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What Is The Difference Between The Gas Input & Output On Gas Fireplaces?

February 22, 2012

Gas fireplaces have become increasingly popular in modern times and all homes in the UK (virtually all) have access to piped natural gas which makes it very convenient as the homeowner does not need to store any fuel (unlike solid fuel fires).  Gas fires can easily be turned on and off by using the pilot light which is located under the fret of the fire (bottom grill section).

Confusion between heat outputs on gas fires

1. With the incredible number of gas fires in today’s market, it is not surprising that there is confusion about the heat outputs on gas fireplaces. Essentially most homeowners simply want to know how hot the fire can get and want to be able to compare different fires and efficiencies. This is not as straightforward as it initially appears as there is plenty of jargon and ratios that are difficult to interpret 2. The gas output [minimum]  is the figure that tells you how hot the fire gets 3. The gas input is the intake of gas needed to create the minimum heat output. Hence a 3kw gas fire may have a 6 KW input 4. The efficiency is technically a percentage calculation of the ratio between how much gas the fire takes and how much heat it emits. Hence if the fire has a heat output [minimum] of 3KW and a heat input of 6KW, then the efficiency is 50%. In some circumstances the calculation is not as straight forward as this, because testing agencies certify the fire on an average taken over several readings whilst testing the fire