Most gas fires can be installed using a through-the-wall balanced flue, just like a gas boiler. You can also used powered flues, which allow you to duct the exhaust gas over longer routes incorporating bends. This enables you to place a gas fire away from a suitable external wall. Another fact of physics has an impact – albeit a lesser impact – on chimney performance. As air is blown over the end of a tube, a drop in pressure is created at the end of the tube. This principle was first discovered by an Italian, GB Venturi, almost 200 years ago and is the principle by which most carburettors inject petrol into the air stream. Wind blowing over a chimney has a similar effect, adding to draft. If you are having the breast of your chimney removed from the ground floor and the first floor of your home you will have to make sure that you do the following:

If you are confident in your skills to carry out the work yourself, you must keep the following in mind: We have seen even gas appliances banned in certain homes, high rise flats, and narrow boats for example, the narrow boat clearly can't have a vent low down, or it would sink, and one can't rely on the electric supply, so gas fridges are banned. Pre-fabricated flues are therefore not suitable for solid fuel appliances; DGF taper tray or basket type gas fires and most fully inset gas fires. DAMPER:Also called a ‘throat’. A pivoted or sliding metal flap in the fluethat regulates the amount of draught, preventing excessive variations. It can also close off the fireplace from the outside of the house, preventing air loss when the fireplace is not in use. Sometimes it is located on the appliance.In the early 1900s, in the western part of Ireland, crofters made a simple water boiler using hand tools. They were normally made of copper and took many hours to make.

Fires from stoves are rare but they do get super-hot and heat from the stove or burning fuel that might accidentally fall out of it needs to be considered. A hearth does the job as long as it is big enough: Damp proofing– If you are removing the breast of a chimney from the ground floor, there is a risk of damaging the damp proofing. With so many benefits for householders and the environment, why has chimney draught exclusion been largely ignored by the energy saving industry? ‘I don’t know!’, Sally confesses. ‘It is such an easy way of saving energy. It’s estimated that there are over 11 million homes in the UK with open chimneys, and if every one of these fitted a Chimney Sheep we’d reduce the nation’s annual carbon output by around 1%.’I assume that at least some chimney ventilation is necessary to prevent the problems that have been experienced (although please confirm this) but I've seen mention of people 'sealing' the bottom of their chimneys with inflatable 'balloons' (or other similar devices) to prevent heat loss / draughts. Presumably the top of my chimney (at ceiling level in the loft) should also be left uncovered (as mentioned this has probably been covered with loft insulation)?