Alcohol Fireplace

Alcohol fireplace inserts are one of the most environmentally efficient and friendly fuels for home fireplaces. The combustion of ethanol alcohol gel produces water vapor instead of smoke. They are so efficient and pollution free that Environment Canada, Canada's equivalent of the USA's environmental protection agency, certified alcohol gel fireplace inserts for use without a vent or chimney.

The fireplace inserts are built with steel reinforced ceramic. The ceramic is certified to withstand the higher heats produced by gas fireplaces. The ceramic material holds and radiates the heat generated by combustion after the combustion stops. The inserts hold enough gel to burn for 2 to 3 hours. The altitude and ambient humidity conditions are the major factors that will affect burn time. No reports of less than 2 hours burn time have been reported. The average burn time is 2.5 hours. The insert has a manual shutoff switch which allows users to turn it on and off to suit their wants and needs. Since there is an actual fire within the inserts, a fireplace screen is required for the safety of children and pets. The only maintenance required for fireplace inserts is a cleaning with a damp cloth every 3 or 4 months.

The ethanol alcohol fuel is a very renewable resource. It is made by the fermentation of either cane sugar or corn into the alcohol gel. It is considered a biofuel, which means there is no need to drill into the earth or the subsea ocean floors. No mining operations as coal requires. The only requirement is to grow corn or cane sugar. As the popularity of ethanol alcohol increases, research will undoubtedly discover more crops suitable for biofuel usage. The fuel is stored in recyclable plastic bottles. Since the alcohol gel cannot self ignite or spontaneously combust, it can be stored indoors at room temperature without special precautions against fire or fumes.

The alcohol fireplace inserts produce 6000 to 9000 btus of heat depending on the size of the insert. This compares very favorably to electric fireplaces which generate 1500 to 5000 btus. Since the alcohol fireplace inserts do not require electricity or fossil fuels, they can be operated in very remote places such as hunting or vacation cabins.

The fireplace inserts require a minimal amount of assembly. One of the best features of these fireplace inserts is their flexibility and portability. Since they do not require any ventilation, they are easily moved from room to room as well between buildings. If a home or cabin is sold, the fireplace inserts can be removed and set up in another building.