Bioethanol Fireplaces: No Smoke! No Chimney! No Hassle!

Most Common FAQs

How to light a bioethanol fireplace

Customers thinking about buying one of our bioethanol fireplaces often ask “How do I Light A Bioethanol fireplace?” It’s such a common question as many customers cannot believe that using a Biofire is as straightforward as we say.

All you need is a fire lighter and some bioethanol fuel. You simply squeeze the biofuel into the fuel box, and light at arms-length! That’s it! You should of course clear away any spilt fuel with a paper towel or cloth before lighting, and if you have any of our ceramic pebbles or logs then don’t position them over the opening of the fuel box.

Once lit, you will get around 3.5 to 4 hours from 1 litre of fuel. If you need to close off the flame before all the biofuel has been used up, it’s just as easy. Simply use the supplied closing tool to pull the shutter on the fuel box over the flame. Should you need to refuel the fireplace, please allow at least 30 minutes or until the fuel box has returned to room temperature.

What is bioethanol fireplace

The idea behind this is that it is a cleaner, safer, and more eco-friendly way to enjoy a real fire in the home. They are not intended to replace the primary heating source in your home, eg central heating. Bioethanol fires do not require a chimney as they do not emit smoke, soot, or ash.

What’s more, you will be ready to use your biofire in just a few minutes after receiving it's and even it its one of the wall-mounted range, it will only take an hour or so to fit to the wall.

How does a bio ethanol fireplace work

Just squeeze the bioethanol fuel from our ‘squeezy’ bottles into the burner box supplied with your fireplace. Using a gas-lighter-style tool or extended taper, light the bioethanol fuel.

Within just a few minutes, a lovely natural and cosy flame will appear. Use the metal closing rod supplied to pull/ push the sliding mechanism over the flame to adjust or extinguish the flame.

What is bio ethanol fireplace fuel

There are 2 main types of bioethanol fuel, gel and liquid.  All of the biofires sold by Imaginfires are designed specifically for use with liquid biofuel only. Gel based biofuels must not be used in any of our biofires. Doing so is dangerous.

As well as the large difference in textures between gels and liquids, the flame from a liquid based biofire tends to be more aesthetically pleasing than gel based flames. Other things being equal, they tend to be larger and of a more orange colour, and so more aligned with what most people perceive as a natural flame to have in the home that creates that feeling of relaxation and comfort.

How do you put out a bio ethanol fire?

The stainless-steel fuel box has a shutter that can be closed to shut off the flame. Always use the supplied tools to do this. Never use your hands or any part of your body to do this as the fuel box will be very hot. Do not move the bio fire until the stainless-steel fuel box has cooled.

Can you put a TV above a bioethanol fireplace?

As there is no smoke given off by our bioethanol fires, you don't need to worry about smoke damage to your TV. Nevertheless, we recommend that you only place a TV above a bio ethanol fireplace that has a closed top, such as our extremely popular wall mounted Marlow.

Ideally you can leave 18 inches between the top of the fire and the bottom of the TV.

Are bioethanol fires dangerous?

As with any type of fireplace that produces fire and heat, ethanol fireplaces must be used correctly. Although they are extremely easy to use, we do supply a simple to use instruction manual which should be read before use.

The manual will remind you, for example, that you should always wait until the fuel box has cooled to room temperature before refilling, and that you must not overfill the fuel box with biofuel, as spillages can of course catch alight if not cleaned up for example.

Most of our fuel boxes have a patented non-spill feature, which helps reduce the possibility of liquid fuel spilling out when the fireplace is accidentally knocked. Nevertheless, since safety should always be the first priority, we would request that you read the safety manual before use.

Do bio ethanol fireplaces produce heat?

Imagin Bioethanol fireplaces will heat an average sized living room by around 3 to 5 degrees. This is approximately the same as having an electric heater on a medium setting. You can of course adjust many of the Biofires so that the flame is larger or smaller.

Biofires burn only specially produced bioethanol fuel, they are designed to be used in homes that do not have a flue or chimney. This means that any heat produced remains in the room, rather than escaping through the chimney. Using a bioethanol fireplace can be a very effective way of supplementing your household heating options.

So whilst they are not intended to replace existing heating sources such as central heating, they are ideal if you are looking for an occasional supplementary source of heat, and one that has the joy of a real flame without the need for complicated fitting or installation, and as they also use a more environmentally friendly fuel source.