The Burley Perception

Burley have recently unveiled another high-quality flueless gas fire, adding to their existing range of popular flueless models such as the Ambience, Environ and Acumen.
The new flueless gas fire has been unveiled as the Burley Fires Perception Catalytic Flueless Gas Fire, this new model adds even more choice for the unlucky few without a chimney or flue.

The Perception features a solid cast iron front, giving a feel of quality that can sometimes be lacking on other inset fires using a slightly flimsy trim on the exterior. The Perception follows in the line of quality Burley products, with the company going from strength to strength since starting in 1975 and now sells it's products all over the world!

The contemporary design of this fire is available in Black, Brass and Silver to suite most interior design, the contemporary fret also breaks tradition from the very conventional frets found on many other fires and offers smooth curves that soften the appearance of the fire and help the fire fit in with its surroundings.

Available in both manual and remote control options this Burley fire boasts 100% efficiency and a 2.5kW heat output, making it an ideal compliment to existing heating systems. The fire also boasts the added flexibility of being able to be both inset and outset using the additional spacer, also available is the cavity wall box for when the fire is inset, this helps keep all the heat from the fire in the room instead of letting some of the heat rise up inside the brick cavity and possibly cause damage to the internal structures.

As this Burley flueless gas fire does not rely on a chimney, it provides an unsurpassed level of safety to which a conventionally flued fire could only dream of! Flues and chimneys can become blocked or badly affected affected by down-draughts. Burley flueless gas fires are designed to burn the gas extremely cleanly without a flue. The burnt gases are then passed through a catalytic converter, very similar to the one of the average car! Every Burley flueless gas fire has an oxygen depletion sensor which constantly monitors the air quality in the room. If the level of oxygen drops by just 1.5%, the fire automatically shuts down. Burley’s production method is unique. Every flueless gas fire ever made by Burley has been test run for 30 minutes, during which numerous combustion and safety tests.

Winter Warmth

With large amounts of snow falling in Scotland and Northern England at the moment, the feeling of walking into warm house to escape from the cold and snow outside is only going to become even more desirable.

During the Winter months it becomes more important that a fire is not just decorative, but also has a significant heat output to provide that desired heat in the room. Stoves and larger gas fires provide that perfect glow and ambience, filling the room with warmth and that stereotypical, picture-postcard christmas living room scene. Filled with that lovely warm glow, with the christmas tree lit up in the corner and snow falling just outside the window.

With the large viewing window and substantial heat output, the Firebelly FB3 is perfect for such an occasion. The Firebelly FB3 is hand-built with high-quality materials and is available in a range of different colours, the days when a stove was a small black cast iron box sat in the corner and offering limited, at best views of the glowing fire inside are gone. The Firebelly FB3 offers unparalelled views of the fire within thanks to the extremely large viewing window and effective air wash system that keeps the window clear of smoke. At 18kW of heat output then this stove provides more than enough heat for even the biggest rooms. With modern contemporary styling and available in 18 different colours, this stove should fit in with most styles of decor and become the focal piece when a fire is going. Also available in a double sided versions to take pride of place in the centre of a room of possibly built into a false wall or room divider for added impact.

For a more traditional appearance then perhaps the Vermont Castings Intrepid II Multifuel or woodburning stoves. "The World's Finest Cast Iron Stoves" combine a traditional and time tested appearance with state of the art technology such as a catalytic conbustion chamber which ignites any unburnt products of combustion and increases the efficiency and heat output of the stove. The Intrepid II also makes use of Infra-Red Reflection technology and an air-wash to make sure that the windows stay as clear as possible to give the best view of the fire within.
Available in matt black as standard or also available in biscuit, bordeaux or black enamel finishes to create that extra level or style and design. While the Intrepid II only gives out 7kW of heat, this high level is certainly enough to heat most sized living spaces. The traditional styling adds to the rustic charm of the Intrepid stove and the time-tested design almost ensures durability and would be perfect to warm the living room on a cold snowy evening or weekend.

Verine Eden HE Hole in the Wall Fire.

The Verine Eden is a high efficiency hole in the wall gas fire like no other that sets the bench mark for others to follow.
Hole in the wall fires are contemporary modern in the sense that they have elegance and designer appeal, however many fall short in delivering realistic fuel bed effect and elegant flame effect, well the Verine Eden delivers and then some.
Verine have created an unrivaled flame effect on the Eden that enhances the contemporary white stone fuel bed as well as a homely style with the realistic chunky log fuel bed effect whether you opt for the liquid propane gas version or the natural mains gas option.
Hole in the Wall gas fires of this type often do not have a measurable output or efficiency rating and are seen as purely decorative, but the Verine Eden excels once more to the point where it is classed as a high efficiency gas fire and boasts an impressive 83% net efficiency and up to a stonking 5.3kW maximum heat output.
The aesthetics of this fire are a major appeal and the fire has been designed to be minimalistic with high attention to detail, however the Verine Eden can have a deluxe designer mirrored frame which highlights the quality of this high end fire.
Safety features on the Eden include the flame supervision device and the oxygen depletion sensor. These additions give you piece of mind knowing the gas supply will be interrupted if one of these features are activated.
The Verine Eden emits both radiant and convected heat and can be viewed and purchased only from reputable retailers with showrooms and highly trained professional colleagues willing to assist you in selecting the right fire for your needs.Verine Eden HE Hole in the Wall Fire.

Ethanol Fireplaces Vs Catalytic and Balanced Flue

Gel fires are quite new in the UK, we have tested a few of them. They are nice products with a big flame however we all feel they are more suited to outdoor useages, the reason being is the ethanol can create a slight odor when burning. Its not that noticiable but depends how sesitive your nose is. Secondly it is a bit messing around to fill it up everytime you wan’t to use it. The maximum the tank will last for is around 2.5 hours. 

As far as cost wise, Ethanol is cheaper however, it is more expensive to package and transport while LPG has the benefit of econmies of scale selling thousands of tanks a day. In the end an gel fire will be 100% efficient, so all fuel turns into heat, while there are high efficinent LPG models out there it will not be 100% unless your going flueless catalytic. I’d say the amount that would be saved by using a gel fire would certainly be taken in time spent filling it up and disposing of the bottles.

there are many ways to increase your efficiency;

1 Catalytic Flueless gas fire (100%)

2 Balanced Flue Gas fires (circa 89%) [with extra large heat outputs avaiable on selected models]

3 High Efficiency Glass Fronted fires (circa 89%) 

Gas Fire Giving off a Smell

Gas fires can be complicated items, however if you know how they work then they are actually quite simple. There are many signs which can indicate an issue, the major one is smell, as you can't really see gas!

In the UK most gas pipelines have a 'odor' injected to make them easier to notice. If you fire is giving off a smell the first thing that is suggested is you switch off all gas supplies and open the windows. This is purely cautionary to make sure if there is a fault with the fire or flue that CO is not going to cause a death. All sounding very scary now isn't it.

Firstly CO (Carbon Monoxide) doesn't have an odor, you cannot smell or sense it in any way. However Carbon monoxide does burn, so if the fire is in good working order and you have conformed with regulations having an installer service the appliance every year it is highly unlikely that this will be the odor. It is advisable to have a CO detector in the room, which you can easily see as they change colour if they detect the chemical.


Every gas (and even electric) fire will smell during the first few hours of combustion, this is because the flame burn other chemicals which are situated on the internal parts of the burner. Just the small bit of heat on the frame will also evaporate the oils that are used to lubricate the metals as they're being cut. This is normal and nothing to worry about, its like the smell you have on a new carpet or clothes.

Save Money Now!

As I write this post it is only 58 days, 14 hours and 22 minutes until the Sales tax is rising by 2.5 percentage points to 20% starting on 4 January, 2011, as part of the coalition government’s plans to reduce the UK budget deficit.

Although this may not sound much that 2.5% could have a very big impact on the price of the fireplace you are looking to purchase. For example the Drugasar Metro 100XT Balanced Flue Gas Fire, one of the most popular Hole-In-The-Wall style gas fires, producing 6.3kW of heat energy at up to 70% efficiency, this high quality and stunningly contemporary gas fire would go up in price by over £50! this quite sharp price increase could take away money that could take this amazing fire over your budget!

The Drugasar Metro 100XT would go in price by over £50!

Electric fires arent exempt from the VAT rise either with the Apex Intense Hang-On-The-Wall electric fire with a stunning flame effect and high-quality black granite fascia would go up in price by over £30. This raise is price is equal in cost to running the 2kW silent heater on high constantly for over 250 hours! That means that buying the fire before Christmas without the extra 2.5% VAT would save you enough money to have the fire on the low 1kW heat setting from the 22nd of December, all the way through the festive season until the 5th of January! Or, phrasing it another way, that £30 saving would run the flame effect constantly for 5 years!

Buy now and save enough money to run the heater on low for 3 weeks!

Purchasing a multi-fuel stove before the 2.5% increase would certainly make sense, with that extra 2.5% working out at being nearly nearly £30 on the Vermont Castings Intrepid III multi-fuel stove, that £30 would go a long was towards getting the stove installed, or pay for that first load of fuel to store for the festive season, there is nothing better than sitting in front of a cracking log stove when it is cold and dark outside!

So if you're thinking about purchasing a gas or electric fire or stove, it would certainly be worth while and purchase before Christmas to save that extra 2.5%, it's amazing how far that 2.5% can take you.