Bioethanol fireplaces
A real flame without a flue burns in bioethanol fireplaces on liquid bioethanol, which burns away completely and leaves neither ash nor soot. The stainless steel burner is filled straight from the bottle, and its capacity decides how long the fireplace burns on one fill. A slider above the burner lets you reduce the flame or put it out entirely. Models come as wall units, freestanding, tabletop and built-in, for the flat as well as the terrace.
Bioethanol fireplaces
A bioethanol fireplace needs only fuel and an open window to run, no chimney and no connection. Bioethanol burns with a clean blue and yellow flame and turns into carbon dioxide and water vapour, so no ash or soot is left behind. That is exactly why it can stand in a flat where a conventional fireplace would never be approved.
The heart of the fireplace is the stainless steel burner, whose capacity runs from about 0.5 to 3 litres. Burn time on one fill follows from capacity and consumption and usually lands between two and eight hours. Consumption sits around 0.2 to 0.5 litres per hour depending on burner width. The slider above the burner reduces the flame and extinguishes it in the closed position. Safety burners hold ceramic wool inside that soaks up the fuel, so it does not spill if the fireplace is knocked over.
The fuel is denatured bioethanol at a concentration of roughly 96 per cent or higher, sold in one-litre bottles or canisters. Lower concentrations burn worse and smoke more, and industrial spirit or other flammable liquids have no place in the burner. Fuel is always topped up into a cooled burner, at the earliest about a quarter of an hour after it goes out. A funnel or a dosing bottle is used for pouring so that nothing runs down the side. Spilt fuel is wiped dry before lighting.
Output sits at around two to three kilowatts, which matches a supplementary source for one room. Burning consumes oxygen and produces carbon dioxide, which is why manufacturers state a minimum room volume and advise ventilating while the fireplace runs. The fireplace is never left burning unattended and is not moved while it burns.
They come as wall models, freestanding in stove style, tabletop units and built-in inserts, some in outdoor versions too. Space has to be left clear around the burner, and distance kept from curtains, fabrics and furniture. Running cost is driven mainly by fuel consumption, which is worth working out before buying.