Are flue less fires safe and efficient?
A. Although the concept is relatively new in this country, fixed flueless gas fires have a long established history in Japan (where there are 40 million), the United States (approximately 20 million) and Australia. Fixed flueless gas fires give a combination of convenience, efficiency and safety which flued fires can never equal. We have entered an era of spiralling gas prices, gas shortages and global warming. It is short sighted to continue wasting energy at such a rate when there is an alternative product which is superior to flued fires in so many ways. Most of the heat from an open flued gas fire or solid fuel fire goes straight up the chimney. By comparison 100% of the heat generated by a flueless gas fire goes to heating the room. Tests commissioned by one manufacturer compared a 2.5kW flueless gas fire, to a typical 6kW inset flued gas fire (quoted efficiency 59%), a decorative flued gas fire and a 2kW electric fire. These tests showed that the flueless gas fire produced over 3
