Bioethanol fireplaces burn bioethanol fuel to produce heat and real flames using a real fire.
Bioethanol fuel is stored within the fuel box of a bioethanol fireplace and further fuel cannot be added during a fire. A bioethanol fireplace fire must be extinguished, and the fireplace must be sufficiently cool to be able to add more fuel.
This means that bioethanol fireplaces will have a typical burn time before some down time is required to allow for safe refuelling.
Bioethanol fireplaces will typically burn for 3 to 4 hours for every 1 litre of fuel stored within the fuel box. Larger fuel capacity fireplaces can burn for longer in between refuelling but may burn fuel at a quicker rate.
Our own bioethanol fireplace has a 1 litre fuel box capacity and the manufacturer states that it has a typical burn time of 3 to 4 hours.
From experience we find that our fireplace can last for 3 to 3 and a half hours before it needs refuelling.
However, certain factors could affect how long our fireplace burns for, including whether it’s being used indoors or outdoors, the quality of the fuel, and how far closed the fuel box lid is.
Other things that can also influence burn time on a bioethanol fireplace can be its type, the size of fuel and the size of the flames.
We discuss in more detail below how long a bioethanol fireplace typically burns for.
How Long Do Bioethanol Fireplaces Burn For?
Expect a bioethanol fireplace to typically burn for 3 to 4 hours for every 1 litre of fuel.
This would be typical for using a bioethanol fireplace on the maximum flame setting.
The burn time could be increased by reducing the flame size, which can be done by closing down the fuel box lid on a manual bioethanol fireplace or changing the flame setting on an automatic model.
This burn time per litre could also decrease for larger bioethanol fireplaces with increased flame size. However, increased fuel capacity could help extent total burn time before refuelling.
For example, our bioethanol fireplace has a 1 litre fuel capacity, where the bioethanol fuel is stored within the fuel box.
This fuel box sits inside the main fireplace unit and is also where the fire is contained.
Our manufacturer states that our model of fireplace has a typical burning period per litre of fuel of 3 to 4 hours.
As our fuel box has a 1 litre capacity, we could run our bioethanol fireplace for 3 to 4 hours before needing to wait a short period to allow for safe refuelling when the fireplace is cool enough.
In real world use we find that our fireplace can run for 3 to 3 and a half hours before it runs out of fuel.
We do however leave the lid on fireplace fully open as the heat output can be relatively low from a bioethanol fireplace anyway.
We could increase the burn time of our fireplace by reducing the flame size, which allows the fire to burn the fuel at a slower rate.
As we have a manual type of bioethanol fireplace (see more about the types of bioethanol fireplaces here), we would need to manually close down the lid on the fuel box to reduce flame size. On automatic fireplace models, this can typically be achieved at the press of a button.
Reducing flame intensity could help to increase the burn time of a bioethanol fireplace to 4 or more hours per litre of fuel.
On the other hand, you may observe a quicker burn rate compared to what we get if:
- The fireplace has larger flames
- Using lower quality fuel
For larger bioethanol fireplaces, the larger fire can mean that every litre of fuel is combusted quicker, leading to a lower burn time per litre of fuel. However, larger fireplaces can have larger fuel storage tanks, allowing for a longer overall burn time.
Using lower quality fuel compared to what the fireplace manufacturer recommends may also reduce burn time.
For actual burn times, check the stated burn period provided by the manufacturer for the specific model of bioethanol fireplace.
How To Help Make A Bioethanol Fireplace Burn For Longer
There are three main ways to help maximize or increase burn time for a bioethanol fireplace:
- Use the appropriate fuel
- Reduce the flame size
- Use the fireplace indoors
The right type and quality of bioethanol fuel should always be used with a bioethanol fireplace.
Bioethanol fireplaces can only use bioethanol fuel, and the fireplace manufacturer will state the recommended quality of the fuel in the owner’s manual.
For example, our owner’s manual states that it’s highly recommended to use liquid bioethanol fuel of minimum 95% alcohol content and maximum 97.5%.
The fuel we use is 96.6%, in line with the manufacture’s guidelines and helping us to meet the stated burn period per litre of fuel.
If you’re looking to increase burn time (at the loss of some heat output and flame size), it can typically be possible to reduce the flame intensity of a bioethanol fireplace fire.
This can typically be done on manual bioethanol fireplaces by partially closing the lid to the fuel box, while on automatic models there should be a setting on the control panel.
For our own manual fireplace, we can use the accompanying closing tool to partially close the lid.
Our owner’s manual states:
‘To adjust the flame height, use the tool supplied to move the metal sliding plate more (to reduce flame height) or less (to increase flame height) over the opening of the fuel box.’
Imagin Fires
The video below shows how flame size could be changed on an automatic bioethanol fireplace.
Outdoor use of a bioethanol fireplace may also reduce burn time as wind could cause the fire to burn fuel faster.
Further Reading
How A Bioethanol Fireplace Works
How To Use A Bioethanol Fireplace