What is a Balanced Flue Fireplace?

Who doesn’t love curling up next to a warm fire during the colder months? Fireplaces can add warmth, comfort, and style by creating a focal point in your living room or bedroom. Enjoying the warmth of a real fire no longer means you have to have a traditional chimney on your home. If you don’t have a chimney but still want a fireplace to sit around and cozy up next to, a balanced flue fireplace is what you’re looking for. Homeowners can choose from a range of contemporary gas fireplaces as a modern replacement for traditional fireplaces. It’s important to understand how balanced flue fireplaces work and what kind of advantages they have before installing one.

How do balanced flue fireplaces work?

Balanced flue gas fires, also called closed combustion gas fires, are contemporary gas fireplaces that are efficient and stylish. They are glass-fronted and are installed with a twin-walled pipe that vents directly to the outside. Fresh air is pulled from the outside of your home for combustion through the outer pipe, while the inner pipe is used to remove the waste gases and vents them outside.

If you’re worried about how the flue pipe will look from the exterior of your home, there’s more good news. You can install the twin-walled pipe to exit either horizontally or vertically through a wall or roof, depending on where you’re putting your fireplace. You don’t have to build an eyesore of a big flue pipe that wraps around the side of your property. It can be completely hidden from the interior and the exterior portion is essentially just a small vent known as an exit terminal. Vertical terminals that are installed through the roof are completely sealed and weatherproofed.

What are the benefits of balanced flue fireplaces?

One of the biggest benefits is that you can build a balanced flue fireplace almost anywhere in your home, and you have options for how to install it. You can make it look like a traditional fireplace and build a false chimney breast for both aesthetic and practical reasons; it adds a focal point to the room and also completely hides the twin-walled pipe.

If you’re looking for a more modern finish, you can opt to have your fireplace built as a hole in the wall or as a room divider. Since your balanced flue fireplace has no chimney size restrictions to worry about, they are available in a wide selection of sizes. We offer a number of different ranges, including:

• The Horizon Bell range for low, horizontal fireplaces
• The Original Bell range that has a more traditional shape with a modern twist
• The View Bell range for a more open aesthetic
• The Room Divider range to create dedicated areas in a room
• The Corner Bell range to enhance a corner area
• The Vertical Bell range for smaller spaces
• The Smart Bell range that includes the MagniFire burner system
  

Can a conventional flue be converted in a balanced flue?

For those who are enticed by the efficiency and compactness of a balanced flue but have a conventional flue and chimney in their home, it is possible to convert your chimney. Before diving into this project, ensure your new balanced flue fireplace will be compatible, as not all products have been tested for conversions.

When converting to a balanced flue, the inner pipe needs to be connected to a chimney liner that runs the entire length of the chimney. This will then connect to a special cowl that safely vents waste gas to the outside. Clean air is vented through a separate vent lower down in the cowl which is drawn into the fireplace. This is what allows your conventional flue to be used as a balanced flue.