Bioethanol burners | ethanol burners | flue-less fires

Bioethanol burners have many names. They are often referred to gel fires, but they have progressed considerably since the days when you inserted a canister filled with an alcohol based gel which you burned. Todays bioethanol fires use a liquid fuel. It is still alcohol based, but as a fluid it enables much more appealing flames.

A bioethanol burner is one of simplest solutions for installing a fire in your home. No flue or air vents are required, and they are a ‘drop in’ installation. All you have to do is fill them up periodically, and you have a beautiful fireplace.

Why bioethanol?

Bioethanol fuel burns clean, so there is no requirement for a flue or a free air vent into the room like you would with an open gas fire.  Without a flue for the heat to disappear up, 100% of the heat enters the room. Where as an open gas fire is only 20% efficient, with 80% of the heat generated rising up and out of the chimney.

Without a flue, there are no drafts down the chimney and into the room. Chimneys can also allow noise from outside to enter the room. Flues also require sweeping on a regular basis. It is recommended to be swept at least once a year for gas fires, which is mandatory for a landlord if the house is rented. Potentially dirty and costly, this can be eliminated if you have a bioethanol fire instead. The 100cm square unobstructed air brick that you typically require if your gas fire is 7kW or over, which increases if you have a larger fires can not not be closed in any way. So a bioethanol fire will eliminate these requirements, making your room draft free.

Bioethanol fires are easier to install. They do not require and expensive Gas Safe engineer to install them, just a competent installer. They do not require the annual servicing that a gas fire would require. Our fires only require a wipe down every so often to keep them clean. The manual fires shown below are bullet proof, in that they don’t have any moving parts to go wrong, other than the lid, which is a simple hinge mechanism to allow you to shut off the fire instantly.

What is bioethanol?

Bioethanol is a pure alcohol. It’s combustion is clean which therefore makes it an effective source of heat because it does not produce any soot, ash or harmful emissions. This is why they do not need a flue like an open gas fire. Derived from plants, ethanol as it is often called, is a renewable energy source. It is produced by fermenting the sugar and starch components of plant by-products, mainly sugarcane and crops like grain, using yeast. It is also made from corn, potatoes, mike, rice, beetroot and more recently grapes, bananas and dates. The fruits used depends on the countries agricultural strength.

Who is a bioethanol fire for?

Quite simply, anyone. Obviously there is an element of dexterity involved in refilling them. Some models are easier than others, but you do need to handle the bottles of bioethanol in order for them to be refuelled. Bioethanol fires are often easier to use than gas fires fires. Especially is you go for a manual burner. Bio fires are also far more versatile than a gas fire. Pretty much all gas fires require a flue, even if it a ‘closed’ glass fronted fire. Therefore you need an existing flue, or to some how have one retrospectively installed. This can prove difficult, and costly. A bioethanol just does not need one. So you can install one almost anywhere. It is important to note that any combustion uses oxygen, so there is typically a minimum room size for a bio fire, so that you don’t burn up too much of the oxygen in the room.

Versatility

Because there is no gas connection, the fire is not fixed into its location in the same was a gas fire. This means that we have a stylish range of portable and semi portable fires. Some are designed to be moved frequently, where as others, like the fire pits and fire tables, can perhaps be moved depending on the seasons. You don’t have to bring them indoors though. We have great range of covers that protect them from the elements should you want to leave them outside all year long.

Bioethanol fire types

Due to the fact that bioethanol fires do not require a fixed gas connection, the scope for different styles is comprehensive. When it comes to the manual fires, we have a fixed range of burners. These burners can be purchased on their own as a ‘drop in’ burner which can be installed into your own furniture or setting. They range from two round models in the AB3 and AB8, to the small square BK5, the slightly larger and rectangular XS340, and then onto the XL range which starts at 500mm long with the XL500, followed by the XL700, XL900 and then the XL1200. There is one final burner, and that is the VB2, which has been designed to drop into and existing register grate. This model is ideal for those situations where the flue has failed, and it is too costly to have it renovated or repaired. Just block the flue and drop in the VB2 to have a real flame back into your fireplace.

Our manual range then have various fireplace/fire pit models which incorporate one of the burners mentioned above, but installed within a fire pit, a fire table or a portable fireplace. For the more traditional fireplace, we have the FLEX range. This is a complete range of hole in the wall fireplaces that include the firebox as well as the burner. These can be installed at ground level, or further up the wall depending on your your design requirements. The come in various sizes and styles, which include a standard single sided fireplace that is open to the front. A right, and a left corner, as well as a double sided, or ‘tunnel’ fireplace. There is also a wall divider and peninsula model. Once you move up the larger fireplaces, you can end up with three burners included within them for a real impact piece. There are even models that include storage on the left, right or both for our decorative brass or copper log sets. Due to the large number of models available, we have crated a Product Filter within the SHOP, to allow you to search for fires that meet your specific criteria. This might be things like fire width or depth, so that it fits within the space that you have available. It could be that you want a certain minimum burn time, or a particular style. Our Filter is there to help you, but so are we. So always feel free to pick up the phone and give us a call. We are always happy to provide advice.

Manual, electronic & remote control Bioethanol Fires

In addition to the different fire styles, we also have different types of fire. There are the manual fires which are showcased below. Then there are the electronic fires which require a power source, as they are controlled via an electronic control panel on the fire. Finally there are the Remote Control versions. These also require a mains power connection, as they also have a control panel built in, but they also benefit from being controlled remotely via an infra red remote, or even via a smartphone app, or building control system.

We aren’t just a typical online store. We are a consultancy too. We can provide you with a complete solution for your fireplaces, should you require a little more help. Perhaps you have a tricky installation, or you have a project that involves multiple installations that all need to be drawn up. This is really where our sweet spot is. With years of experience with fires and project management, we know how to make your project work.

Bioethanol fires are incredibly flexible in terms of their use and where you can install them. There are however still guidelines that you need to follow, especially when you want install TV’s above. So please feel free to give us that call so that we can provide you with some expert advice.