Bioethanol Fuel for Fireplaces
Bioethanol is the liquid fuel behind every flueless fire we sell: fireplaces and burners indoors, fire tables and fire bowls outdoors. Not every bioethanol burns the same, and a poor one leaves a smell you notice as soon as the fire is lit. Over more than a decade we have tried many suppliers, and the fuel we sell today is the one that smells the least of all of them. It is available at our showroom in San Pedro de Alcántara, in 5-litre containers.
What Bioethanol Is
Bioethanol is ethyl alcohol made from crops such as sugar beet, cereals or sugar cane. After distillation it is denatured: a substance is added so that it cannot be drunk. It burns with a real flame and gives off heat, water vapour and carbon dioxide, with none of the smoke, soot or ash of a wood fire. That is why a bioethanol fireplace needs no chimney, although an indoor room still needs fresh air while the fire is lit.
What It Is For
It fuels any burner designed for liquid bioethanol, from a fireplace insert in a living room to a fire table on a terrace. Every EcoSmart Fire model in our range burns it: the fire tables, the fire bowls, the bioethanol burners and the EcoSmart Fire Flex fireplaces. Use it only in burners made for it, and never put gel fuel, petrol or any other liquid in a liquid bioethanol burner.
Why Fuel Quality Matters
Bioethanol is sold under many names and at very different prices, and most of the difference lies in the alcohol it starts from. A fuel made from a cruder alcohol, or denatured with harsher additives, can leave a sharp smell in the room and residue in the burner. A good bioethanol starts from a neutral, highly refined alcohol, so almost nothing is left in it to smell when it burns. A higher figure on the label is not a sign of quality either: so-called 100% bioethanol is simply alcohol with the water removed, and in a fireplace it makes little practical difference.
The Bioethanol We Sell
We have tested many fuels with our customers’ fires, indoors and outdoors, and this is the one we trust:
Smells the least of every bioethanol we have tried
Made from sugar beet, distilled to a neutral 96% alcohol of food-grade quality before it is denatured
Denatured without methanol, phthalates or MEK
Burns cleanly, with no smoke, soot or ash
Made in France
Sold in 5-litre approved containers with child-resistant caps
How Much It Burns
Consumption depends on the size of the burner, the flame setting and how long the fire burns, so there is no single figure. EcoSmart gives the burn time per fill for each model, and before you buy we can tell you roughly how much fuel your fire will use in a typical evening.
Safe Use and Storage
Refuel only when the flame is out and the burner has cooled completely: fuel poured onto a hot burner can ignite. Keep the containers closed, in a cool place away from heat and open flames, and out of reach of children. Indoors, follow the minimum room size the manufacturer gives for your burner and keep fresh air coming in. Our bioethanol fireplace guide covers installation, ventilation and safety in more detail.
FAQ: Bioethanol Fuel
Does bioethanol smell when it burns?
A good one hardly does. Cheaper fuels can leave a sharp smell, most noticeable indoors; the one we sell is the least odorous we have found.
Can I use it in an EcoSmart burner?
Yes. It is liquid bioethanol, the fuel EcoSmart burners are designed for, indoors and outdoors.
Where can I buy it?
At our showroom in San Pedro de Alcántara, Marbella, in 5-litre containers. Ask us about regular supply for a hotel or restaurant.