Fire baskets or Wood burning Stoves - Style against Efficiency User Icon

Fire baskets and Wood burning Stoves are the two best sellers in the fireplace industry, ask any shop in town and they will tell you stoves and fire baskets out sell traditional fireplaces by a reasonable margin.

Fire baskets don’t generate as much heat as a wood burning stove, but they add a special touch to that old fireplace or you can put them in any corner of your living room to enhance the room’s decoration.

Wood burning Stoves have a more traditional style and might not suit a room that has been decorated in a more contemporary way, but boy, they sure bang out the heat. Most stoves can burn wood for up to 10 hours without the need of refuelling and with the new airwash system they stay clean.

If your room has an alternative heating system, fire baskets are favourite. Imagine that romantic evening curled up in front of the fire and your favourite DVD, or friends round for supper, what could enhance the atmosphere more than a beautiful fire basket glowing in the corner. Fire baskets can also be a feature in the summer, just decorate with logs and pine combs.

So it is up to you decide know which one will suit your needs; fire baskets add a nice touch to any room but can cost a few extra pounds to run and don’t generate as much heat. On the other hand, wood burning stoves can run at a very low cost, generate up to 9kW of heating power not to mention they are also eco-friendly.

Natural Gas - The Facts

The main ingredient in natural gas is methane, a gas composed of one carbon atom and four hydrogen atoms. Millions of years ago, the remains of plants and animals decayed and built up in thick layers. Over time, the sand and silt changed to rock, covered the organic material, and trapped it beneath the rock. Pressure and heat changed some of this organic material into coal, some into oil, and some into natural gas — tiny bubbles of odorless gas.In some places, gas escapes from small gaps in the rocks into the air; then, if there is enough activation energy from lightning or a fire, it burns. When people first saw the flames, they experimented with them and learned they could use them for heat and light.

How Do We Get Natural Gas?

The search for natural gas begins with geologists, who study the structure and processes of the Earth. They locate the types of rock that are likely to contain gas and oil deposits.

Today, geologists' tools include seismic surveys that are used to find the right places to drill wells. Seismic surveys use echoes from a vibration source at the Earth’s surface (usually a vibrating pad under a truck built for this purpose) to collect information about the rocks beneath. Sometimes it is necessary to use small amounts of dynamite to provide the vibration that is needed.

Scientists and engineers explore a chosen area by studying rock samples from the earth and taking measurements. If the site seems promising, drilling begins. Some of these areas are on land but many are offshore, deep in the ocean. Once the gas is found, it flows up through the well to the surface of the ground and into large pipelines.

Some of the gases that are produced along with methane, such as butane and propane (also known as "by-products"), are separated and cleaned at a gas processing plant. The by-products, once removed, are used in a number of ways. For example, propane when stored in a liquid from is an alternative for people who do not have a natural gas supply and is normally stored in a large tank outside your home, this is know as LPG or Liquified Propane Gas.

We can also use machines called "digesters" that turn today's organic material (plants, animal wastes, etc.) into natural gas. This process replaces waiting for millions of years for the gas to form naturally.

How Does The Gas Get To Me?
Natural gas is moved by pipelines from the producing fields to consumers. Because natural gas demand is greater in the winter, it is stored along the way, you may have seen the large storage tanks near you, large round tanks that rise and fall depending on the amount of gas inside. The gas remains there until it is added back into the pipeline when people begin to use more gas, such as in the winter to heat homes.

How Is Natural Gas Used?

How Natural Gas Is Used

Natural gas is used to produce steel, glass, paper, clothing, brick, electricity and as an essential raw material for many common products. Some products that use natural gas as a raw material are: paints, fertilizer, plastics, antifreeze, dyes, photographic film, medicines, and explosives.

A majority of homes in the UK use natural gas as their main heating fuel, if they are connected to the national grid. Natural gas is also used in homes to fuel stoves, water heaters, clothes dryers, and other household appliances.

Choosing Your Perfect Fire

As well as being a source of warmth, a well chosen fire can become a real feature in a room. Yet with so much choice available, it can be difficult to know which type of fire will suit you and your home, and this is where we can help.

From traditional to ultra-modern contemporary, there are a wide choice of electric, gas and solid fuel fires and stoves in a range of different colours and styles available, as well as a wide selection of surrounds, hearths and finishing touches which will both compliment your fire, and create the mood, atmosphere and look you want.

Choosing the right fire

There are a number of factors to consider when choosing a new fire, For the contemporary look there are a superb range of sleek, ultra modern fires and surrounds available. However, if you’re looking for something a little more classic, many traditional style fireplaces have been based on period designs.

Once you have chosen the style of fireplace, you will need to establish which fuel option best suits your requirements - gas, electric or solid fuel. If you would like a gas or solid fuel fire, the type of chimney you have in your home will determine which fire is most suitable.

Types of chimney

The type of chimney or flue you have in your home will usually dictate the type of fire you can have.

Brick chimney

Look for:

• External chimney stack with chimney pot on the roof
• Internal chimney breast

You can choose from these types of fires:

• Solid fuel stoves and casts
• Any gas fire
• Any electric fire

Pre-fabricated flue

Look for:

• External metal flue pipe on top of the roof
• Internal false chimney breast (built around a metal flue box)

You can choose from these types of fires:

• Multi-flue gas fires
• Depending on depth of false chimney breast, selected full depth bed gas fires
• Any electric fire

Pre-cast flue

Look for:

• Raised ridge tile on the roof
• Metal flue pipe on the roof
• No chimney breast (either internally or externally)

You can choose from these types of fires:

• Multi-flue gas fires
• Depending on depth of false chimney breast, selected full depth bed gas fires
• Any electric fire

No chimney or flue

If you don’t have a chimney or a flue you can choose any electric fire, or, if you fancy a gas fire you can choose one of our flueless options..

Flueless fires remove harmful gases via a catalytic converter. This results in a highly efficient fire since no heat is lost through the flue.

Please note that flueless fires are only suitable for certain sized rooms and require adequate ventilation.

Create A Modern Contemporary Finish In Your Living Room!

With the modern interior design trending towards creating a modern and contemporary finish. This article can show just how you can completely transform a traditional living room into a stunningly contemporary living space, but without having to sacrifice the warm ambience that the room already has.

The first thing to establish is a colour scheme, a naturally warm scheme would range from an auburn almost red brown finish up to a natural vanilla finish. These warm colours would lend themselves perfectly to a warm living space.

To create this stunning warm finish, I've started with a warm dark wood flooring such as walnut, the rich deep colour adds warmth to the room that beech, pine or another light wood would normally remove. This is contrasted with beech furniture, drawing attention to the coffee tables that would blend in if finished in a matching colour, this adds something to draw the eye around the room, meaning guests or visitors will see every detail, The beech coffee table in this picture compliments the dark wood flooring while drawing attention to the vase and flower situted on it.

Complimenting the dark wood flooring and contrasting tables is the choice of seating. This stunning set of chocolate leather seats matches well with the flooring, while not blending in due to the the steel legs.

The crowning glory of this room though is the fire. The Apex Rivas 100. This stunning fireplace is available in a choice of three different rear trims and five different front frames to buy it to suit the living space. Shown below is the bronze rear frame with the brushed steel front trim. This beautifully contemporary fire is beautifully displayed on the chimney breast, creating a focal point that not only fits with the decorum but also heats the room, generating up to 5.5kW of heat while also being energy efficient at up to 80%. The Rivas 100 comes as standard with either the log effect shown below or pebble fuel effect for an even more contemporary finish when combined with the cream fireback (black shown below) as well as the luxury of remote control as standard, allowing control of the fire from the comfort of your own chair. Or for those looking for the "letterbox" look rather than the strong square finish of the Rivas 100, the Rivas 60 is available, this combines all the features and style of the Rivas 100 with a letterbox style trim and window, ideal for smalled rooms when perhaps the Rivas 100 may dominate.

Kinder Fires Limours

The Limours is the first dedicated wall mounted balanced flue gas fire from Kinder Fires. Ideal for homes without a chimney, No chimney is required as this fire is flued directly though an outside wall. It can be simply hung on the wall with no need for any major or extensive building work or can be recessed when fitted with an additional wall plate for a more sleek finish, with only the trim standing pround of the wall.

The balanced flue system in this fire means it can achieve very high net efficiency ratings of up to 87% and heat output of 4.2kW.The Limours is remote controlled, allowing full control from the comfort of your armchair and features a contemporary graphite fascia with stainless steel detail that highlights the aggregate rock fuel bed and living gas flame. The contemporary graphite fascia features detailing that adds to the contemporary finish and further drawing attention to the flame picture in the centre.

This stunningly modern gas fire is perfect to create that focal point in a modern living space and unlike other hole or hang on the wall gas fires this fire does not just look like a gaping hole in the wall when not on, the graphite fascia and the stainless steel inlay trim combine to make this fire a work of art as well as a source of heat.

Apex Samson Gas Fire

We have just been informed by our colleagues over at The Fireplace Megastore that they have just had the Apex Samson Balanced Flue Gas Fire installed and put onto display. This means you can see the build quality and feel the heat generated by this incredibly popular balanced flue gas fire.

The Apex Samson balanced flue gas fire is ideal for properties without a chimney, these fires flue directly through the external wall and are incredibly efficient. With the Samson boasting an 85% efficiency rating, which is highly impressive considering the other option for a similar fire would be a powerflue gas fire, with even the most efficient of these only generating 69% efficiency, a near 20% improvement and unlike a powered flue fire there is no noisy extractor fan on the outside wall and no possibility of drafts during cold or windy weather conditions.

The Samson is highly flexible with the choice of six different trims, driftwood, coal or pebble fuel effect and nine different frets to choose from, meaning the fire has the flexibility to be either contemporary silver or very traditional in brass with an indiana fret.

The fire is on display is proudly displayed with the polished stainless steel trim and the Chrome Washington Fret and fully functioning allowing you to see the living flame effect in action with the coal fuel effect.

The Apex Samson is displayed prominently in one of their best selling natural limestone surrounds, The Europa Crete Limestone surround is made of real portuguese limestone giving that authentic cool to the touch feel that is unmatched by more modern synthetic or micro marble fireplace surrounds. Comes with 51inch top shelf and features a gentle curve to the mantle shelf to add to the classic styling. This high quality stone fireplace comes with a three-piece back panel for ease of handling and installation. It also has the added bonus of free mainland UK delivery!

Visit the Fireplace Megastore HERE and view this high-quality balanced flue gas fire.

Plumber Jailed For Illegal Gas Work

The Health & Safety Executive has successfully prosecuted four plumbers in recent weeks that have been carrying out illegal gas work.
Andrew John Carslake was jailed at Chelmsford Court after he admitted breaching health and safety laws. He recieved six-month prison sentences for two separate offences relating to gas safety offences.
Andrew Carslake was originally given a Health and Safety Executive probation notice in 2008 after a complaint about gas work that he had undertaken, he was then exposed as not being GasSafe registered. By Law, All gas engineers must be on the GasSafe Register.
However, he ignored the prohibition order and continued to carry out further illegal gas work, until he was caught on camera by the BBC's Rogue Traders programme in July 2009. One HSE inspector said " It is illegal for an unregistered person to carry out work on any gas appliances. When unregistered tradesmen try and to bypass the law in this manner, they are not only putting themselves at risk of prosectution and a large fine, they are also endangering the lives of their customers."
"Working with gas appliances is difficult, specialised and potentiall very, very dangerous. The Health & Safety Executive will not hesitate to prosecute those who break the law."
"There is no doubt that Watchdog's Rogue Traders has struck a blow for gas safety with their undercover report. They played a big part in helping us get this case to court and securing justice."
"We applaud their efforts to expose illegal gas work and help the public understand the importance of getting qualified and registered professionals to do their gas work."

In another separate case, a pair of plumbers from Hertfordshire have also been sentenced for illegally working on domestic gas appliances.
Paul Fromet from Cheshunt and Michael Wright of Waltham Cross fitted a boiler in a house in Chevington, Suffolk. After an investigation was carried out by the HSE, Bury St Edmunds Magistrates Court heard that neither plumber was on the Gas Safe Register.
They had installed the boiler, but it had not been adjusted to run on the LPG gas supply in the house. As a result the boiler was producing more than 200 times the recommended level of Carbon Monoxide.
Both men admitted breaching Gas Safety (Installation & Use) Regulations 1998. They recieved a two-year conditional discharge and were ordered to pay court costs of £250 each.

Finally, Enfield-based Tony MacTaggart, who also trades as TJM Heating & Plumbing was found to have lied to homeowners about being on the Gas Safe register.
He had installed a boiler in a house in Cheshunt, but after the owners complained to Gas Safe, inspectors discovered that the boiler was in a very dangerous condition.
MacTaggart had been claiming to be Gas Safe Registered, carried out out and then tricked Registered Engineers into signing off his work by asking them to carry out annual gas safety inspections.
Tony MacTaggart was fined £2,500, ordered to pay full costs of £902 and a victim surcharge of £15.

Apex Mystique

The Apex Mystique is another quality fire from the Apex range of fires. The Apex Fires Mystique is available in both a three-sided version to sit on a hearth in a traditional fireplace or in a four-sided Hole-In-The-Wall Version for a more contemporary look.

The Mystique is available in Black, Brushed Steel, Copper and Dusted Silver providing the flexibility to fit in with almost any living space colour scheme, while the fuel bed can also be customised with either black or polished sides, the polished sides create the illusion of an even larger fuel bed, while the black sides highlight the flames and really do make the living gas flames the centre of attention.
For added versatility and flexibilty to suit almost any taste the Mystique is available with either a pebble or coal fuel effect. The coal effect provides the ultimate sense of realism thanks to the ultra-deep fuel bed, that when combined with the fact that Apex Mystique is one of the deepest high-output, open-fronted radiant fires available on the market today and the living gas flames give a real sense of a solid fuel fire, while the pebble fuel effect provides a more contemporary effect.

The strong right angles and sleek edges of this fire give a very cubist and almost futurist look and combine to make a very modern effect that is emphasised by the two levels of trim around the fire. The first level defines the fire and draws the attention in, while the second level frames the fuel effect and makes the flames the centre of attention. This fire can also sport the luxury of a remote control that means you can control this fire from the luxury of your armchair.

The 4.2kW heat output of the fire provides plenty of heat output for the average sized living space and fill the room with the highly desirable glow and warmth that is so eagerly sought after during the winter months.

This highly stylish and modern fire also now comes with complete with a 5 year manufacturer's warranty, that means that not only does this fire come with a sense of style, but it also comes with peace of mind.