The Difference Between Power Flue and Balanced Flue Fires
So you’ve heard the terms power flue or balance flue fire and want to know if you need one or what they are. Well to look at they are pretty much the same as any other fire, but there’s a big difference – they have their own flue system a bit like a boiler.
A power flue fire is normally for people who don’t have any sort of chimney or their chimney is faulty and cannot be repaired at a sensible cost. They need to be fitted on an outside wall and have a small flue pipe that fits off the back of the fire through the wall. On the outside is a terminal which acts a kind of extractor fan. These types of fires are open fronted so there’s no glass which is appealing for some people. The downside is they’re less efficient and require electricity. The other potential issue is you can hear the fan unit and with most brands it’s quite noisy.
A balance flue fire will come in many styles similar to a power flue fire. The main visual difference is that it has a glass front to it. This type of fire is much more efficient which means lower running costs. These fires have a flue that’s fitted through the wall the same as the above, but it’s flued naturally and doesn’t require an extractor fan on the outside. There is more variety with balance flue fires because they are cheaper to buy and their efficiency is a massive selling point. Governments around the world are putting pressure on manufacturers to produce greener products and power flue fires just can’t hit figures.
If you live in a modern house that doesn’t have a chimney or and outside wall where you would like a fire, then your best option could be an electric fire. They have come a long way over the past few years and the flame effects are much more appealing. Our showroom in Sale has many of these on display and the Evonic brand in particular is head and shoulders above the rest. Either way if you’re local please feel free to call in and view all the options above. We service all of Manchester and Cheshire and are the longest standing retailer in the field. We also offer a complete installation service should you need it.
