Malvern Black

Bioethanol Fireplace

Yes. Bioethanol fires burn cleaner than woodburners, and they produce no smoke, soot or harmful emissions. Made from renewable plant-based sources, bioethanol is far greener than coal or wood – and with no chimney needed, there's no wasted heat either.

We aim to deliver our beautiful bioethanol fireplaces, suites, and fire baskets within 7 days of receiving your order, and in many cases, within 3 working days.  The product page shows the latest expected number of days before delivery, which is regulary checked with our couriers to ensure the information is as accurate as possible.  

How can I tell how long I'll need to wait for my biofire?

Look for the little van symbol above the "Add to Cart" button on our bioethanol fireplaces page This will confirm the expected waiting duration, but it could change for reasons beyond our control.

Of course, we'll always endeavour to get your order to you as soon as possible, so there's a chance we may be able to fulfil your order more quickly than stated. 

How will I be notified of my delivery?

Once your order ships, you will receive a text or email message from one of our couriers, (UK Mail/DHL/DX), notifying you of the intended day of delivery. The email message includes a link on how to change the delivery day if necessary (but not to weekends). The text message will include just the planned delivery day. Our couriers will attempt delvery twice before the item(s) are held in a depot awaiting your contact for redelivery.  

Why can't ImaginFires guarantee a delivery date?

While we will always do our very best to fulfill your order within the stated time, some items may take longer. This is due to a range of variables beyond our control, including changes in traffic conditions due to weather or courier staffing levels.  

We base our expected delivery dates on the latest information from our shipping partners and preffered couriers (usually DX) , and while we do all we can to fulfil those timescales, they're occasionally subject to change. 

We are currently unable to offer any weekend deliveries.

Will I receive all my items at the same time?

In the majority of cases, all items on your order will arrive together. However, during busy periods if you order a biofire and accessories such as logs, pebbles or biofuel, they do sometimes get deliberately separated by the courier, but then get delivered within 72 hours of the first item arriving.

Can I contact ImaginFires about my order?

Of course. If there's a delay on your order, if you have any questions about your order, or if you have aftercare questions about a completed order, don't hesitate to get in touch with us. 

When contacting us, please include your ORDER NUMBER — this is vital for processing your enquiry and will speed up our response.

Not at all. Just place your fireplace where you want it, add fuel, and ignite. No tools, tradespeople, or building work required.

Bioethanol fuel burns with 98% efficiency, so when used correctly it is very clean burning and therefore does not produce any smoke, soot or nasty residues. 

So what does ethanol produce when burned? Nothing more than carbon dioxide and water. You should never observe any smoke or soot coming out of your bioethanol fireplace. 

Potential Reasons Bioethanol Fireplace Sets Off Smoke Alarm

In the unlikely event that your smoke or carbon monoxide alarm is triggered whilst using a biofire, please in the first instance always stop using the biofire and check the following:

• That no stray household debris has accidentally fallen into the fuel box and is thus being burned and emitting smoke. Please wait for the biofire to return to room temperature before checking!
• That you are using high grade bioethanol fuel specifically developed for bioethanol fireplaces.  Do not use any biofuel that does not clearly state it is formulated for use in bioethanol fireplaces. Also ensure it is at least 96% alcohol as this gives the cleanest and longest usage time.
• That there are no restrictions to the ethanol fuel burning fully and cleanly. In particular, never cover the opening of the fuelbox with any accessories or other obstructions. This may change the quality of the combustion of the fuel.  
• That any accessories used on or inside the bio fire have been designed specifically for use in biofires. Whilst we recommend you only use accessories available through our website, we are aware that other products are available and have caused the triggering of some smoke/fire alarms.

Bioethanol fuel has a fairly neutral smell when lit — some people claim that there’s no smell at all, but you will notice a mild, but not unpleasant, odour when you first light your bioethanol fireplace. Some people describe the smell as mildly “coconutty”, while others compare the scent to a burning candle. 

Either way, you get used to the mild odour very quickly — literally going “nose-blind” to it after a short period. You don’t get any of the charred wood smell of an open fire — the odour is much less noticeable than a real fire. 

High-quality bioethanol for low odour

Of course, it depends on the quality of the fuel you choose to burn — if you buy cheap bioethanol, there may be a more noticeable smell. We recommend reading the reviews before purchasing any bioethanol fuel.

Our own-brand range, ImagiFuel, has a particularly low odour. We even sell scented biofuel with Vanilla, Forest, or Christmas aromas that pleasantly boost the cosiness of your room while you heat it. 

What’s that smell when I light my biofire?

The first time you light your brand new biofire, you may notice a mild chemical like scent — don’t panic, this is normal as your fuel box “beds in”. 

This smell is harmless and will disappear after you’ve lit your fire a couple of times. 

What’s that smell when my biofire goes out?

High-quality bioethanol fuel emits very little-to-no odour while it’s burning, but you may notice a slight chemical tang to the air when the flames go out. This is normal and nothing to worry about. You may detect the same smell when you close the fuel box slider to snuff out the flame. 

This smell will be noticeable when you first start using your bioethanol fireplace, but you get used to it after a couple of burns. You’ll hardly notice it after a while. If anything, it leaves a clean smell in the air, similar to when you have a new sofa delivered. 

Bioethanol fuel uses oxygen in the air to combust and emits a small amount of water vapour and a little carbon dioxide (about the same amount as burning two candles). There’s none of the charred, burning smell of open fires or wood burners. 

Are bioethanol fires warm?

Perhaps surprisingly, this is a very common question that confuses many people!

While biofires are not intended as a primary heat source for your home, your bioethanol fireplace gives off plenty of heat, with much better fuel efficiency than a wood-burning stove (which loses around 40% of its heat up the chimney). 

So with our fireplaces you can close off the chimney (with a proprietary chimney sock or similar) and finish off above the fireplace with a piece of fireboard or similar for that added bit of protection.

Do bioethanol fires give off heat?

Yes. The real flame provides a cosy atmosphere, but it also produces a comfortable toastiness for your room.

However, we don’t recommend replacing your central heating system with a bioethanol fireplace as it will not produce enough heat and will be expensive to run. But for supplementary heat, you’ll love the comfortable warmth produced by your bioethanol flame.

Our fireplaces are ideal for those cooler summer evenings when you don’t want to heat the whole house, just taking the chill off a room and alternatively are also great for that added boost of heat in a room on the colder winter evenings.

How much heat does a bioethanol fireplace produce in Kilowatt-hours?

In technical terms, bioethanol fireplaces produce around 3 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of heat when the fuel gauge is fully open. 

To give you an idea of how hot this is, the average electric fire will generate around 2kWh of heat. So, depending on the size of your room, your bioethanol fireplace gives off heat that maintains a comfortable, consistent temperature.

Wood-burning stoves and open fireplaces generally generate around 5kWh of heat (depending on their size), but this is often too hot for small-to-medium-sized rooms. So, you should find that your bioethanol fireplace gives off plenty of heat, even for deep midwinter. 

If anything, you may find that a full bioethanol flame is a little too hot for your tastes. Fortunately, the easily adjustable slider on the fuel box will allow you to reduce the strength of the flame as you desire.

How hot is an ethanol fireplace?

If you place a wood burner thermometer on a bioethanol fireplace, you’ll find that it hits the temperature considered Best Operation for a wood burner (between 130ºC and 280ºC). At full burn, it reaches around 180ºC, which is plenty to warm a small-to-medium-sized room.

However, we don't recommend replacing your central heating system with a bioethanol fire - we don't consider it a suitable replacement for your primary heating source. But it is perfect as a top up fireplace or suitable for when you just wish to warm up one room.

Bioethanol makes a perfect additional heat source, offering a real, warming flame. In a standard-sized room, an average-sized bioethanol fireplace will give off as much heat as an electric heater on a medium-to-high setting.

We recommend our larger bioethanol fireplaces for big rooms - our customers love our  Marlow fireplace or the freestanding  Globus. Larger fireplaces are capable of producing more heat. 

Whichever bioethanol fireplace you choose, be assured that you'll get a natural, warming flame that brings a beautiful toasty warmth and cosiness to your room.

Biofire is an environmentally-friendly heating option

Bioethanol fuel provides a guilt-free flame — it’s carbon neutral and doesn’t pollute the air or damage the environment. 

And, of course, with the spiralling price of gas and electricity, bioethanol puts you in control of your heating bills. You can rest assured that you’re using a green energy source that doesn’t pollute or damage the environment. 

Many of our bioethanol fireplaces are portable, so you can use them outside. However, be aware that your bioethanol fuel is unlikely to last as long in windy conditions. 

Bioethanol fireplaces are perfect for conservatories because you don’t need a flue or chimney to run your fire safely. Just fill your fireplace with bioethanol, light the flame, and enjoy a toasty warmth without the hassle or mess of burning wood or coal.

Are bioethanol fireplaces safe?

Bioethanol fireplaces produce real flames, so it's important that they should be treated with the same level of caution and safety as any other object that produces flames. Having said this, bioethanol fireplace safety procedures are very easy to follow, meaning that they are suitable for use in most homes.  

To ensure that our customers stay as safe as possible, Imaginfires are constantly updating and improving our biofires. This means that our ethanol fireplace safety features have been tested by a world-renowned testing laboratory to ensure they meet the new British and European safety standard BS EN 16647:2015. Customers can rest assured that we only sell products that we would and have been delighted to install in our own homes.

What makes bioethanol fires safe indoors?

Recent updates include the introduction of a new, patented, ‘no-spill’ fuel box into our freestanding, fire basket and woodburner biofires. This means that the biofuel is quickly absorbed by a special internal absorption feature, reducing the risk of any biofuel spilling out of the fireplace when knocked.

Of course, despite every effort being made to make biofires as safe as possible, there are a few basic safety measures biofire users should always follow. These are all listed in the supplied product manual, but include:

Taking care with biofuel

Biofuel is obviously a flammable substance, so it should be handled with care for maximum ethanol fireplace safety. It is important never to pour biofuel onto a lit or warm fireplace. Rather, users should only refuel the fireplace once it has been turned off and cooled down. 

Before refilling the steel fuel box with the bioethanol fuel, always ensure the fuel box has returned to room temperature (this takes approximately 30 minutes from extinguishing the fire). You should also clean up any biofuel spillages before lighting the fire.

Purchase high-quality fuel

To keep your running costs reasonable and to avoid any potential problems that low quality biofuel could cause, we recommend buying the fuel that is of a high quality and has at least 95% alcohol. This provides the best and longest flame.  

We offer some of the best value biofuel in the market, and our fuel is developed and bottled specifically for Imaginfires biofires. You can read many great Trustpilot reviews we have received from customers for our biofuel.