A large chimney causes the gases in the flue to cool, resulting in a draft in the home. The services of a professional chimney sweeper may be able to assist you in determining whether your chimney is creating a back draft due to some type of size issue. It is also possible to experience a draft problem when using a wood stove.
You can enjoy a fireplace without a chimney when you use a flueless gas fire. It does not require as much building work to install one, either. To install your fire, you will only need to install a 100cm2 ventilation brick on an exterior wall and connect it to a gas line.
Open fireplaces benefit from a large amount of updraft, which allows hundreds of cubic feet of air to be pushed through the chimney and out into the cold air. This allows a hot fire to burn without inhaling harmful fumes.