Inset Gas Fires

Buying guide

An inset gas fire is the classic British fireplace upgrade: it fills the opening in your chimney breast or surround, connects to the flue behind and gives a flame at the turn of a control. Getting it right is mostly about measuring, and about matching the fire to your flue.

What is an inset gas fire?

An inset gas fire fits into a fireplace opening, usually within a fire surround or a hole in the wall, with its firebox recessed and only the fascia and trim on show. It connects to the chimney or flue behind and takes its gas supply through the side or rear. The term "hole in the wall fire" usually means an inset fire set straight into a plastered wall opening without a surround.

Compared with an outset fire, which stands proud of the wall on the hearth, an inset fire keeps the room clean and uncluttered and puts the flame at the heart of the fireplace, where it looks most natural. It also suits almost any style of surround, from a cast iron Victorian mantel to a plain plastered opening. The trade-off is that the opening, flue and fire have to match, which is why measuring and knowing your flue type come first.

Inset fires differ in two main ways: depth (slimline or full depth) and front (open-fronted or glass-fronted). There is also a flueless inset, the Ekofires 5510, for homes with no usable chimney.

Our inset gas fires compared

Pairs with consecutive numbers share a firebox and differ in controls: the 3010, 3060 and 4010 have manual rotary control, while the 3015, 3065 and 4015 have Ekofires' FingerSlide control. The 3020 is also listed with a remote control.

Measuring your fireplace opening

An inset fire has to fit the opening it sits in, and each Ekofires listing gives the range of opening sizes it accepts. Measure before you choose.

• Width. Measure the opening across at the front. The 3010 and 3015 accept 350mm to 450mm; the 4010 and 4015 need at least 410mm.
• Height. Measure from the hearth to the top of the opening. Most of our inset fires need about 540mm to 575mm.
• Depth. Measure from the front of the opening to the back of the fireplace or flue. A slimline fire needs as little as 108mm; full depth fires need up to 250mm.
• The flue. Note whether it is a brick chimney, a metal prefabricated flue or a pre-cast block flue, and its size if you can see it.
• Surround and hearth. Check what is around the opening. The flueless 5510 is supplied with a spacer for a 100mm (4 inch) rebated surround; other set-ups need different spacers.

Measurements decide what fits; your Gas Safe engineer decides whether the flue and installation are safe and compliant.

Slimline or full depth?

Slimline inset fires were developed for shallow openings and pre-cast flues, the narrow block flues built into many houses from the 1960s on, which cannot take a deep firebox. They also suit chimneys and prefabricated flues, so they are the most widely compatible choice. Ekofires' slimline range includes both open-fronted and glass-fronted fires. See all slimline fires.

Full depth fires have a deep firebox that holds a fuller fuel bed, closer to the look of a real coal or log fire. They need a chimney or a prefabricated flue of at least 5 inches. See full depth gas fires.

Open-fronted or glass-fronted?

Open-fronted fires let you see the flames with nothing in the way and suit anyone who wants the look of a traditional open fire. They lose more heat up the flue: Ekofires states 50% to 67% for its open-fronted inset fires. Glass-fronted fires seal the flame behind glass and are far more efficient: the 4010 and 4015 are stated at 90%. If the fire will be on most evenings in winter, glass-fronted pays its way.

Controls explained

How you light and adjust the fire makes more difference day to day than people expect.

• Manual rotary control. A dial on the fire, usually under the hood or on the side, lights the pilot and turns the flame up and down. Simple and reliable; standard on the 3010, 3060, 3090 and 4010.
• FingerSlide control. Ekofires' slide control, which lets you light and adjust the fire with a sliding action. On the 3015, 3065 and 4015.
• Remote control. The 3020 remote version adjusts the flame from your chair. For selected models, the Ekofires remote upgrade is a mains-free ultrasonic remote that adjusts the flame height once the pilot has been lit by hand.

If anyone in the house finds a low dial awkward to reach, a slide or remote control is worth considering.

Fuel beds and fascias

The fuel bed sets the character of the fire. A coal bed gives the familiar glowing look of a traditional British fireplace; a log bed looks more like a wood fire; pebbles suit a minimal, contemporary hole in the wall. The 3020 and 3065 offer coal or pebble beds, the 3060 and 3090 coal, log or pebble, and the 4010 and 4015 a coal bed. Fascias range from simple black trims to chrome and brass effects; the 3090's Victorian-style cast-effect fascia in satin chrome or black is designed for period fireplaces. Always lay the fuel bed exactly as the manual shows, because the pieces are placed to let the flames and combustion air flow properly.

Replacing an old gas fire

Many inset fires go in where an old gas fire came out. A few things to know before you start:

• Check the opening after the old fire is out. Older fires sometimes sat in non-standard openings, and the size behind the fascia may be different from what you see.
• Back boilers. If the old fire has a back boiler behind it that heats your water or radiators, removing it is a heating job: the pipework must be capped or the system changed, and you will need another way to heat water.
• The flue gets checked. Your Gas Safe engineer will inspect and test the flue before fitting the new fire, and may recommend a sweep or a liner.
• Hearth and surround. A new fire may need a different hearth projection or surround rebate. Check the manual.
• Carbon monoxide alarm. A replacement gas fire in England needs a CO alarm in the room, and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own rules.

Our picks

For most homes we would suggest the glass-fronted Ekofires 4015 with FingerSlide control. For a traditional open look in a brick chimney, the Ekofires 3065. For a Victorian room, the 3090 with its cast-effect fascia. With no usable chimney, the 5510.

Surrounds, hearths and finishing

An inset fire is usually framed by a fire surround and stands over a hearth. A wooden or cast iron surround with a matching back panel and hearth gives a complete fireplace; a plastered hole in the wall gives a minimal look. Whatever you choose, the materials close to the fire must suit it: Approved Document J asks for a non-combustible hearth with a top layer at least 12mm thick and a marked edge where a gas fire needs one, and the manual gives clearances to combustible shelves and mantels. Browse fire surrounds and hearths, including Carron granite hearths in one piece sizes that suit gas.

A back panel sits behind the fire within the surround and frames the fascia. Carron's three piece black granite back panel, 970mm x 970mm, suits solid fuel or gas and gives a classic dark backdrop to a chrome or brass fascia. Choose the surround, back panel and hearth together so the proportions work and the fire sits centrally in the opening. If the fire is going into a plain hole in the wall, keep the opening crisp and square, and leave the hearth projection the manual asks for.

Installation and safety

• Gas Safe. An inset gas fire must be fitted by a Gas Safe registered engineer, who will check the flue (including a spillage test) before commissioning the fire.
• Carbon monoxide alarm. Required in the room in England for a new or replacement gas fire; Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own rules, and an alarm is a sensible precaution everywhere.
• Ventilation. Follow the manual. Decorative fuel effect fires in a fireplace with a throat normally need a 100cm² vent, and the flueless 5510 needs 100cm² and a room of at least 27 cubic metres.
• Gas type. Our inset fires are natural gas models. The remote control on the 3020 is for natural gas only.
• Service. Have the fire serviced every year and the flue checked.

More on flue classes in gas fire types explained.