DRU and Calor Committing to a Successful Partnership

It is just over two years since DRU Fires embarked on a programme to convert most of its domestic gas fires and commercial wall heaters to lpg versions. The company has also forged a partnership with Calor Gas in the UK and Ireland, with the strategy to bring more contemporary, designer gas heating products to non-mains gas areas. DRU UK General Manager Niall Deiraniya reports on the company’s progress.

There have been major changes in the UK domestic gas fire market since we first launched the DRU Designer Collection in 2003. At that time, conventionally flued open fires were the norm. Balanced flued, room-sealed appliances with glass fronts existed mainly in mass-market, functional styles and were commonly installed in standard chimney openings for combustion.

These classic designs from the 1970s and ‘80s were popular with consumers for their warmth and efficiency rather than their aesthetic appeal. They were produced by stalwarts of the British fire industry, such as Valor and Robinson Willey, and had classic ‘grill’ or ‘farmhouse’ designs.

From the early 1990s onwards, householders started to aspire to gas fires that were in themselves a design feature for the living room. Out went the conventional Class 1 & 2 chimney openings with their sturdy hearths and marble or timber mantles. Chimneybreasts were bricked up and fires started to move up the wall to be almost at eye-level with the people on their comfortable DFS sofas.

Although many of these fires satisfied the need for contemporary design, they were still open-fronted with low efficiency and unconvincing flame pictures. DRU, which was already a successful fire manufacturer in the Netherlands and Belgium, decided to introduce its continental balanced flue fires to the UK market in 2003.

The timing was perfect. Consumers were becoming increasingly aware of the need to stop wasting fossil fuels and conserve energy. At the same time, they were also demanding authentic flame pictures and elegant styling.

DRU products arrived with up to 85 per cent efficiency. The balanced flue system meant that air from outside the building was being used for combustion, with no loss of oxygen or comfort in the living room. And because of the generous airflow that is inherent in the system, the fires had high, realistic flames that could be adjusted using remote control.

A further benefit to the consumer is that the DRU products do not require a chimney of any kind and can be installed anywhere in the home. Many of the fires are mounted to an outside wall, making use of false chimneybreasts and specially designed floating hearths to create an authentic contemporary fireplace experience. The introduction of ‘tunnel’ fires that can be viewed from both sides has seen fires installed into room dividers and pillars, with the flues going vertically through the roof. Fires can also be located in kitchens, bedrooms and home extensions. Indeed, a forthcoming installation in Ireland will even see a DRU Metro fire installed in a garden!

DRU lpg compatible designer fires

When DRU produces lpg compatible models of its designer fires, it does not simply produce a new manifold for the gas connection as some manufacturers do. This approach can result in a loss of heat output and an inferior flame picture.

DRU lp gas fires and wall heaters have different engines from their natural gas equivalents so that the capacity is maintained, the height and quality of the flames do not drop and there is no loss of efficiency, making the fires economical to run and maintain.

Over the past two years, DRU has expanded its portfolio of lpg gas products considerably. The gas fires now include popular frameless models, such as the letterbox-styled Metro and the Saxo corner fire. Recent additions over the last year are the Scenic three-sided frameless fires and the two and three-sided Metro 100XT.

There is the new Pronto hanging log fire in a glass case, while the contemporary Trio and the more traditional Solo will impress lovers of classic stoves.

DRU has also invested heavily in lpg versions of its domestic and commercial wall convector heaters. The Style balanced flue model makes an ideal form of supplementary heating for conservatories, extensions and loft conversions.

New this year is the Kamara, a powered flue wall heater with outputs of up to 16kW, designed for large space heating in churches, schools, offices and industrial premises. It has been launched in both natural gas and lp gas versions, so it can be installed in rural churches, village halls and other similar public buildings.

The partnership between DRU and Calor Gas means that, as well as having Calor endorsement, retailers and consumers have access to the UK-wide Calor Force service and installation network, enabling the products to be installed in even the most remote parts of the country. This arrangement has recently been extended to Ireland and Northern Ireland, where the need for lpg gas fires and heaters is greater in percentage terms than it is in the UK.

The DRU lpg project has been a great success, bringing contemporary gas fires and heating appliances to places that many other producers have failed to reach. We are fully committed to our lpg programme, with many more DRU products to be introduced in the near future.

Contact DRU on 0161 793 8700 www.drugasar.co.uk

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