Bio Ethanol Fires: Embracing The Environment

Streamlined, beautiful to look at and evironmentally friendly, Bio Ethanol fireplaces are the hottest thing on the street right now. Except they're not on the street... they're on coffee tables, hearths and even set into the walls of homes across the UK.

These fires encompass everything people are looking for in a centrepiece in their home; requiring little or no installation, no flue or chimney and emitting little or no smoke or fumes; Bio Ethanol fireplaces only need a supply of the specifically developed fuel which arguably makes these fires so special.

Bio Ethanol is derived from plant crops and is available in two distinct types, the first is a light, colourless liquid that resembles water and the second is a gel form, it is completely safe to for use in domestic homes which need a focal point with no concern over pollution at all.

Some fires will work with both types and some only with one, the fuel is easily purchased from the supplier of your fire. Bio Ethanol fuelled fires are a simple to use and effective solution for homes which need a focal point but where building regulations may prevent the installation of a traditional fireplace, where the fireplace has been block off or indeed where there is no fireplace at all!

This is because some model's can actually be placed straight onto a coffee table, lit and enjoyed in the traditional fashion that families have enjoed for countless years.

So What Types of Bio Ethanol Fires are on the market and what might be the best option for you? The short answer to that question is that it depends on your taste. These are no restrictions because these fires are just so flexible in terms of styling to suit most contemporary or traditional homes. The most commonly available types of Bio Ethanol fires can be roughly separated into the following styles:

Wall Mounted
Portable
Freestanding

Wall Fires provide a more traditional way of enjoying real flames within your home; being mounted on the wall with brackets makes it easy for homeowners to choose exactly where to place the focal point in their living space, but unlike traditional fireplaces, you're able to change your mind and alter the location of the fire with probably less fuss than it takes to move that bookshelf in the corner!

Freestanding fires are just what they say they are... designed to stand freely on what would otherwise be an empty hearth or onto the floor. Much like the wall fires these are available in a range of styles to compliment or contrast both contemporary and traditional decor. The other advantage of Bio Ethanol fires is that they can also be taken outside!
The portable range of Bio Ethanol fires have no moving parts they are relatively weatherproof, although It is recommended that you check before purchase. These isn't anything better to create that special atmosphere during a summer evvening that a Bio Ethanol fire that could bring the extra little bit of sophistication to your event!

Popular among interior designers for thier contemporary finishes and the flexibility of their application, Bio Ethanol fires are poised to become the must have fires of 2011! Bio Ethanol fires are a stylish and convenient solution for those who lack a fireplace or even for adding a special touch to a dining room which otherwise might lack a certain warmth.

Many Questions spring to mind when considering the purchasing a Bio Ethanol Fire. The main one that comes to mind is What heat will it actually provide me?

Most of the larger Bio Ethanol fires would probably put out around 3kW of heat depending on where the fire is situated e.g. It would produce less heat if situated within an area of strong draft or near an opening door. 3kW is normally adequate to compliment existing heat sources and is more than which you would get with an electric fire.

Bio Ethanol Fires are easy to maintain and fill. To add fuel simply pour into the container and touch with a naked flame. To extinguish the flame simply replace the lid. Cleaning the fires only needs to occur every 3 or 3 uses and simply involves rinsing with soapy water. Read manufacturers safety instructions carefully before using and always follow precautions necessary with naked flames in a home and you should encounter no problems at all.

What Is A Decorative Fire?

A question that i've frequently come across in the industry from consumers is:
What Does It Mean By A Decorative Fire? Aren't All Fires Decorative?

What Does It Mean By A Decorative Fire?

The term decorative fire is used to describe larger open fires such as baskets or the Verine Atina. These fires all have 1 thing in common, a large opening and a large area around the flames in the centre, although this finish does create stunning finish that really showcases the living flame effect inside, this large empty space is unfortunately the reason that these fires are decorative only.

Everyone knows that hot air rises, and as the hot air from the large open flames rises, it rises up the chimney, this natural convection draws air from the room into the fire to be heated and rise up the chimney, this natural air current draws all the warm air up and out the chimney, a normal chimney will draw all the air out of the room every 2 hours.

This natural draw means that all the hot air will rise up the chimney with only radiant heat warming the room, meaning that these fires are incredibly inefficient and shouldn't be relied upon as a source of heat, as it all goes up the chimney!

Aren't All Fires Decorative?

Strictly speaking...Yes! All fires are decorative, they are all part of the decor of the living space so are decorative. But when lit they aren't just decorative, they provide heat as well, which is the main difference between a decorative fire and other gas fires, when lit a decorative fire is just that...decorative! Where as another fire would give out heat as well as showcasing the living flame effect.

Verine Eden HE Hole in the Wall Fire.

The Verine Eden is a high efficiency hole in the wall gas fire like no other that sets the bench mark for others to follow.
Hole in the wall fires are contemporary modern in the sense that they have elegance and designer appeal, however many fall short in delivering realistic fuel bed effect and elegant flame effect, well the Verine Eden delivers and then some.
Verine have created an unrivaled flame effect on the Eden that enhances the contemporary white stone fuel bed as well as a homely style with the realistic chunky log fuel bed effect whether you opt for the liquid propane gas version or the natural mains gas option.
Hole in the Wall gas fires of this type often do not have a measurable output or efficiency rating and are seen as purely decorative, but the Verine Eden excels once more to the point where it is classed as a high efficiency gas fire and boasts an impressive 83% net efficiency and up to a stonking 5.3kW maximum heat output.
The aesthetics of this fire are a major appeal and the fire has been designed to be minimalistic with high attention to detail, however the Verine Eden can have a deluxe designer mirrored frame which highlights the quality of this high end fire.
Safety features on the Eden include the flame supervision device and the oxygen depletion sensor. These additions give you piece of mind knowing the gas supply will be interrupted if one of these features are activated.
The Verine Eden emits both radiant and convected heat and can be viewed and purchased only from reputable retailers with showrooms and highly trained professional colleagues willing to assist you in selecting the right fire for your needs.Verine Eden HE Hole in the Wall Fire.

New Matchless Hole in the Wall Gas Fires

Recently released by Matchless Fires are two superb hole in the wall fires known as the Matchless 400 and the Matchless 600.
At first glance these products display contemporary design attributes and chic finishes, and look very similar, apart from the dimensions that is.
The Matchless 600 is the larger of the two as the names figures suggest, it is squarer in appearance and comes with the beautiful log with bark and embers fuel bed effect which creates a rustic and realistic look.
The Matchless 400 being the smaller fire still delivers style and quality as the 600 model but is more landscape in appearance. The The Matchless 400 comes with the choice of black quartz, white pebble or the realistic log fuel bed effect, (the pebbles and quartz both being supplied as standard).
Matchless Fires have given the option to alter the trim these fires and they both come with infrared fully sequential remote controls which adds to the overall quality finish of these high quality, high efficiency (84%) fires.
Suitable for fitting within chimneys only, (they can be used with class 1 or class 2 chimneys) and designed for natural mains gas use only and are available from only the highest quality online retailers.