So
what's the downside to flueless gas appliances? So far
as we are aware, there are none! Several urban myths would
have it otherwise, but all have been categorically proved
to be just that - myths.
Here are the facts:
The
Safety Record
Fixed flueless gas fires have an outstanding safety record
and by the end of 2007, approximately 15 million flueless
gas fires had been sold in the USA and some 40 million
in Japan.
In
the USA, forty-nine of the fifty states already approve
flueless (or vent-free as they call it) gas appliances
because of their proven safety and reliability record
- California is the last to follow.
(See: www.ventfree.org/content/view/36/53/).
Further information about the "rumours and misinformation"
regarding the safety of flueless gas appliances is found
at www.ventfree.org.
In
America, the ANSI Z21 11.2 Standard and National Fuel
Gas Code was revised in 1994 to permit wall mounted installations
of vent-free gas heaters of 10,000 Btu or less in bedrooms
and 6,000 Btu or less in Bathrooms. As always check local
codes
Safety
Standards
Flueless gas fires are also extremely clean burning and
under stringent European Standards test show that Burley
flueless gas fires are more than four times better than
the stringent code requires.
Reliability
Catalytic conversion is also extremely reliable, and there
are no recorded occasions when any Burley catalytic converter
has had to be replaced through component failure.
Oxygen
Depletion Safety
All of our Burley flueless/vent-free gas fires have an
integral dual purpose Oxygen Detection Safety (ODS) pilot
(also known as Oxygen Depletion Sensor) which automatically
shuts off the flow of the gas in the rare instance that
the level of oxygen in the room falls from the normal
20.9% to 18.5% or an interruption in the fuel supply occurs.
18.5% is lower than the normal level but still well above
safe levels for human occupation.
There
have been a few incidents surrounding vent-free appliances,
but in every case the fault lay in below standard, unqualified
or unregulated fitting of the appliance, and the failure
to fit the legally required extra ventilation.
Smells
& Odours
One myth has it that catalytic converters give off unpleasant
odours. This is largely based on people's experience of
automobiles, where there is undoubtedly additional odour
added to exhaust gases by catalytic conversion. But, in
our Burley domestic flueless gas fires, only the highest
quality and most appropriate materials are used in their
manufacture, and as a result, our flueless gas fires and
stoves are totally odour-free.
Condensation
Another popular falsehood is that flueless gas appliances
cause a great deal of condensation, as water vapour is
one of the by-products of combustion. This is not the
case. Most fires in a modern home are used as a secondary
heat source in any case, as the major source is from central
heating. Given normal ambient room temperatures, any water
vapour or moisture is naturally dissipated by normal air
movement. There will only ever be slight condensation
on windows in cold rooms, especially where windows are
only single glazed - as is the case with all conventional
gas fires - so there is no difference whether the fire
is flued or flueless.
Three
Golden Rules for Flueless & Vent-Free Gas Fires
However,
as with any fitted gas appliance, safety is of paramount
importance, and we would encourage prospective purchasers
to follow the three rules laid out below:
1)
Only have your flueless or vent-free appliance fitted
by a qualified gas fitter;
2)
Ensure that the required additional ventilation is installed
(air bricks, through-wall ventilators, etc) to meet with
or exceeed local, regional and/or national codes and standards;
3).
Ensure that the gas appliance meets with EU standards
(the CE mark) for Europe, or is certified by the CSA to
meet ANSI (American National Standards Institute) codes
in the USA. Check all local codes and ordinances before
buying or fitting vent-free gas appliances. If it's not
up to the code, don't buy it!!
And...
if in the end, you still need additional reassurances,
it's a good idea to install one or more carbon monoxide
detectors in your home, no matter what type of fuel-burning
appliance you have.
Convenience
Flueless
and vent-free fires are popular with builders and local
authorities because of their low installation and maintenance
costs when compared to conventional flued fires. It can
be fitted in minutes rather than hours, but it cannot be
stressed too much - your flueless gas fire should always
be fitted by a registered Gas Fitter. In the United Kingdom
it is now illegal for an unqualified person to install or
fit any fixed gas appliance.
Installation
costs of a conventional gas fire can run into several thousands
of pounds, especially when you take into account the building
or restoration of a chimney, or of lining an existing old
chimney. Add to this the cost of building a fireplace and
buying the fire itself and this currently runs to around
£8,000.00. The flueless fire, on the other hand, often
needs no more than a simple gas connection by the gas fitter,
and a place to stand the unit - and that's all there is
to it.
Further,
annual servicing costs involve no more than cleaning, checking
combustion levels and for wear and tear damage. It does
not need to be disconnected and there is no chimney to sweep!
