted with a catalytic converter system to ensure excellent levels of air quality.

3. What happens to the gases?
The catalytic technology cleans the hot air leaving the combustion chamber, converting carbon monoxide into harmless carbon dioxide. It works so effectively that it can also assist in neutralising unwanted airborne particles and allergens present in the home, helping to create a cleaner and friendlier environment.

4. What ventilation is required?
Most heating appliances need ventilation to maintain the correct level of oxygen in the room. Flueless appliances installed in the UK require 100cm² of additional purpose provided ventilation.

5. What is the purpose of an air vent?
The purpose is to provide fresh air ventilation to replenish the air used by the flueless gas fire. It is not to take air out. Buying a high quality air vent will save considerable cost in the long run can significantly help reduce any drafts once installed correctly.

6. Can condensation be a problem?
Flueless fires are designed to supplement central heating and should be used as a secondary heat source only. Therefore, the background ambient temperature of the room will prevent any moisture from condensing on colder surfaces such as single glazed windows.

Installing a Flueless Gas Fire

All gas fires must be installed by a Gas Safe or RGII registered gas engineer. Flueless fires are very popular with fitters as they are relatively simple to install and can be fitted in a fraction of the time it takes to fit a conventional gas fire. An annual service by a Gas Safe /RGII engineer is recommended to ensure you get the best performance from your fire and validates your manufactures guarantee.

Minimum room size for your flueless fire
It is important to comply with the minimum room size requirement. Each fire is different and the minimum room size requirement will vary depending on the input / output of the product. We are able to calculate this for you.

Choosing a location for your flueless fire
Having selected the correct model you will need to choose a location. First ensure a gas supply can be run to your desired location. There must be a minimum clearance to the sides of the fire and in front. Clearances will vary depending on the type of model.

Ensuring there is adequate ventilation
Check to see if an air brick / air vent is located in your room, a lot of new homes will have an air brick fitted already. If your room does not have an air vent fitted that is a minimum of 100cm2, vented directly to the outdoors then one will need to be installed. Modern air vents allow sufficient ventilation into a room but will stop draughts, light and insects coming through, they are also less draughty than a conventional flue / chimney.

In summary

A flueless gas fire or stove can be an excellent alternative to a standard gas fire or stove particularly when the space it is to be fitted in doesn;t have an option for a flue or chimney installation. If you would like to know more or would like to speak to one of our friendly staff about choosing and fitting a flueless gas fire in your property then please do see below to send us an email using the contact form or call us directly.