Fireplaces for homes without a chimney or flue

Looking for a Fireplace but do not have a chimney or flue
22nd June 2010

If you are looking for a way to create a fireplace feature in your home but do not have a chimney, there are many options still available to you. For those with a gas connection often a balanced flue gas fire or a flueless gas fire is the perfect option, for those with neither, the best option is to go for an electric fire.

The balanced flue gas fire does not require a chimney as it vents directly out onto an external wall and is therefore in no requirement of a chimney. There are a vast range of styles of this type of fire which range from inset and incorporated into complete fireplaces with a mantle and hearth to the ultra-modern hole-in-the-wall or hang-on-the-wall style. The key elements which are essential for installing these types of fires is a gas supply, an external wall and the adequate depth to suit the fire. Another advantage to balanced flue fires is that they tend to be more efficient as they are almost always glass fronted burning fuel more efficiently and also radiating heat from the glass. If a glass fronted fire is not what you want, you can still have a balanced flue gas fire which is open fronted but this will require a fan to aid the expulsion of the emissions of the fire. This type of fire is called a Powerflue gas fire.

Flueless gas fires, as defined by their name, do not require a flue of any type. They can simply be hung or inset where they are required and connected to a gas supply as they have a catalytic converter incorporated. They are extremely cost effective to run as they are 100% efficient and require little in terms of installation. There requirements are simply a gas supply, adequate depth if insetting and an air vent in the room where they are installed. There is a minimum room size required for any flueless gas fire.

If you do not have a gas supply which you can connect to a fire, the best alternative is to incorporate an electric fire into your home. These are available in all shapes and styles to suit all tastes and require almost no effort in their installation. Most electric fires will have a maximum heat output of 2 Kilowatts with an incorporated fan heater and do not require an air vent or a chimney, on most electric fires simply a three pin plug socket for power.

As you can see there are a large variety of options available to those without a chimney and even those without a gas supply if they so wish to make a feature of a fireplace in their home or business and a great variety of these products to suit all tastes and budgets. Most websites will have search options to help you find exactly what you need and help you filter through the hundreds of products available to you by style and function. To help you get started, view our range.