Do I need to have a chimney?
If you want to have a solid fuel appliance to burn coal or logs then it is necessary to have either a masonry chimney or a twin-wall insulated purpose-built flue system in your home. This serves to remove the waste gases from the combustion process and carry them away safely out of the room. The mimimum diameter of the flue system will depend on the type of appliance you want to install but for an open fire it must be a minimum of 8" (200mm) internal diameter. A glass-fronted fire such as a wood-burning stove or a built in fire usually works on a smaller diameter flue - usually 6" (150mm) internal diameter as specified by the manufacturer. Before making the final decision on the type of appliance you purchase, it is worth considering the efficiencies of the different solutions.
A chimney or flue system is also desirable for a gas appliance as these fires also have to expel the waste products from the combustion process and the easiest way for them to do this is up through a flue. There are however gas fires available that do not require a chimney. Open gas fires can be installed with a power-flue system which is an electrically operated extraction fan at the rear of the fire which draws the fumes from the fire to the outside. Glass fronted fires for installation into a home without a chimney usually use a balanced flue system which does not require any power supply. These fires are very efficient, quiet in operation and very safe since they are totally sealed off from the room. Flueless gas fires are also available which require no flue system. They achieve this by burning extremely efficiently and utilising a catalytic convertor to collect the very small amount of fumes that may be produced. The disadvantage of these fires are that in order to operate safely, they require substantial additional external ventilation which can often cause problems with draught in a room.
Bio-fuel fires burn cleanly without any requirement for a disposal of waste gases. Some very attractive contemporary fires are available and this is a definite "must see" option for anyone whose home does not have a chimney.
Electric fires require no chimney or fluing system since they produce no fumes. Some modern electric fires are incredibly realistic some even using water vapour to create real smoke.
