How to Fill Your Bioethanol Fireplace with Bio Ethanol Fuel
A bioethanol fireplace burns bio ethanol fuel and therefore requires being filled with bioethanol before usage. The process for filling bioethanol can vary from bio fireplace to bio fireplace and from manufacturer to manufacturer. Therefore, you should always check the manual or ask your dealer, so the refilling of the bio fireplace is done correctly.
Before filling the bioethanol, you have to make sure that it is the right type of bio ethanol fuel intended for burning in bio ethanol fires. There are many different types of bioethanol and not all are intended to use in biofuel fires. Here at bioethanol-fireplace.co.uk, we recommend using high quality bioethanol with an alcohol percentage between 95% - 97,5%, to get the most stunning flame and to avoid a bad smell while burning the bioethanol.
Our own bioethanol is produced in Germany and has an alcohol percentage of 96,6%.
Filling a Manual Burner
Most of the bioethanol fireplaces on the market today are equipped with a manual burner. This means that there is no power connected to the bio fireplace, and therefore, you must operate and fill the burner manually.
Manual burners are available in many different sizes and designs, and are produced by many different manufacturers. However, the process of filling the bio ethanol fuel in the burners is the same.
The most important aspect to consider when filling a manual burner is, that you NEVER refill a lit or hot burner. Bio ethanol fuel is highly flammable and can ignite if you do not follow the manufacturer's instructions.
The filling of a manual burner is done by filling bioethanol directly into the burner. The fluid can often be directly injected into the fire opening or through a small limb next to it. We recommend to always use a funnel or pump to avoid spilling the bio ethanol fuel. If you waste any bioethanol, you should always make sure to remove it before turning on the bio fireplace.
If you want to refill a previously switched on manual burner, you must first ensure that the flame is completely extinguished and the burner has been allowed to cool off for 15-20 minutes before refilling commences.
Refilling a manual bio fireplace
The Filling of an Automatic Burner
There are many different ways to fill an automatic burner with bioethanol. The biggest difference from a manual to an automatic burner is, that on the automatic burners you fill the bioethanol into an external fuel tank, as there is a built-in fuel tank in the burner.
Normally the filling happens through a gate on the burner, which is locked when the burner is turned on or if the burner is hot. This also ensures avoidance of dangerous situations by e.g. filling a hot bio fireplace.
We always recommend to use a funnel or pump to fill bio ethanol fuel in the burner to avoid spilling. Find our selection of funnels and pumps for filling you bio fireplace.
Some automatic fireplaces and burners require that you use special tools for filling. E.g. on automatic burners from Planika Fires, you have to use a special pump, which is included when you purchase, to fill the burner with bio ethanol fuel.
Refilling of an automatic bio fireplace
Does The Refilling Method Vary Between Fireplaces?
As already mentioned above, the process for filling bioethanol can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer and the type of bio fireplace. Therefore, you may always check the manual for your bio fireplace and burner. If it is not clear from the manual how the filling have to be performed, you should contact the manufacturer or the dealer.
Before And After Refilling
There is not much to the process after the bio ethanol has been poured into the fireplace. Once this is done, the fireplace is practically ready to be used and generally does not require any further maintenance while the fire is burning. Unlike wood burning fires, a bio ethanol fireplace is not supposed to be supplemented with additional fuel while burning since the fire would be too to receive bio ethanol safely.
However, it may be important to understand how to ignite a bioethanol fireplace, as well as how to put it out after usage. These two aspects are relatively easy to understand and learn, but there are a few noticable key points depending on which fireplace you are using. For example, there is a slight difference between operating a manual and an automatic fireplace, all of which can be read about on our website. It is always useful to keep this guides close by so that you have access to the relevant help you desire.