Architectural fire, even without a mains gas connection
The way we heat homes is evolving. In new build without natural gas, a heat pump is increasingly chosen as the main heating, and in renovations too the attention is shifting to energy-efficient techniques. That does not mean, however, that fire is disappearing from the contemporary home. On the contrary.

Where a fireplace used to be mainly a practical heat source, today it is above all an architectural choice. Fire brings calm, creates a natural meeting place and reinforces the experience of a space. It forms part of the interior design, carefully aligned with materials, light and sightlines.

A mains gas connection is not a requirement for that. A Metalfire built-in gas fire or open gas fire can run on natural gas, LPG and bio-LPG. In the right design, comfort, flame picture and performance remain fully identical. Thanks to that fuel flexibility, architectural fire remains perfectly possible, both in a new-build project and in a renovation. An LPG tank, placed above or below ground, makes a connection to the mains gas network unnecessary, without this having consequences for the appearance or the user experience of the fireplace.

 

In brief

• A gas fire also works without a mains gas connection: LPG is a full-fledged alternative, with a tank above or below ground on your own plot.
• In the right design, flame picture, performance and operation are identical to natural gas, because the burner and pressure regulation are matched to the chosen fuel.
• Bio-LPG is chemically identical to LPG, but is made from renewable raw materials, with a considerably lower CO2 footprint across the entire life cycle.
• Bio-LPG is already available in Belgium today, depending on the energy supplier.
• The Avenue, Avenue Plus and Urban collections run on both natural gas and LPG, both as a built-in gas fire and as a bespoke open gas fire.
• Since 2003 Metalfire has produced built-in gas fires, built-in wood burning fireplaces and bespoke open fireplaces in its own workshop in Belgium.

Why more and more homes are built without a mains gas connection

The phasing out of new mains gas connections is part of a broader energy transition. Both in Belgium and in the Netherlands, alternative heating systems with lower emissions are increasingly chosen. As a result, many new homes today are designed without a connection to the mains gas network.

In those projects, a heat pump usually takes on the role of main heating. It heats the home efficiently and provides domestic hot water, while a well-insulated building envelope limits energy consumption. In a renovation too, that combination is increasingly chosen.

That also changes the role of the fireplace. Where a fireplace used to often have a significant share in heating the home, clients and architects today deliberately choose atmosphere and experience. The fireplace becomes an architectural element that radiates warmth, literally and figuratively, without necessarily heating the entire home.

We also see that evolution within the Metalfire Design Team. The place of the fireplace is increasingly determined in the first design phase, even before techniques such as ventilation, electricity or bespoke furniture are fully worked out. That way the fire can take a central place in the design and clean sightlines, refined material transitions and an interior in which technology stays out of sight as much as possible arise.

In projects without a mains gas connection, we therefore immediately look at which energy supply best matches the architecture of the home. By making that choice early in the process, the technical pipes, the position of a possible LPG tank and the connection of the fireplace can also be integrated optimally. That prevents later compromises in the design.

The conclusion is clear: the function of the fireplace changes, but its meaning does not. A heat pump provides the daily main heating, while architectural fire adds character, calm and a unique experience to the living space. Both systems complement each other and enhance living comfort each in their own way.

A gas fire without natural gas, is that possible?

Yes. A gas fire can function perfectly without a connection to the mains gas network. In that case LPG is chosen, a fuel that offers the same user experience as natural gas and has been used for years in homes where no gas network is available.

The fireplace is connected to an LPG installation with an above-ground or underground tank on your own plot. The installation is designed according to the applicable safety regulations, in Belgium in accordance with NBN D51-006, and installed by an approved installer. Because LPG is heavier than air, specific provisions apply for pipes and appliances in cellars and spaces below ground level. For daily use, hardly anything changes. The fireplace is operated in the same way, reacts just as quickly and delivers the same natural flame picture.

Aesthetically, too, there are no differences. The choice of LPG has no influence on the dimensions of the fireplace, the architectural integration or the quality of the flames. A Metalfire open gas fire keeps the same lively flame picture and the same refined appearance, regardless of the chosen fuel. Comfort and operation also remain identical to a natural-gas version.

In practice, moreover, LPG offers a lot of freedom. Homes in rural locations, villas outside the gas network and contemporary new-build projects without natural gas can integrate a gas fire without limitations. In a renovation too, an LPG installation is often the most logical solution when a mains gas connection is absent or deliberately not retained.

Within the Metalfire Design Team we always look at that choice from the architecture. An LPG installation requires, for example, a place for a tank on the plot. When that location is determined during the design, pipes can be discreetly concealed and technical provisions stay fully outside the main sightlines of the home. That makes it possible to keep attention where it belongs: with the fire and the architecture around it.

For the end user, ultimately only one element changes: the energy source. The experience of the fireplace, the natural flame picture and the daily user experience remain exactly the same. That makes LPG a full-fledged alternative for anyone who wants to integrate architectural fire into a home without a mains gas connection.

Natural gas, LPG or bio-LPG: the differences at a glance

Whether you choose natural gas, LPG or bio-LPG has no influence on what makes a Metalfire gas fire special. The natural flame picture, the performance and the operation remain the same. The choice is mainly about the energy supply of the home and the way the fuel is available.

That is why at Metalfire we never start from the fireplace alone. We first look at the context of the project. Is there a mains gas connection present? Is the home built entirely without a gas network? Is sustainability an important ambition for the client? Only when those questions are answered do we determine which fuel best matches the design.

Natural gas: a logical choice when the gas network is present

Natural gas remains a comfortable solution for homes that are connected to the distribution network. Because the fuel is supplied directly, no separate storage is needed on the plot. That makes the installation simple and limits the technical infrastructure around the home.

Within residential architecture projects, natural gas remains a logical choice when the connection is already present, for example in a renovation or in existing residential areas where the gas network is retained. The choice of natural gas changes nothing about the architecture of the fireplace. The dimensions, the finish and the flame picture remain identical.

For designers that means maximum freedom. The attention goes not to the fuel, but to the place of the fireplace in the interior. How does it connect to a natural-stone wall? Which sightline arises from the living space? And how does the fire reinforce the architecture of the home? Those are the questions that determine the design.

LPG: the same fire experience, without a mains gas connection

When a home has no mains gas connection, LPG forms a full-fledged alternative. The fireplace is connected to an LPG installation with an above-ground or underground LPG tank on your own plot.

For the user, hardly anything changes. The fireplace is operated in the same way, the flame picture stays just as natural and the performance too is identical to a natural-gas version. As a result, LPG is particularly suitable for new build without natural gas, rural homes, exclusive villas and renovation projects where no connection to the gas network is available.

In our projects we notice that an underground LPG tank is often preferred when the architecture and the garden design call for the most discreet technical integration possible. In other situations, an above-ground tank can be more practical. That consideration is always made in consultation with the installer, so technology and architecture reinforce each other.

Because the fuel has no influence on the design of the fireplace, all design freedom is also preserved with LPG. The focus stays on the experience of the fire, not on the technical installation.

Bio-LPG: a more sustainable alternative with the same properties

Bio-LPG offers the same technical properties as traditional LPG, but differs in origin. The fuel is produced from renewable raw materials and organic residual flows, so the total CO2 footprint across the life cycle is considerably lower.

Because bio-LPG is chemically identical to LPG, no differences are noticeable in daily use. The flame picture, the performance, the heat experience and the operation are fully preserved.

Bio-LPG is already available in Belgium today. Which supply is available depends on the energy supplier and the region, but the supply is growing steadily. As a result, bio-LPG is becoming an increasingly interesting sustainable alternative for clients who are preparing their home for a future-oriented energy supply, without giving up the atmosphere and appearance of a gas fire.

Which fuel suits your home best?

There is no universally correct choice. The most suitable fuel depends on the home, the available infrastructure and the ambitions of the project.

If the home has a mains gas connection, natural gas remains a logical solution. If there is no connection to the gas network, LPG offers the same performance via your own LPG tank. Anyone who wants to take a lower environmental impact into account today can moreover choose bio-LPG, which is already available via several energy suppliers.

Within the Metalfire Design Team we always consider that choice as part of the overall concept. Not only the fireplace, but also the technical space, the pipes and the energy supply are aligned with the architecture of the home. This creates an interior in which technology stays in the background and the fire gets the attention it deserves.

Which Metalfire gas fires run on LPG?

The choice of natural gas or LPG must not limit the architecture of a home. That is why several Metalfire collections have been developed with maximum fuel flexibility. As a result, the same fireplace can be integrated into a home with a mains gas connection and into a project built entirely without natural gas.

The Avenue, Avenue Plus and Urban collections function on both natural gas and LPG. The chosen fuel has no influence on the flame picture, the performance or the daily operation. As a result, the experience stays identical, regardless of the energy supply of the home.

Built-in gas fires that merge into the architecture

A built-in gas fire is designed to form one whole with the interior. Slim frames, refined detailing and carefully chosen materials ensure that attention goes fully to the fire.

The Avenue, Avenue Plus and Urban collections offer various configurations, so architects can align the fireplace with the desired sightlines and the scale of the space. The choice between natural gas and LPG changes nothing about those possibilities.

Anyone who wants to discover the different versions will find more information at the built-in gas fires from Metalfire.

Open gas fires fully bespoke

Alongside the collection of built-in models, Metalfire also realises open gas fires that are designed and produced fully bespoke.

In this, our designers and engineers start not from a standard appliance, but from the architecture of the project. The dimensions of the fire opening, the detailing of the enclosure, the material choices and the technical integration are aligned with the space in which the fireplace is incorporated.

That approach requires close collaboration between architect, interior designer, installer and the Metalfire Design Team. It is precisely this that makes it possible to realise bespoke fireplaces that connect perfectly with the architectural vision of the project.

You will find more inspiration on the page about bespoke open gas fires.

Fuel flexibility as an investment in the future

A home is built for decades. That is why more and more clients choose solutions that also stay flexible in the longer term.

The compatible Metalfire collections offer that fuel flexibility. Depending on the model and the technical configuration, they can be matched to natural gas and LPG. A possible switch always happens according to the manufacturer's instructions and requires correct technical coordination.

For Metalfire, that flexibility is not an end in itself. It is a way to give architects and clients maximum design freedom, today and tomorrow. That way the fire stays central, while the technical choices can evolve with the home and its energy supply.

The same Metalfire experience, whatever the fuel

Whether a Metalfire gas fire runs on natural gas, LPG or bio-LPG, the essence stays the same. The choice of a fuel has no influence on the experience of the fire, the appearance of the fireplace or the way it is integrated into the architecture.

For us, every project begins with the design. We look at how the fireplace relates to the space, which role it plays within the interior and how the fire connects different living zones. The technology supports that vision, but never determines it.

A natural flame picture as the starting point

The flame picture is the heart of every Metalfire fireplace. That is why our designers and engineers devote a lot of attention to the relationship between the burner, the ceramic wood set and the shape of the combustion chamber. Only when those elements are perfectly coordinated does a lively and natural fire arise that brings calm to the space.

The chosen fuel changes nothing about that. Whether the fireplace runs on natural gas, LPG or bio-LPG, the fire keeps the same depth, movement and appearance.

That is a deliberate design choice. An architect, after all, chooses a particular flame picture as part of the interior concept. That experience must stay identical, regardless of the energy supply of the home.

Comfort that feels natural

A gas fire must be effortless to use. That is why the performance and the operation of every compatible Metalfire fireplace are identical, regardless of the chosen fuel.

The fireplace ignites quickly, reacts precisely to the controls and delivers a stable flame picture. As a result, all attention stays focused on the atmosphere in the space, without the technology coming to the fore.

In practice we notice that clients above all appreciate the ease of use. One press of a button is enough to give a space a different look instantly. That comfort is preserved, whether the home is connected to the mains gas network or uses an LPG installation.

Belgian craftsmanship, from design to production

Every Metalfire fireplace is designed and produced in Evergem. Thanks to our full in-house production, we have control over every step of the process, from engineering and product development to metalworking, assembly and quality control.

That approach offers more than a constant product quality. It also allows us to respond flexibly to the wishes of architects and clients, and to develop technical solutions that connect perfectly with the architecture of a project.

Today Metalfire is among the few manufacturers that still produce their fireplaces entirely themselves. That forms the basis for the Belgian craftsmanship, the high-quality finish, the reliability and the timeless design for which our fireplaces are known.

About Metalfire

Since 2003 Metalfire has designed and produced architectural gas and wood fireplaces in Evergem. Thanks to full in-house production and engineering, design, development and production happen under one roof. That integrated approach guarantees thorough quality control and allows a flexible response to the wishes of architects, interior designers and clients.

Today Metalfire is among the few manufacturers that still develop and produce their fireplaces entirely themselves. From standard built-in to fully bespoke, every project is guided by a team of designers and engineers that brings together technology and architecture in one considered fire concept.

That combination of Belgian craftsmanship, innovation and craft has for more than twenty years formed the basis of fireplaces that do not impose themselves in an interior, but become a natural part of it. The result is architectural fire that is designed to last for generations, both technically and aesthetically.