GB2493228A

GB2493228A - Electric fire and a climate control system

Info

Publication number: GB2493228A
Application number: GB1201849.5A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Burns
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2012-02-02
Filing date: 2012-02-02
Publication date: 2013-01-30
Also published as: GB201201849D0

Abstract

An electric fire and a climate control system 10 each comprise a housing 14, an element 50 located within the housing and means 44 for causing air from a room 12 in which the electric fire or the climate control system is located to enter the housing, come into contact with the element, and to be reintroduced into the room. For the electric fire, the element is a heating element which comprises a heat exchanger of a reverse cycle air conditioner. For the climate control system, the element comprises a heat exchanger of an air conditioning unit. Preferably, the electric fire or the climate control system further comprises a flame simulation screen 20. The electric fire or the climate control system may include a fireplace, where the fireplace comprises a fire surround 34 having an aperture 32 therein suitable for at least partially receiving an electric or gas fire, the surround having a space behind it for receiving at least a part 44, 50 of an air conditioning unit which delivers a flow of conditioned air into the room via the aperture, where the at least a part of an air conditioning unit is concealed from view by the surround.

Description

SPACE HEATERS

Description:

This invention relates to space heaters, in particular, but without limitation to space heaters suitable for use in domestic situations.

Most domestic and commercial properties nowadays are fitted with some form of climate control, such as a central heating system, an air conditioning system, plug-in heaters/coolers and so on to regulate the internal temperature of the property to make it more comfortable to inhabit.

Many climate control systems are purely utilitarian and can often be unsightly. However, in a domestic setting it is generally undesirable to have an unsightly heating/cooling device and a great deal of effort is therefore spent to make heating/cooling devices more attractive to look at.

In recent years, it has become fashionable to install real flame fires because the pleasing o visual effect they create. However, real flame fires can be costly to install because they must be (Q15 installed in a fire-safe, usually require a specialist flue /chimney and must be located near to a supply of fuel. Maintenance of real flame fires is also essential to avoid the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning and to maintain efficiency of the fire. Furthermore, increasing fuel costs make real flame fires increasingly expensive to operate and given their inherent inefficiency, are unlikely to be economically viable in the future.

As a result, many people are nowadays choosing to install an electric fire has a more convenient and cost-effective solution to some of the above problems. In particular, an electric fire does not require a flue/chimney, requires minimal maintenance and generally maintains its efficiency throughout its life. However, electricity prices are also rising meaning that the cost of operating an electric fire is likely to increase over time. Nevertheless, electric fire provides the convenience that many users seek and can be designed to resemble a real flame fire. As a result, "flame effect" electric fires are becoming an increasingly popular choice in domestic settings.

Given that fuel and electricity prices are generally on the increase, and need arises for increasingly more efficient heaters, mainly to reduce the operating costs associated with heating.

This invention aims to provide a solution to one or more of the above problems, and/or to provide an alternative/improved climate control system.

In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a climate control system for a room comprising a fireplace, the fireplace comprising a fire surround having an aperture therein suitable for at least partially receiving an electric or gas fire and providing a space behind the surround for receiving an air conditioning unit the air conditioning unit being adapted to deliver a flow of conditioned air into the room via the aperture, wherein the air conditioning unit is concealed from view by the surround.

In the context of the invention, an air conditioning unit can comprise any heat pump adapted for transferring heat from one location to another. In many cases, the air conditioning unit may be a conventional air-to-air, or air-source heat pump. However, a ground-source heat pump o may also be used in addition or alternatively.

(Q1.5 The fireplace can be free-standing or built into a room/wall. The fireplace can be manufactured from any suitable material, for example, medium density fibreboard (MDF), marble, granite, limestone, wood, a composite material, e.g. resin composite, concrete, etc. The space behind the fire surround in which the air conditioning unit is receivable, may at least partially comprise a chimney or flue space such that the air conditioning unit is at least partially located within the chimney or flue space. The air conditioning unit is concealed from view, which may be accomplished by locating it a point relative to an upper periphery of the aperture in the surround so as to be concealed from view when viewed from within the room.

The air conditioning unit preferably is preferably a split unit air conditioner -the slave portion of the split unit air conditioner being at least partially located within the chimney or flue space. Where a split unit air conditioner is used, the master unit may be located remotely from the slave unit and connected thereto by pipework. Where the master unit is located remotely, it may be located externally of the building in which the climate control system is installed, e.g. on an external wall or at ground level adjacent the building.

A supplementary heater, e.g. an electric fire, may be provided in the fireplace, located at least partially in the chimney or flue space. In such a situation, there must be at least one gap between the supplementary heater and a periphery of the aperture in the fire surround to permit conditioned air from the air conditioning unit to enter the room.

A heat exchanger of the air conditioning unit may optionally be incorporated into a heating appliance or supplementary heating appliance such that the heat exchanger serves as an alternative or supplementary source of heat for the heating appliance. Additionally or alternatively, the heat exchanger of the air conditioning unit may serve as an alternative source of cool air for the heating appliance, enabling the heating appliance to operate in a heating mode or a cooling mode.

An inlet aperture is preferably provided in the chimney or flue space to provide a source of fresh air, and/or recirculated air from the room, to the air conditioning unit.

o Where the room does not comprise a chimney or flue, a false chimney breast may be (Q1.5 provided within which the air conditioning unit can be concealed.

In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a climate control system comprising a housing, an element located within the housing and means for causing air from a room in which the climate control system is located to enter the housing, come into contact with the element, and to be reintroduced into the room, wherein the element comprises a heat exchanger of an air conditioning unit.

In accordance with a third aspect of the invention, there is provided an electric fire as claimed in claim 1 comprising a housing, a heating element located within the housing and means for causing air from a room in which the fire is located to enter the housing, come into contact with the heating element, and to be reintroduced into the room, wherein the heating element comprises a heat exchanger of a reverse cycle air conditioner.

One important feature of the invention is the fact that the electric resistive heating coil of a conventional electric fire is replaced by a heat exchanger of an air conditioning unit. Given that the efficiency of air conditioning units can be considerably higher than that of an electric resistive heating element, the efficiency of the climate control system of the invention can be significantly higher than that of a conventional electric fire.

In addition, it will be appreciated that an air conditioning unit can be operated in two modes, namely a "forward cycle" mode in which it produces cold air at its output heat exchanger, or a "reverse cycle" mode in which produces warm air at its output heat exchanger. Preferably, therefore, the climate control system of the invention is incorporated into a combined forward/reverse cycle air conditioning unit such that it can be used as a heater (e.g. in cold months) or as a cooler (e.g. in warmer months).

çj A further advantage of using an air conditioner, as opposed to a conventional electric heater coil, is that an air conditioner can additionally provide dehumidification and air scrubbing o functionality enabling not only the temperature of a room to be maintained within design (,Q1.5 parameters, but also its humidity and air quality to also be maintained within desired parameters.

Preferably, the housing of the invention resembles a heater, such as a conventional log fire, gas fire or electric convector heater so as not to be unsightly in a domestic environment.

Alternatively, the housing of the invention may resemble a furniture items such as a cabinet, chair etc. having a heater integrated into it.

where the housing of the invention is adapted to resemble a conventional heater, it may additionally comprise a flame simulation means. The flame simulation means, where provided, may comprise a number of ribbons or other movable elements adapted to flutter/move under the influence of actuator, e.g. a fan. The flame simulation means may additionally comprise one or more lights which could be configured to illuminate intermittently, to fade in/out and/or to change colour to simulate the flickering light of a real flame. Additionally or alternatively) the flame simulation means may comprise a visual display units, such as LCD screen, for displaying a moving picture/video of a real fire. A flame simulation means may additionally comprise a sound effect means, for example a speaker connected to an audio playback device, which emits the crackling sounds of a real fire.

The climate control system of the invention comprises a heat exchanger of an air conditioning unit located within the housing. A fan is preferably provided for blowing ambient air over the heat exchanger and out through an outlet aperture of the housing such that warm/cool air is blown into the room. The housing of the climate control system preferably comprises an inlet aperture through which air within the room can be drawn into the housing to be heated by the heat exchanger before being flown back into the room. Accordingly, the climate control system of the invention could be adapted to re-circulate the air within the room, thereby improving its efficiency.

Additionally or alternatively, the housing may comprise an inlet aperture and/or outlet aperture c.j communicating with another room or the exterior of the building. Control means is preferably provided to enable climate control system to operate in a re-circulating mode, or a "fresh air" mode o either as desired automatically. One of the advantages of providing a control means for selecting (Q15 between a recirculating mode or a fresh air mode is that the climate control system could select the source of air that gives rise to the greatest efficiency. For example, on a cold day, a hot room could be more efficiently cooled by blowing cool air from outside the building into the room, rather than trying to cool the already warm air within the room in a recirculating mode. However, when the ambient temperature was in the room reaches or drops below the ambient temperature outside, the climate control system could then switch to a recirculating mode.

The air conditioning unit may be located within the housing, but is preferably located remotely from the housing. In such a situation, the heat exchanger within the housing is connected to the air conditioning unit using pipes. By separating the main working components the air conditioning unit from the heat exchanger it is possible to make the housing more compact, locate a potentially noisy air conditioning unit in a location where cannot be heard from within the room and/or to locate it in an area that may give rise to greater efficiency, e.g. in a position that is shaded from direct sun, insulated from cold weather/ice etc. The air conditioning unit is preferably located outside the building, although it could be located internally, for example within a chimney breast.

The climate control system with the invention preferably comprises a number of controls to enable the user to select between different modes of operation. The various modes of operation may include a heating mode, a cooling mode, and air cleaning mode and/or dehumidifying mode.

Additionally, the climate control system may comprise a number of adjustable settings such that the user can select a "target" temperature/humidity for the room and the climate control system preferably has a number of sensors and a controlled system built into it to enable that target temperature/humidity to be maintained within pre-set parameters.

Preferred embodiments of the invention shall now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: o Figure 1 is a perspective view of the exterior of a climate control system in accordance with (Q 15 the second and third aspects of the invention; Figure 2 is a schematic cross section through the climate control system of Figure 1 on Il-Il; Figure 3 is a part cut-away view of a first alternative climate control system in accordance with the first aspect of the invention; Figure 3A is part cut-away of a variant of the climate control system shown in Figure 3; Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view of a second alternative climate control system in accordance with the invention; and Figure 4A is a partial cross-section of Figure 4 on A-A.

In Figure 1, a climate control system 10 according to the invention is provided for heating a room 12 and comprises a main housing 14 having a decorative fascia 16. Fascia 16 comprises a viewing window 18 through which a flame simulation screen 20 can be seen. To add realism to the visual effect of the climate control system 10, a hearth grille 22 is provided between the rear surface of the glass viewing window 18 and in front of the flame simulation screen 20 to retain a quantity of cullet 24 thereby adding to the visual effect of a real fire.

The fascia 16 has an inlet grille 26 located above the viewing window 18 through which air within the room 12 can be drawn into the main housing 14. Also provided below the viewing window 18 is an outlet grille 28 through which heated/cool air can be blown back into the room 12.

The fascia 16 also comprises a control panel 30 having a number of operator controls enabling a user to control the operation of the climate control system 10.

It will be appreciated that the climate control system of the invention 10 largely resembles a conventional electric fire and can be located and used in a similar manner to a conventional electric fire.

In Figure 2, the climate control system 10 of figure 1 is shown in partial cross-section to çj illustrate the working components within it. As can be seen more clearly from Figure 2, the main housing 14 is receivable within an aperture 32 in a fire surround 34, which is located adjacent to a o fireplace opening 36 in the inner leaf 38 of a cavity wall. The housing 14 protrudes partially into the (Q15 room 12 through the aperture 32, and partially into the cavity space 40 between the inner 38 and outer 42 leaves of the wall.

The inlet grille 26 leads to a duct 46 located within the housing 14 which directs the air from the room 12 through a heat exchanger 50 and back out through the outlet grille 28. Air is drawn through the duct 46 by a fan 44, which is powered by an electric motor 45. The motor 45 can be configured to rotate in either direction enabling the inlet 26 and outlet grilles 28 to be reversed, which may be a desirable option if the climate control system 10 is to be used as both a heating device and as a cooling device.

The upper portion of the duct 46 is provided with an auxiliary inlet tube 52, which communicates with the cavity space 40. A flap valve 54 is provided where the auxiliary inlet tube 52 meets the inlet portion of the doctor 46 to enable a user to select air to be drawn in from the room 12 or from the cavity space 40, depending on whether a "re-circulating" mode, or a "fresh air" mode is required. The operation of the flap valve 54 can also be controlled by a circuit associated with the control panel 30 such that the selection of "recirculating", or "fresh air" mode can be automatic.

The heat exchanger 50 replaces the electric heater element of a conventional electric fire and is heated and/or cooled by an external air conditioning unit 58. The external air conditioning unit 58 is shown located on the exterior of the building at floor level, but could be wall-mounted or located within the cavity space 40 depending on the dimensions of the unit 58 and the cavity space 40. By mounting the air conditioning unit 58 within the cavity space 40, one can eliminate the problem of icing of the external heat exchanger 60 during extreme cold weather. On the other hand, the cooling efficiency of the air conditioning unit 58 could be reduced in hot weather if it is mounted within the cavity space 40. As such, the location of the air conditioning unit 58 will therefore depend on the prevailing weather conditions, the amount of space available and other factors, such as access to an external wall etc. V" The heat exchanger 50 located within the housing 14 communicates with the air o conditioning unit 58 via pipework 62. The pipes 62 are insulated to minimise heat transfer into/out (,Ql5 of the system between the external heat exchanger 60 and the internal heat exchanger 50, which is more important where long pipe runs are involved. In a most preferred embodiment of the invention, the pipes 62 are "heat pipes" enabling extremely efficient transfer of heat between the heat exchangers 50, 60.

The control panel 30 comprises an integral circuit having various feedback loops associated with it. In the illustrated example, there is a first temperature sensor 64 located within the inlet portion of the duct 46 for sensing the temperature of the air entering the duct 46, and a second temperature sensor 66 located on top of the housing 14 within the cavity space 40 for sensing the temperature of the air entering the duct 46 from the cavity space 40. The control panel 30 comprises a circuit that compares the target temperature set by the user with the air temperature in the room (using sensor 64) and with the air temperature within the wall cavity space 40 (using sensor 66) and decides whether the flap valve 54 should beset to draw air 68 in from the room 12 or to draw air 70 in from the cavity space 40 to obtain the optimum efficiency.

The fan 44 comprises a multi-stage turbine located within a relatively wide portion 72 of the duct 46 that is driven by a shaft 74 extending through an aperture in the sidewall of the duct 46 with electric motor 45. The speed and/or direction of the motor 45 is adjustable using a variable speed controller (not shown) that is controlled by the control circuit 30.

In a "heating" mode, the fan 44 causes the air 68 to be drawn into the duct 46 through the inlet grille 26 or through the auxiliary inlet port 52, through the heat exchanger 50 and out 76 into the room 12 via an outlet portion 78 of the duct 46. Conversely) in a "cooling" mode, air can optionally be drawn in through grille 28, through the heat exchanger 50 and out through the upper grille 26. The direction of the air flow within the duct 46 will depend on the temperature of the air within the room 12 and the wall cavity 40 relative to the "target" temperature set by the user.

V" The flame simulation screen 20 is configured to give the visual effect of a real fire and o preferably comprises a flat screen display, such as an LCD/LED display connected to a video driver 78 (,Q15 containing a looped video of a real fire that can be displayed continuously upon the screen 20. Video driver 78 is also connected to an internal speaker 80 that can optionally output a sound recording simulating the crackling/hissing sound of a real fire. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, video driver 78 contains a number of user-selectable simulations giving different visual/audio effects.

Turning now to Figure 3, a climate control system according to the first aspect of the invention comprises a fireplace 100 located within a room 102 to be heated/cooled. The fireplace comprises a false chimney breast 104 providing a hollow cavity 106 whose dimensions are sufficient to accommodate the slave unit 108 of a split unit air conditioner. The slave unit 108 is secured to the wall 110 using screws (not shown) and is located at a level slightly above the upper periphery 112 of an aperture 114 in a fire surround 116. The slave unit 108 only needs to be sited slightly higher than the upper periphery 112 of the aperture 114 because in most situations, the eye level of an observer will be higher than the upper periphery 112 of the aperture 114. By siting the slave unit 108 just out of view, it is still relatively easy to access via the aperture 114, for servicing, repair etc. In a manner similar to that previously described, the slave unit 108 is connected to an externally-located master unit 118 via insulated pipes 120. A supplementary, flame-effect, electric fire 122 is located within the aperture 114 of the fire surround 116 to provide a pleasing visual appearance and also to provide a supplementary/alternative source of heat for the room 102. There is a gap 124 between the upper periphery of the electric fire 122 and the upper periphery 112 of the aperture 114 in the fire surround to permit conditioned air 126 from the slave unit 108 to be blown into the room 102.

The chimney breast 104 is also provided with inlet ports 126, 128 that communicate with the room 102 and the exterior of the building, respectively to provide a supply of recirculated 130 or fresh air 132, respectively for the slave unit 108. A control valve 134 is fitted to each of the inlet o ports to enable them to be automatically opened or closed by a control circuit (not shown) of the (Q15 slave unit 108 to enable an appropriate combination of fresh air/recirculated air to be used for the reasons previously described.

In Figure 3A, a similar climate control system according to the first aspect of the invention to that shown in Figure 3 is shown. The main difference is that in Figure 3A, there is no supplementary heater, but rather an open hearth into which, if desired, a fire simulation means 20 can be optionally placed. In the illustrated example, the flame effect 20 comprises an electrically-illuminated bed of simulated coals, but this could be omitted, or replaced with a "passive" decorative effect, for example some logs, pebbles or other ornaments.

Finally, Figure 4 shows a yet further embodiment of the invention 200 in which the air conditioning slave unit is 202 is concealed within a fireplace 204. In this embodiment, the fireplace 204 comprises a surround 206 having an aperture 208 therein for receiving a conventional gas or electric fire 210. The surround 206 is spaced from the wall 212 by a distance sufficient to accommodate the fire 210 and the air conditioning unit 202. A pair of pilasters 214 are provided on either side of the surround 206 and comprise side walls 216 that extend rearwardly to the waIl 212 thereby enclosing and concealing the fire 210 and air conditioning slave unit 202. The pilasters 214 and upper edge of the surround 206 support a mantle 220, which projects slightly forwardly of the pilasters 214. In the particular embodiment shown, the air conditioning slave unit 202 is located within a hollow portion of the mantle 220.

The air conditioning slave unit 202 comprises a downwardly directed outlet port 222 that is arranged to direct the conditioned air 224 out through the aperture 208 in the surround 206, through a small gap 226 between an upper periphery of the fire 210 and the upper periphery of the aperture 208. Air 232 is drawn into an inlet port 228 of the air conditioning slave unit 202 via one or more concealed inlet apertures 230 in the fireplace 204.

c.j The inlet apertures 230 are formed as slots that are positioned at locations where they are not easily visible in normal use, for example on the underside of the mantle 220 or at an intersection o of the pilasters and the wall, the mantle and the wall and the like, for example in one or more (Q15 locations as shown in Figure 4A.

The fireplace 204 can be manufactured of a decorative material, for example, sheets of marble, stone or reconstituted stone giving the visual appearance of a conventional fireplace.

However, by concealing an air conditioning unit within the fireplace, in addition to a conventional fire, it is possible to achieve improved control of the room temperature and to save energy by using the air conditioning unit alone, or in combination with the conventional fire 210. Moreover, because the air conditioning unit is concealed from view, the invention overcomes the problem of siting an unattractive or non-coordinating (with the rest of the room's decor) air conditioning slave unit within a room.

One of the main advantages of the invention over a conventional electric fire is that the heating/cooling efficiency of an air conditioning unit 58 is considerably higher than that of a resistive coil heater element. For example, a 1 kW air conditioning unit can provide an equivalent heat output, in certain circumstances to a 3 kW system coil heating element thereby greatly reducing the amount of electricity required for a given heat output. A further advantage of the invention over a conventional electric fire is its ability to provide a cooling function in warmer weather in addition to heating function in cool weather. Furthermore, air conditioning units 58 often comprise air filters and/or dehumidifiers thereby enabling the air in the room 12 to be cleaned/dehumidified, if required. The invention may be particularly suited to homes/environments where air contaminants and allergens (e.g. pollen, dust etc.) need to be controlled -the air conditioning unit's air scrubbing functionality serving to scrub the air of potentially harmful contaminants/pollutants.

A further advantage of the invention is that because the air conditioning unit is located with a housing, such as a fireplace, chimneybreast or within a housing, its noise emissions can be significantly reduced/damped. In that regard, it may be desirable to incorporate sound insulation within the fireplace, chimneybreast or housing to abate the air conditioning's noise emissions.

The invention has been described in relation to an electric fire, although it will be o appreciated that the invention could also be incorporated into a range of furniture items other than (Q15 fires. Moreover, the air conditioning unit 58 has been shown located externally of the building, however, a relatively small air conditioning unit 58 could be located within the wall cavity space 40 above the main housing 14 of the climate control system 10.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiments which are merely exemplary. For example, the shape, relative size and arrangement of the features could be altered to suit different applications. In addition, the air conditioning unit need not necessarily be able to heat and cool, but could be a heating only "reverse cycle" air conditioning unit, or a conventional cooling only air conditioning unit.

Claims

<claim-text>Claims: 1. An electric fire comprising a housing, a heating element located within the housing and means for causing air from a room in which the fire is located to enter the housing, come into contact with the heating element, and to be reintroduced into the room, wherein the heating element comprises a heat exchanger of a reverse cycle air conditioner.</claim-text> <claim-text>2. A climate control system comprising a housing, an element located within the housing and means for causing air from a room in which the climate control system is located to enter the housing, come into contact with the element, and to be reintroduced into the room, wherein the element comprises a heat exchanger of an air conditioning unit.</claim-text> <claim-text>3. A fire or climate control system as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, comprising a fireplace, the fireplace comprising a fire surround having an aperture therein suitable for at least partially receiving an electric or gas fire and providing a space behind the surround for receiving an air conditioning unit the air conditioning unit being adapted to deliver a flow of conditioned air into the room via the aperture, wherein the air conditioning unit is concealed from view by the surround.</claim-text> <claim-text>4. A fire or climate control system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the space behind the fire surround in which the air conditioning unit is receivable at least partially comprises a chimney or flue space.</claim-text> <claim-text>5. A fire or climate control system as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the air conditioning unit is located at a point higher than an upper periphery of the aperture in the fire surround.</claim-text> <claim-text>6. A fire or climate control system as claimed in any of claims 3 to 5, wherein the air conditioning unit comprises a split unit air conditioner.</claim-text> <claim-text>7. A fire or climate control system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the slave portion of the split unit air conditioner is at least partially located within the chimney or flue space.</claim-text> <claim-text>8. A fire or climate control system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the master unit of the split unit air conditioner is located remotely from the slave unit and is connected thereto by pipework.</claim-text> <claim-text>9. A fire or climate control system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the master unit is located externally of the building in which the climate control system is installed.</claim-text> <claim-text>10. A fire or climate control system as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising a supplementary heater located at least partially in the chimney or flue space.</claim-text> <claim-text>11. A fire or climate control system as claimed in claim 10, wherein, further comprising at least one gap between the supplementary heater and a periphery of the aperture in the fire surround.</claim-text> <claim-text>12. A fire or climate control system as claimed in claim 10 or claim 11, wherein a heat exchanger of the air conditioning unit is incorporated into the supplementary heater.</claim-text> <claim-text>13. A fire or climate control system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the heat exchanger serves as an alternative or supplementary source of heat for the supplementary heater.</claim-text> <claim-text>14. A fire or climate control system as claimed in claim 13, wherein heat exchanger of the air conditioning unit serves as an alternative source of cool air for the supplementary heater.</claim-text> <claim-text>15. A fire or climate control system as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising an inlet aperture communicating with the chimney or flue space to provide a source of fresh air, and/or recirculated air from the room, to the air conditioning unit.</claim-text> <claim-text>16. A fire or climate control system as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising a false chimney breast.</claim-text> <claim-text>17. A fire or climate control system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the housing is adapted to resemble any one or more of the group comprising: an electric fire; a log fire; a gas fire; an electric convector heater; and a furniture item.</claim-text> <claim-text>18. An electric fire or climate control system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the air conditioning unit can be operated in a "forward cycle" mode in which it produces cold air at the heat exchanger located within the housing, chimney space or flue space and/or in a "reverse cycle" mode in which produces warm air at the heat exchanger located within the housing, chimney space or flue space.</claim-text> <claim-text>19. An electric fire or climate control system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the air conditioner comprises a dehumidifier and/or a filter means for dehumidifying and/or cleaning the air within the room.</claim-text> <claim-text>20. An electric fire or climate control system as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising a flame simulation means.</claim-text> <claim-text>21. An electric fire or climate control system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the flame simulation means comprise any one or more of the group comprising: an image or hologram of a fire; a plurality of ribbons or other movable elements adapted to flutter/move under the influence of actuator; one or more lights adapted to illuminate continuously, intermittently, to fade in/out and/or to change colour; a visual display unit; an LCD/LED display screen for displaying a moving picture/video of a real fire; a sound effect means; and a speaker connected to an audio playback device.</claim-text> <claim-text>22. An electric fire or climate control system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the means for causing air from a room in which the fire is located to enter the housing, come into contact with the element, and to be reintroduced into the room, comprises a fan.</claim-text> <claim-text>23. An electric fire or climate control system as claimed in any claim 22, wherein the fan is actuated using an electric motor.</claim-text> <claim-text>24. An electric fire or climate control system as claimed in claim 22 or claim 23, wherein the speed and/or direction of the fan/motor is adjustable.</claim-text> <claim-text>25. An electric fire or climate control system as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising a duct having an inlet and an outlet, the outlet of the duct communicating with the room to be heated/cooled.</claim-text> <claim-text>26. An electric fire or climate control system as claimed in claim 25, wherein an inlet of the duct communicates with the room to be heated/cooled.</claim-text> <claim-text>27. An electric fire or climate control system as claimed in any claim 25 or claim 26, wherein an inlet of the duct communicates body of air other than the air within the room to be heated/cooled.</claim-text> <claim-text>28. An electric fire or climate control system as claimed in any of claims 25, 26, or 27, further comprising valve means for selecting whether air entering the duct comes from the room to be heated/cooled and/or a body of air other than the air within the room to be heated/cooled.</claim-text> <claim-text>29. An electric fire or climate control system as claimed in claim 28, wherein the valve means is controllable automatically in response to the relative temperature of the air within the room to be heated/cooled and the body of air other than the air within the room to be heated/cooled.</claim-text> <claim-text>30. An electric fire or climate control system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the air conditioning unit is located remotely from the housing.</claim-text> <claim-text>31. An electric fire or climate control system as claimed in claim 30, wherein the air conditioning unit is located externally of a building or within a chimney breast of a building.</claim-text> <claim-text>32. An electric fire or climate control system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the heat exchanger within the housing is connected to the air conditioning unit using pipes.</claim-text> <claim-text>33. An electric fire or climate control system as claimed in claim 32, wherein the pipes are insulated.</claim-text> <claim-text>34. An electric fire or climate control system as claimed in claim 32 or claim 33, wherein the pipes comprise heat pipes.</claim-text> <claim-text>35. An electric fire or climate control system as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising a control interface for enabling a user to select between different modes of operation, the different modes of operation comprising: a heating mode, a cooling mode, an air cleaning mode and/or a dehumidifying mode.</claim-text> <claim-text>36. An electric fire or climate control system as claimed in claim 35, wherein the control interface is adapted to enable a user to select a target temperature and/or humidity.</claim-text> <claim-text>37. An electric fire or climate control system as claimed in claim 35 or claim 36, wherein the control interface comprises a temperature sensor.</claim-text> <claim-text>38. An electric fire or climate control system as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising a fascia.</claim-text> <claim-text>39. An electric fire or climate control system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the fascia comprises a viewing window through which the flame simulation means can be seen.</claim-text> <claim-text>40. An electric fire or climate control system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the fireplace is manufactured from a material comprising any one or more of the group comprising: MDF, marble, granite, limestone, concrete, wood and a composite material and resin composite.</claim-text> <claim-text>41. An electric fire or climate control system substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.</claim-text>