New Products Spotlight: Ventless Fireplaces
Home fireplaces aren’t what they used to be and that’s a good thing. Now anyone who wants the captivating glow of a fireplace can have it. New technology has done away with limitations like room size, ventilation and construction requirements. Today there’s a fire feature style for every home layout, a price for every budget and a design for every taste.
Ethanol and electric fireplaces showcase a real flame or faux fire to create an inviting, chic, romantic, unique or upscale ambience. The choice is yours.
No chimney? No problem! Liquid or gel ethanol fireplaces are ventless and create authentic flames without toxins or smoke. Ethanol fuel does doesn't produce smoke or soot. It's a non-toxic renewable source of energy, known as a bio-fuel. Also, called bioethanol, ethanol releases small amounts of carbon dioxide and water vapor, similar to a candle. More about bio-ethanol.
Add undeniable cachet to a living room with a wall mounted or freestanding unit. Tabletop fire features make elegant centerpieces and torches are mesmerizing additions to gardens, walkways and patios.
If you want the realistic look and warmth of fire, but not actual flames, select an electric fireplace with LED light display with or without electric heat.
Aqua Flame by Decorpro takes faux fireplaces a step further. Using water vapor and halogen lights, Aqua Flame creates “flames” and smoke that you can actually touch.
Keep in mind, main attractions of decorative fireplaces are their beauty and wide range of high-tech functionality. Sure, they provide heat, but the majority only provide up to 9,000 BTUs. A larger bioethanol vent-free fireplace can produce up to 18,000 BTUs of warmth. Yes, that's comfortable for a 1,000 square foot room, but it's not exactly practical. Imagine all the ethanol you would have to buy!
On the otherhand zone heating is efficiently delivered by a space heater, ductless mini-split air conditioner heat pump and Packaged Terminal Air Conditioner (PTAC).
So when looking for a ventless ethanol fireplace, remember it's beauty, panache,style, sexyness, chic, etc. you're after.
As you browse through Heat & Cool’s selection of fireplaces you’ll be amazed by the assortment of styles, sizes, color pallettes, installation options and even portability. Quite a few, like the Bio-Blaze Qube Ventless Fireplace come with casters so you can easily move your fire display from room to room and inside and outside.
Other indoor/outdoor styles are torches. With a pointy bottom that inserts into the ground, torches are great for the beach or your backyard grass area.
If you're looking for versatility in placement, choose a fire torch that comes with a base or has a base as an accessory option so it can stand on a flat surface.
Table top ventless fireplaces are among the most popular. They're great for small spaces, apartments, bars and restaurants. Their portability and the instant elan they add to a dinner party are undeniable among their greatest points.
Wall-mounted fireplaces are space saving and are available in traditional rectangle and square fireplace shapes.
Of course modern shapes abound. Bio-Blaze has the circular, wall-mounted Qwara and the free-standing Kaslik by Bio-Blaze, available in white or black steel.
Convert Your Vented Fireplace to Ventless With Ethanol Insert
What if you already have a traditional hearth fireplace in your home but no longer want to burn wood or your chimney is not functioning? Do you need to tear the whole thing out and drywall over the brick or stone?
Absolutely not!
Adding a fireplace insert that burns environmentally-friendly smoke-free bioethanol requires no effort, save selecting the color and design that fits your style. You'll instantly revive your existing fireplace. Bio-Blaze inserts are stainless steel burners that burn liquid ethanol and can stand on their own within an existing fireplace.
Select ceramic logs for the fire display to preserve the look of your old-fashioned wood burning hearth fireplace. For a modern touch, add heat-resistant decorative stones or fireglass around your burner.
Insert the burner into a fire box for a finished look and more stability. With the additon of an ethanol burner fire box, inserts can be used as table top fireplaces and carried easily.
One last thing, before you go decorative fireplace shopping ... Read our safety tips below on the proper use of your ventless bioethanol fireplace.
But first, how about some trivia? What is ethanol?
Ethanol, also known as bioethanol, is an ethyl alcohol made by fermentation sugars or starches, mostly derived from crops such as corn, beets and sugarcane. Since it's organic -- nature made -- and doesn't take a long time to form, it's considered a renewable fuel source. Fossil fuels, like oil and natural gas, are organic also. They formed out of the remains of prehistoric plants and animals. Only thing is they're non-renewable because they took millions of years to form.
Now on to safety. Ethanol fireplaces require burners to hold the fuel, which is available most commonly as a liquid but is also sold as a gel. Note: Bioethanol gel is not the same as alcohol gel fuel. Bioethanol and gel fuel are not interchangeable. Each fuel burns at a different rate and temperature. Caution: Only use the type of fuel in your fireplace that the manufacturer recommends.
Some manufacturers, like Decorpro, make fireburners that can use either gel ethanol or liquid bioethanol. Bio-Blaze fireplaces and fireplace inserts only use liquid ethanol.
Your fireplace should come equipped with burners and some include a funnel and even a long lighter for easy lighting. If not, funnels and lighters are available as accessories. To use a bio-ethanol fireplace, simply follow the manufacturer’s instructions and fill the burner or burners to the required level and light as you would a candle.
