With trends toward greener alternatives and away from dependence on foreign or domestic gas, fireplaces have taken a new turn with ethanol powered fireplaces.
While ethanol is considered a gas, it is a plant, usually corn, rather than a petroleum based product. The ethanol fireplace settings offer a great deal of control. You can set the flame as low or high as needed for comfort. In an emergency an ethanol fireplace can be shut down, quickly, efficiently and in seconds. Ethanol fireplaces, like gas fireplaces, meet all fire safety standards. Both offer real burning flames, unlike an electric fireplace that only simulates fire.
Many who purchase a fireplace that uses ethanol do so to save energy as well as to help the environment. However, the initial cost for the purchase and installation of an ethanol burning fireplace is considerably higher than for a comparable natural gas burning fireplace. Nevertheless, burning ethanol instead of natural gas can significantly save on energy costs. The environmental positives go beyond a renewable fuel source. There are also tax breaks.
When burned, ethanol does not release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere of the room. It burns cleaner than gas, without some of the toxins inherent in the burning of gas. An ethanol burning fireplace ensures that those huddled around the hearth do not breath in toxins as ethanol doesn’t emit them as natural gas does. Maintenance costs also makes an ethanol system worth considering. In the long-term, an ethanol burning fireplace saves energy and saves on environmental resources.
But this doesn’t come without cost. Many already have a gas line that feeds into their house so hooking up a fireplace to use natural gas isn’t going to greatly increase the cost of installation. Gas is easy to feed into the fireplace and more convenient than comparable ethanol fireplace systems. At this point in the evolution of ethanol, the denatured corn alcohol product is not as cheap to buy and burn as gas.
A regular gas fireplace receives the gas from a gas line to the house. Because they are “hooked up,” natural gas burning fireplaces, like a traditional wood-burning fireplace, are stationary. They cannot be moved about the house. This can make for problems when decorating or redoing rooms. However, an ethanol burning fireplace requires no bulky chimney, burns clean without any offensive odor. The ethanol burning fireplace is more portable than a gas burning fireplace, making redecorating less of a chore and more convenient.
With the cost of heating homes increasing, fireplaces are a positive addition to regular home heating. Fireplaces become more than a decorative feature of the home. They also provide warmth, heat and a place for the family to gather for conversation and hot chocolate on cold winter nights. A primary advantage of choosing a fireplace that burns ethanol, instead of buying a natural gas fireplace, is that the fireplace that burns ethanol uses an eco-friendly, renewable resource that is grown rather than mined.
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