Buyer's Guide

We know that buying a new fire or stove can be a daunting task, so at 'West Country Fires' we have put together an easy guide to help you choose your new appliance.

We recommend you read the advice and information below before you try to choose your new fire or stove.

Fuel

Either Natural Gas,LPG (Liquid Petrolium Gas i.e. Calor Gas) Electric or Wood Burner or Solid fuel (wood and coal). Natural Gas is the most popular, alternatively for those who don't have a natural gas supply you can power your gas fire using LPG. An adjacent gas or electric point will be required if not already there.

Controls

Three basic control systems are available. Manual control allows you to turn your fire on and off using a dial often low level hidden behind the gas fire ash pan cover. Slide control gas fires have a control on the top right hand side of the fire so you don't have to bend down. Remote control fires can be controlled from the comfort of your armchair via an infra-red remote control.

Fire Back Panel

Some Gas fires allow you to select different fire back panel than the standard plain black one, such as natural buff or stainless steel.

Selecting the most appropriate back panel for your fire may not immediately appear to be the most pressing issue; however, this large panel forms a significant part of the overall aesthetic of the fireplace. Sitting either directly behind, or immediately surrounding the actual fire; in it's most traditional form it can either be a square piece of material - often stone - with the arched fireplace removed from the centre or the portion immediately behind the fire, usually a sturdy stone or wrought iron. It would also sit within the mantelpiece or surround, forming the backdrop to the entire fireplace.

However, in gas, electric and other modern fireplaces the back panel provides the backdrop for the fire, or simulated fire, itself. Often these back panels veer away from the traditional matt black wrought cast iron look, in order to further emphasise the ambient glow created. Reflective metallic materials such as aluminium and brushed steel are often available as an alternative style to the black surface, which is itself still widely available.

Modern materials and technologies have enabled surround fire back panels to adopt a variety of guises to suit fireplaces of all designs; from traditional materials and effects such as marble and stone, to more contemporary ones such as aluminium. Regardless of whether the fireplace is an ultra-modern subtle product designed for the modern minimalist home, or a grand traditional for an antiquated Victorian home, the quality and variety of fire back panels give consumers a great selection from which to choose the one ideally suited to their décor.

The fireplaces we supply often come with an integrated back panel, whereby the colour and type of panel is rigidly set in order to better compliment the surround as a whole. As with most traditional fireplaces with a hearth, the back panel and hearth feature matching materials to create continuity in the design. These static designs form an all-encompassing fireplace aesthetic, each component part - the hearth, mantle, fire and of course back panel - form part of an integrated package, with designs to suit individual preference.

Radiant or Convector

Radiant fires emit heat from the combustion chamber only and incorporate a reflective back panel to maximise heat output. Convector fires take advantage of a heat exchanger as part of the fire which draws in cold and sends it into the room as warm air, thus maximising efficient heat output, while keeping your fuel bills down.

Chimney or Flue

Your choice is dictated by the type of chimney you have. Brick Chimneys will accomodate most gas. Several fires are specially designed for Pre-Fabricated Flues and Pre-cast Flues. For expert advice, contact us. Some properties have no chimney or flue but can have a Balanced Flue, Power Flue or Flueless model. Power Flues use a fan on the external wall to vent gases combined with a sophisticated monitor which shuts the fire off in the event of failure. Balanced flues vent gases by natural convection directly outside via a horizontal twin wall pipe.

Sizing Your Fire

To ensure that your gas fire will fit, measure the size of your fire opening, depth of recess, internal diamiter of chimney. There are also various dimensions relating to the corrct positioning of balance or power flue fire relating to the CORGI gas and reqirements and manufacturers reccomendations. If you're not sure which fires right for you contact us with your fire and fireplace requirements and dimensions.