Ethanol Fireplaces

Your EcoSmart Fire ethanol fireplace will burn between 8 and 13 hours on a full burner, with the exact duration determined by your flame setting. The range gives you control over the experience.

A lower flame setting extends burn time and creates a subtle, intimate ambience perfect for a long evening. Higher flame settings deliver a more dramatic visual impact and warmth, though they'll reduce runtime. Adjusting the flame via the slide or hinge mechanism changes oxygen supply to the burner, so you get more hours of gentle glow or fewer hours of bold presence, whatever suits the occasion.

You can also extinguish the burner mid-burn if needed. Simply turn it off and allow the burner to cool for 60 minutes before relighting. The vapours need that cooling time.

The burner capacity varies across our range, so compact models sit toward the lower end of the 8–13 hour spectrum while larger burners reach the upper end.

Bioethanol fireplaces are environmentally friendly in ways that go beyond zero emissions. They produce no ash, soot, or residue, leaving nothing to dispose of, and their ventless design eliminates the environmental cost of infrastructure like chimneys, flue systems, or gas plumbing. The fuel comes from renewable agricultural byproducts: sugarcane, corn, grain, and beetroot.

Because combustion releases only the CO2 that the crops absorbed during growth, the fuel cycle is carbon-neutral. When combined with the fireplace's design durability and longevity, a bioethanol fireplace becomes a low-impact choice for years of use. EcoSmart Fire products meet international safety standards (UL 1370-16, EN 16647) and carry sustainability certifications across manufacturing, reinforcing the brand's commitment to responsible production.

EcoSmart Fire ethanol fireplaces produce minimal odour during normal operation. You may notice a brief, faint scent when lighting or extinguishing, comparable to blowing out a candle. This is caused by denaturants in the fuel that prevent human consumption. The scent's intensity depends entirely on fuel quality.

EcoSmart Fire fireplaces are engineered exclusively for e-NRG Bioethanol, formulated to 96-97% purity with odour-minimising denaturants that reduce fusel alcohols (compounds creating unpleasant smells in lower-grade fuels) to barely perceptible levels. Using other fuels may affect performance and warranty coverage.

If you ever notice an unusual smell, the fix is straightforward: ensure you're using e-NRG Bioethanol and that the burner is clean and debris-free. Once properly fuelled, the smell will not return.

Yes, bioethanol fireplaces are safe for indoor use when operated responsibly. EcoSmart Fire's ethanol burners are certified to UL 1370 (developed through 100+ laboratory tests), EN 16647, and the ACCC Safety Mandate, covering North America, Europe, UK, and Australia. EcoSmart Fire holds more certified ethanol products than any other manufacturer in these markets.

Clean combustion is the safety foundation: bioethanol produces only heat, water vapour, and trace CO₂, with zero carbon monoxide, smoke, or ash. For safe indoor operation, your space needs adequate ventilation (minimum 70–110 m³ [2,470–3,880 cu ft] depending on burner size), a smoke alarm on site, and a dry chemical fire extinguisher (AB:E or ABC rated).

Yes. EcoSmart Fire offers dedicated outdoor fireplace categories: fire tables, fire pits, and insert-style units, all rated for outdoor use. These are engineered with weather-resistant materials: mild steel with zinc-sealed high-temperature powder coating, 304-grade stainless steel burners, and toughened glass screens. Fire tables feature handcrafted Fluid Concrete surrounds or Grade A teak; fire pits use weather-resistant Fluid Concrete construction.

To install safely outdoors, follow these clearance guidelines:

• 2,000 mm [78.7 in] clearance overhead
• 600 mm [23.6 in] clearance from fixed objects (walls, fences, railings)
• Level, non-combustible surface (stone, concrete, pavers; not grass or artificial turf)
• 12.5 mm [0.5 in] air gap beneath the unit, typically via articulating feet

Because bioethanol produces no sparks, embers, or ash, the units are safe for timber decks when proper clearances are maintained. They're suitable for year-round entertaining. Simply keep burners clean every 50 litres of fuel, and use an All-Season Cover (600D Oxford fabric with UV coating) for storage.

Ethanol fireplaces typically don't require building permits in most jurisdictions because the ventless design avoids the restrictions that apply to traditional fireplaces. Since there's no chimney, gas line, or flue to regulate, ethanol fireplaces fall outside the strict building codes created for wood and gas systems. EcoSmart Fire products carry UL 1370 and EN 16647 certification, meeting the safety standards most building authorities reference, which often results in automatic exemption from permit requirements.

Where to verify for your location:

• Contact your local building authority directly with your address and installation plan. Most can confirm permit status in one conversation.
• If you're in an apartment, managed community, or strata scheme, notify your body corporate or residents' committee. Whilst permits may not be required, the organisation may want advance notice of the addition.
• Check with your home insurer. Most policies cover ethanol fireplaces without additional riders, but confirming coverage beforehand simplifies the process should a claim arise.

Jurisdictional variation is minimal. With over 150,000 EcoSmart Fire installations across North America, Europe, the UK, and Australia since 2004, the regulatory picture is consistent: ethanol fireplaces gain approval where they're assessed against safety standards rather than traditional fireplace codes. If your jurisdiction does impose conditions, they're typically straightforward ventilation or room-volume requirements, not permit blockers.

Like all fireplace solutions, bioethanol fireplaces can be safe with proper precautions around children and pets. EcoSmart Fire recommends installing certified fire screens, maintaining safe distances from hot surfaces, and never leaving the fire unattended. Children should always be supervised, and pets kept away from the unit during operation due to high surface temperatures.

Bioethanol fireplace emissions are limited to heat, water vapour, and a small amount of carbon dioxide, with no carbon monoxide, smoke, soot, or ash produced during combustion. The CO2 released is roughly equivalent to two burning candles, which means correctly sized rooms maintain clean indoor air without a flue or chimney.

Clean combustion does depend on fuel purity. High-grade e-NRG bioethanol burns as a complete reaction, producing a steady orange flame from start to finish without the residues that lower-purity fuels leave behind. That's why EcoSmart Fire bioethanol fireplaces won't stain ceilings, dull nearby finishes, or leave ash to clean up between uses.

What the by-products look like in practice:

• Water vapour: a slight, imperceptible rise in humidity, not visible condensation in a correctly sized room
• Carbon dioxide: trace amounts, comparable to candlelight at the same output
• No particulates: no smoke, no soot, no ash, no odour

Ventilation is about keeping fresh oxygen available for combustion, not venting harmful gases. Each burner has a minimum room size, from the VB2 at 45 m3 [1,589 ft3] up to the AB8 at 116 m3 [4,097 ft3], so adequate air supply is a matter of considered installation

Ventless bioethanol fireplaces from EcoSmart Fire are designed as supplemental, not primary, heat sources, delivering 2–4 kW for zone-specific warmth.

An XL900 burner generates 4 kW and heats approximately 60 m² [646 ft²] effectively. EcoSmart Fire's closed-combustion design retains 100% of generated heat within the room, unlike vented gas systems that lose up to 30% through flues, making every kilowatt of output directly useful.

Because combustion draws on room oxygen, adequate room ventilation is required during operation; EcoSmart Fire specifies minimum room volumes for each fireplace to maintain indoor air quality. This design is intentionally optimised for room-scale supplemental heating rather than whole-home continuous output. For whole-home heating, a dedicated primary system remains essential. For creating focal-point warmth in a living room, study, or outdoor entertaining space, EcoSmart Fire fireplaces deliver meaningful, design-forward heat with a fuel consumption rate as low as 0.31 L/h for smaller burners.

Bioethanol fireplaces with adjustable flame control do not require a chimney, flue, or permanent ventilation system. The clean combustion of bioethanol releases only water vapour and a small amount of carbon dioxide, with no smoke or soot that would need extraction through a dedicated exhaust pathway.

What replaces the chimney is adequate room volume and natural air infiltration. Minimum room sizes are specified per burner. In very compact rooms, a window openable to 25 mm [1 in] or an adjacent open door provides sufficient air exchange.

This chimney-free design underpins the installation freedom EcoSmart Fire bioethanol fireplaces are known for: zero-clearance inserts, freestanding pieces, and existing fireplace conversions all become viable without structural works.