Open Gas Fireplace

When considering a gas fire for a house, amongst the more common questions asked is: What’s the difference between open fronted and glass fronted? While visually there may seem little difference, what you don’t see is where the real differences occur.

Efficiency

Open gas fires work in much the same way as a traditional solid fuel open fire using a cleaner fuel source. This means the fire will use air from the room as an ignition source, and while a certain amount will be drawn under the fire and re circulated into the room whether fan assisted or through natural convection, a proportion of the rooms warm air will be drawn into the fire box and travel out through the flue.

An open gas fire also provides a vent for warm air to be drawn out of the house when it is not in use much as a traditional open fire does. Both of the above will require replacement air from outside to be introduced to maintain airflow. Therefore as the fire attempts to increase a room’s temperature it requires more air. This in turn means that energy input (gas) to heat output (Kw) becomes disproportionate thus reducing efficiency.

Glass fronted gas fireplaces such as the Escea DX-Series and DL-Series ranges are sealed units. This allows the above issues to be overcome by introducing air directly into the chamber from outside.

As the fire is sealed from the room there is no requirement for replacement air, or loss of heat through the fire. Air from within the room is pulled in through the front of the fire surround and over a heat exchanger then circulated back via either a fan or duct system.

This reduces the temperature difference between the rooms incoming and outgoing air to be minimum, thus achieving a more constant temperature. This type of system allows both the above Escea ranges to run at between 85-90% efficiency.

• TV above Gas Fireplace
• Corner Gas Fireplaces
• Modern Gas Fireplaces