Flueless Gas Fires & Stoves

Buying guide

A flueless gas fire lets you have a real gas flame in a room with no chimney, no outside wall and no flue route. It is clever technology with clear conditions attached, and those conditions decide whether it suits your room.

How a flueless gas fire works

A flueless fire burns natural gas (or LPG on some models) cleanly, then passes the combustion products through a catalytic converter above the flames. The converter turns carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide, which is released into the room with the water vapour from burning the gas. Because nothing goes up a flue, almost all the heat stays in the room.

The trade-off is that the room's air is shared with the fire. That is why every flueless fire has a minimum room volume, a permanent air vent and a modest heat output.

Room size and ventilation

To check your room, multiply length x width x ceiling height in metres. A room 4m x 3m with a 2.4m ceiling is 28.8 cubic metres, enough for the 5010, 5060 or 5510 but not the 6010. The vent must be permanent and kept clear.

Choosing a flueless fire

• Wall mounted (5010, 5060): hangs on the wall with a gas supply behind, no fireplace needed. The 5010 is portrait, 505mm wide and 590mm high; the 5060 landscape, 635mm wide and 475mm high.
• Inset (5510): fits an existing fireplace opening, 410mm to 425mm wide and 555mm to 570mm high, for a traditional look in a room whose chimney is blocked or unusable.
• Stove (6010): a freestanding gas stove with a log effect for the look of a log burner in a room of at least 35 cubic metres.

Living with a flueless fire

Flueless fires are best as supplementary heat alongside central heating; Ekofires states that the 5510 is not suitable as a primary heat source. Because water vapour is released into the room, expect some condensation on cold windows, especially in a smaller room, and keep the vent open. The gas safety regulations do not allow a gas appliance that is not room-sealed in a bathroom or shower room, and a gas fire in a bedroom must be room-sealed or have a safety device that shuts it down before fumes build up, so a flueless fire belongs in a living space unless your engineer confirms otherwise. Have it serviced every year, as the catalyst and burner need checking, and keep the room's carbon monoxide alarm tested.

Where a flueless fire works best

Flueless fires solve a specific problem: a room with a gas supply but no way to get a flue out. Typical examples are flats where a chimney is not possible, houses where the old chimney has been removed or capped, extensions and garden rooms with gas, and rooms where a balanced flue cannot reach an outside wall. They work best in medium to large living rooms that are used in the evenings, where the modest output tops up the central heating and the vent and room size requirements are easy to meet.

They are less suited to small, closed rooms, rooms with lots of moisture already, and anyone hoping to replace central heating. If your room is near the minimum size, choose the model with the lowest minimum, the 5010 or 5060 at 23 cubic metres.

Flueless gas or electric?

Both give a fire with no chimney. A flueless gas fire gives a real gas flame and up to 3.1kW, but needs a gas supply, a Gas Safe engineer, a permanent vent, an annual service and a CO alarm. An electric fire gives an LED flame and up to about 2kW from a socket, with no vent or service, and can run the flame without heat. If the real flame matters most, choose gas; if simplicity matters most, choose a wall mounted electric fire.

Installation and the rules

A flueless gas fire must be installed by a Gas Safe registered engineer, who will confirm the room size, fit the permanent vent and commission the fire. In England a carbon monoxide alarm is required in the room for any new or replacement gas fire. If the conditions cannot be met, consider an electric fire, which needs no gas, flue or vent. More detail in gas fire types explained.