Should a gas open fire be draughty?

[Pigleychez]

We have inherited an open gas fire in our new house. Its lovely but makes the lounge so cold. Always had electric fires in previous houses so this is all new to me.
Should it be draughty? Anyway I can minimize this? I feel the cold at the best of times!

We had a gas fire put into our new house and it had a big vent behind it and if we looked we could see all the way through to the garden. It has been very draughty. It also cost eighty pounds for annual service. We just paid £500 to get it removed and the wall made good and an electric fire inserted. What a difference. Wish we had thought to do it before now.

A gas fire will generally need a chimney for the products of combustion to go up to outside. Depending on the type of fire you may also have an air vent to allow fresh air into the room to allow Complete combustion and allow the chimney to draw properly.

I had one like this put in (to replace 80's wall hung one) and it is a bit of a nightmare with the draught. I got a cheap black cushion to stuff up the chimney when it's cold. I barely use the fire tbh, it uses loads of gas and doesn't put out much heat. I wouldn't have one again.

does open gas fire mean gas coals?

you ought to have it looked at by a qualified gasman who does gasfires (not all do)

all open fires waste most of the heat up the chimney. But I would want to be reassured that fumes were not being blown down the chimney and into the room.

There are special gas terminals to go on top of chimneypots, but you might need a sweep to look at the chimney depending on results of the gasmans tests.

Ours is very draughty but you can get a chimney sheep or chimney balloon to put in the chimney and block the draught when not in use which makes it better

I've had the same problem for the last two years, since I replaced an old gas fire. Apparently it's now illegal for gas fires to have an openable damper (the sort of hinged backing that would otherwise close the chimney); I thought this was because of gas fumes etc but have now been told that it is also because a gas fire actually needs the draught to draw properly. It is a real pita - any heat goes out of the room straight up the chimney. The only thing that has helped a bit has been to stuff old duvets and pillows up there - it is a huge, huge Victorian affair. A chimney balloon would not have been big enough to block it.
Apart from this being dangerous (what if someone didn't know they were up there and lit the fire?) it means that the fireplace is just for show now and

Sorry, I meant a closable damper.