Facebook deal on White Bow burner!

Just for few days - we have a promotion for White Bow Burner - you might want to take advantage and brighten up your garden for summer!

https://www.facebook.com/biofires

Bio fire burner - customer review

A while back we were really surprised by one of our customers, Michael, who sent us a video review of a burner he purchased from us. He has bought our table top bio burner Cube II and created an ethusiastic video review!

Michael normally reviews electronic equipment but when he bought his Cube (on a very good sale price - lucky!) he liked it so much that he spend his time and energy sharing his thought with others!

We were delighted to see it and hear his positive comments and thoughts, we have then rewarded him with another burner and got another brilliant review! The second table top burner, Bow, showed beautifully on photographs as well, and Michael was very happy with the product.

Many of our customers wonder:

- are bio fires as good as they say?
- how easy is it to set up a table bio fire?
- how to fill it up and light table top burner?
- how is a glass bio fire packed?

Michael Thornber provides some answers to those and many more questions. The value of the unbiased, private and spontaneously shared opinion of a neutral customer, buying a product online as everybody else is huge!! We are very pleased.

Have a look for yourself:

Picture courtesy of Michael Thornbear

Picture of top of Bow Burner courtesy of Michael Thornbear

Is your heating budget going up in smoke?

Is your heating budget going up in smoke?

The one thing we can always find to grumble about is the weather, particularly as we come out of another long and dreary winter. This winter, as you sat indoors and watched the rain, you probably found yourself wondering about your home heating, particularly as the so-called Big Six energy companies were, once again, under scrutiny for their pricing structures and tariffs. 

A traditional open fire, or a gas fire that mimics actual burning can be lovely and cosy. But have you ever stopped to consider that in most cases, the majority (60–85%) of the heat produced actually flies away up the chimney and you derive no benefit from it at all? It isn't just heat flying away up the chimney, it's your money. This is an issue that householders are beginning to take very seriously.

Compare gas and bio fires: heat efficiency diagram

However, there is a form of home heating that is 100% efficient. All the heat it produces goes directly into your living space. Bio Fires, which burn Bio Ethanol, are a stylish and efficient option for heating your home. And if you think that Bio Fires only come in modern styles that might not fit in with your décor, think again. There are lots of more traditional designs that will look perfectly at home in your restored or refurbished fireplace and be in keeping with the character of your living space.

A Bio Fire burns with a real flame, and the fires themselves range from small table-top pieces to wall or grate-mounted units that look fantastic and also warm the room. A Bio Fire is a real flame that burns a fuel derived directly from a renewable source. Agricultural food waste is treated with chemical enzymes to produce sugar, which is then turned into ethanol by micro-organisms. This is similar to the fermentation process used by the brewing and distilling industries. You don't need a chimney or electrical power and  a Bio Fire does not have to be installed by a qualified fitter.

How do they work? A Bio Fire is a free-standing unit that houses a container of Bio Ethanol. When lit, this burns with a warm flame that gives off no smoke and next to no smell – in fact, you can buy oils to add to the fuel to give your home a lovely, homely fragrance. Bio Fires require very little maintenance, unlike traditional fires, and you buy your fuel on an 'as you need it' basis, maybe even to supplement your existing heating system.

A Bio Fire can rest on any flat surface or be wall-mounted. It does produce a real flame, so some forethought would need to be given to positioning, but that said, the unit can be placed more or less anywhere and will provide a uniquely modern, eye-catching talking point wherever you put it. You an also add accessories to your Bio Fire for that extra decorative effect.

The range of designs available now is astonishing, so if you are refurbishing or renovating, or simply thinking about how best to combine style and comfort in your living space, a Bio Fire could be the answer, particularly if you're looking for a replacement for a traditional fire. And best of all, you'll enjoy the extra warm glow of knowing that 100% of the heat produced is going into your room, not up the draughty old chimney.

Happy Customer review for our Bio Ethanol Small Burner!

We love getting email like this! A review form a customer who finally has a fireplace working thanks to our product!!!

Redundant chimney does not have to mean that you cannot have a glorious warming fireplace, even in a traditional grate!

"16 years after our builder made a mess of our chimneys, we found out about bio-ethanol fireplaces and got the DIY kit from your website. Just what the doctor ordered! See a photo at https://www.dropbox.com/sc/tnbr87ut2lqj8or/p5JDKmw_uk"

Redundant chimney and old fire grate brought to live with ethanol burner! How cool!

www.gelfireplaces.com

Hollywood style flueless fire!

Our fireplace was used in a new TV show - Hollywood Me!

Top Hollywood designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard has transformed a home of 28-year-old paediatric nurse Jenny Maine and has gone on full power with 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' inspired 60s chic.

It fits so beautifully in the mirrored set - we drew one big conclusion - OUR FIRES ADD SOME HOLLYWOOD TO YOUR LIFE! :-)

VIEW FULL EPISODE HERE: http://www.channel4.com/programmes/hollywood-me/4od#3536194

Get your glamorous, modern electric style fireplace with a real flame here: 

www.gelfireplaces.com

Lovely room set up from a customer!

We got a lovely picture from our customer Paul Flanagan - thank you Paul! 

Don't you think that our Jet Flame II fireplace just fits in here perfectly? Well, we love it!

www.gelfireplaces.com

Black wall hung bio fire with glass - doesn't it just make this room?

 

Bio fire review! New customer opinion about our bio fireplace!

We're very glad that we got a new review from Chris and Tracy briefly telling why they love their fireplace.

Tuesday, 21 May 2013, Chris & Tracy

"We love our Onyx Flame fireplace, it is a real feature in our living room and a talking point for any visitors. Easy to put up and has kept the fuel bills down this winter. Also no maintenance or cleaning required and can be turned off in seconds if we go out."

Reviews are very helpful to our customers and we will reward anybody taking their time to write few sentences about their fireplaces that they bought form us with a FREE BOX OF FUEL. Just check if we still sell your fireplace and have it in stock and write to us what you think about your fire in 50-150 words. Send your reviews to: info@gelfireplaces.com

If you get us some pictures of your fireplace and we will use them on our website, we will reward you with FREE AURA OIL, Blazing Wood Fire. More info about HOW TO TAKE PICTURE, here.

How do you like Onyx at Chris & Tracy's place...? We love it - it certainly is a place of warmth and love, the fireplace just fits in perfectly!

Onyx Flame Bio Ethanol fire at a customer's house

Bio Fire with glowing fibres

www.gelfireplaces.com

Greetings from Ideal Home Show 2013!

Bring to life your empty fire! DIY fireplace using bio ethanol or gel fuel

If you have or you know someone who has an empty fireplace filled with candles - give them a shout about this article!
-----------------------------------

Existing Fireplace or Grate - How to convert your empty fire into a working Bio or Gel Fireplace?

If you have your own fireplace or an existing grate and would like to have a real fire without spending a lot of money, this is the right section for you.

I. Small Burner Conversion - when you have enough space for the burner
II. Gel Fuel tins - if your fireplace is really tiny


I.
SMALL BURNER running on Bio Ethanol (pure liquid). We recommend that you use our Small Bio Burner and accessories to cover it. This is both: the simplest and the most advanced solution, giving you the best flame result and is also the most economical to run. If you buy your fuel in bulk, the effective running cost of the Small Bio Burner on full power is about £0.75 - £1 per hour, which is comparable to an electric fire. The heat output is also significant and comparable to an electric fireplace, we estimate there is about 2-3 kW of heat emitted into the room when a bio fire with our Small Burner is in use. You will really feel the heat as there is no need for chimney and therefore there is also no 60% heat loss through the chimney (as with gas fires).


To set up the Small Burner Conversion you first need to measure your existing space inside your fireplace. The burner itself is inserted in an external safety box, as there may be some vapour condensation while burning. The total dimensions of the unit are:  

28.5 cm long x 12.5 cm wide x 8 cm high (11.22" L x 4.8" W x 3.15" H). 

You have to make sure that the surface you will be putting your burner on is fireproof. If your fireplace is redundant but it used to be a proper log fire, it will most likely have a stone hearth, but if you have a fireplace which has been built for decorative purposes only and it does not have a stone hearth, you need to make sure that you line it with something fireproof, like stone, ceramic, brick etc. The Small Burner is not to be placed on MDF!

Once you know that you have enough space you have to judge how many and what sort of accessories you will need. We have created special CONVERSION packs for your comfort, so once you know the size of your fireplace, you can simply select the pack that suits you visually the most. You are free to combine your own pack from other accessories but if you have some doubts please do send us an email or simply give us a call. We are happy to help! You can use any of our accessories: pebbles, stones, coals, all types of our logs and driftwood, and most of the ones used in gas fires. You can only put them AROUND the container, never on top of the flame opening. This is the nature of the product: in contrary to gas fires, when burning bio fire, nothing can obstruct the flame otherwise you will get soot and smell.



When you set up your fire and you are happy with the look of it, all you need to do is to fill up the burner with the fuel, using funnel provided in a set. Be careful not to spill any fuel around and make sure you have enough light when filling up - if needed use a torch.

There are two ways of lighting the Small Burner: either use long-end lighter (gas stove or BBQ type, available widely in stores) or using the regular lighter - dip the end of the flame control tool in the fuel, lift it, light and carry the flame to the inside of the Burner igniting all of the fuel. The fuel makes a little noise when igniting that is why we recommend you always keep at a safe arm's distance.

You can enjoy the lit fire for 3-4 h with full opening or longer if you reduce the opening by sliding the lid across it slightly. 

Our Small Bio Burner has a new Fragrance Diffuser fitted into the lid of the burner: add a bottle of our Aura Oil and get AROMA OF A REAL LOG FIRE in your home! This is as simple as it can be and our Aura Oil comes in three amazing fragrances: Blazing Wood Fire, Forest Log Cabin and Christmas favourite Winter Cinnamon and Orange.

 

II.

GEL TINS are running on Gel Fuel (jellified ethanol). If your fireplace is very small, like some Victorian fires, you may need to use an alternative solution: Gel Fuel Tins.



We have prepared some GEL CAN CONVERSION PACKS, too.


This is how to do it: you simply place cans with gel (usually 3 of them) on your existing grate or on the floor of your fireplace, surround them with logs or coals and light the gel! The flame and the heat are instant, full cans will burn for 3 hours. Heat output is about 1kW per can, so the fire set-up with three cans will produce 3kW of heat. Gel does not burn as cleanly as Ethanol, so there is slight residue. Remember to wash your cans every few uses to prevent building of the residue and get the best flame result. The cans should be replaced as soon as any sign of cracks or corrosion is visible.

Approximate running cost depends on the amount of fuel you purchase in one go, but if you buy in bulk, we estimate it is about £2 per hour when you have all three cans burning (If you only have one can burning, it is £0.70 per hour).


FAQ

WHY DO I NEED MORE CANS?
Cans are washable but still they do need replacing every few months, depending on the frequency of using. As soon as you see any signs of corrosion, you should replace the cans.

HOW DO I WASH THE CANS?
It's easier if you wash them more frequently, so the residue will not build up. Leave the cans to soak with soappy water and then scratch with a dish brush or a brillo pad (treat them as slightly burned pots). If you wash your cans more often, it is fine to put them in your dishwasher.

CAN I REUSE THE GEL LEFT IN THE CANS?
Yes, although you need to top up the fuel level for the best flame results. Generally we suggest that if you do have any leftover gel, cover the cans with the lids once they cool down and before re-lighting, stir after topping up, so the 'old' gel mixes through with the fresh one.

CAN I USE THE OIL WITH THE CANS?
Yes, although the result will not be as good as with our Fragrance Diffuser. You can put some if our Aura Oil around the opening in the rim of the can, but as the oil will be closer to the flame, it will heat and evaporate a bit faster and you will use slightly more of it.

Empty Fireplace Ideas

We've had so many inspired customers who either followed our suggestions or came up with their own variations on how to create a stylish fireplace.

Here are several pictures for what they came up with - USING OUR PRODUCTS!

1. Picture courtesy of Deborah, whose central heating was playing up last winter, so she needed a bit of an extra boost from a fire, but had no time to plan a proper fireplace job. The whole fireplace was already in the property, but the chimney was blocked and the fire just stood empty. Deborah used on of our discountinued Large Line of Fire burners (it was on a Clearance Sale!), but there is a very similar alternative for it, with a longer burning time and no maintenance - Small Burner with Holder.

2. This is a beautifuel feature made by Mel Painter, who kindly sent us some pictures as part of our Fuel for Pictures promotion. Product featured is Large Crescent Burner. Budget solution when compared to proper fireplaces costs, but equally (if not more!) visually effective.

3. This is a slightly more classical take on our Black Satin Basket with Ceramic Logs in an empty fireplace with a mantelpiece. Picture courtesy of Clarisse Cornuau.

4. One of ours and our customers' favourite - a fireplace by Craig Gardner, who kindly left us some comments and assisted any future customers with valued piece of advise on building his fireplace. Product he bought from us is Large Bio Container.

5. The same Large Bio Container in Paul Rourke's version. Lovely and clean fire.

If you (or anyone you know) have an empty fireplace and you have used one of our products or a similar type of solution, do let us know, we are keen on building an "ideas bank" for our customers as there is so many ways to get it right!

Giveaway!

We have prepared a lovely Give-away - Crescent Black Medium with 1 bottle of Pure Gel Fuel!

FOUR ways to enter the give-away draw:

1. Like us on Facebook. You can also comment on one of links/posts on our timeline.
2. Follow us on Twitter
3. Follow us on Blogger (if you have an account)
4. Leave a comment to this post or to any other on our Blog (with your opinion on pictures, posts or general thought about our products) as Anonymous, giving your email in the comment.






 

This Giveaway offer runs for a week, until 27th Aril 2012 12noon, we will then draw one person who will receive their burner within 7 days! For UK customers only. Scottish Highlands, and off shore locations will require delivery supplement.



We will contact you either by email (if from a comment) or by the relevant service - Facebook, Twitter or Blogger, if you do not reply within 48 h we will select another winner, so make sure you check your social media stuff over next weekend!

Lovely Crescent burner - for indoors and outdoors.

Gel Fire or Bio Ethanol fire? Comparison

We have prepared a table of comparison between two types of fuel that we are selling based on a sample of two similar style fires, one running on Gel Fuel and one on Bio Ethanol. The differences apply to any fireplaces using our standard 1.3L Bio Ethanol container and 3 x 500ml cans of gel.

The table is also published on our website: www.gelfireplaces.com

We're on a blog with our gel fire!

A customer who bought Conversion Pack (which is a ready-to-go pack converting your fire into gel fire) from us has written up an article in her blog - have a look - the final result, although it was one of the most economical solutions that you can buy from us, is fantastic!

This customer bought a combination of logs, ecxtinguishing tool, cans of gel and refill bottles from us called CONVERSION PACK - it's the simplest solution to create your own DIY fire. Gel fire that looks like a real fire!

 

hhttp://magpieinteriors.co.uk/2011/now-thats-what-i-call-a-fire/

DIY fireplace - how to make your fireplace working?

January came and a lot of us look around their homes after Christmas frenzy and think: we need a change. So.... why not to make a fireplace where so far you only had an empty wall...? Or why not make use of your redundant fireplace or an empty hole in the wall where you've had this dubiously attractive candle-arrangement for far too many years ...?

You can of course go to a gas showroom, get your existing chimney fixed or open the flue. You can go to a DIY store and look through a range of electric fireplaces, maybe there will be one which doesn't look all that bad and will kick off a little bit of extra heat, too. But you can also do a better thing - get yourself a bio fireplace - a real-flame-fireplace running on biofuel.

There are many options, here we will only talk about one, but you can see many more designs of all-in-one fireplaces, electric fireplace alternatives or a small gel burners and gel bowls which will act as a good upgrade from candles and will still fit easily within your budget.  See all the rest of products and look for inspiration at www.gelfireplaces.com

Back to empty fireplace or empty wall solution. Come to think about it - it costs a fair bit to get a fireplace working. Let's do some comparisons:

• redundant chimney repair can cost you even £8000 (it depends on many factors but is never cheap)
• buying a gas fireplace - can cost between £600-£5000 + installation cost and gas you are using
• flueless gas fires can go for affordable prices of £400-£700 but the flame impression is gently speaking not the best... If you've ever dreamt of having a roaring, playful flame, you may drop the idea of having flueless gas fire before you get yourself into a depth of disappointment. Flueless fire will give you a flame like this:

• electric fireplace may cost as little as £199 or £300, but as a result you are getting something that looks like that:

which is not exactly the most appealing look; the "fake flames" can put a lot of people off. Quite rightly to be honest, because you can use the same money to get a bio fireplace and your friends won't stop appreciating it. It's guaranteed. Full stop.


We're talking about a fuel container here, which you can drop in the hole in the wall or your fake chimney breast built for that purpose. The actual cost of the unit you need is £245 (medium) or £295 (large). It's called Bio Container. Building your biofuel fireplace from scratch can close in a budget as low as £400-£600, all depends on who will do the work, what is there to be done and what materials you use.

Fuel box "Bio Container" - bioethanol burner by Gel Fireplaces Ltd

If you don't have a fireplace yet, but would like to get one built, there are companies who can do the work for you, a handyman could quite easily build the fire, too. If you want to do the work yourself, there are few things you need to know:

• Bio Container needs to be inserted in a completely fireproof and heatproof material like stone, slate, metal, brick, cement or Vermiculite Board. For the latter we highly recommend Vitcas store, specialists in providing refractory materials (we have consulted the laboratory data sheets for Bio Container with a specialist from Vitcas). Vermiculite Board can cost as little as £29.90 for a 510x610x25mm panel. Regular fireboard is not suitable for lining your opening.
• The top and back of your fireplace opening must be also made of a completely fireproof/heatproof material as all the heat produced from the flame (approx. 3kW or more) will be pushed there before going outside on to the room. Regular fireboard or MDF are not suitable!
• The sides of your opening must be fireproof too, but are less exposed to the heat so you could use a regular fireboard.
• There should be approx. 500-600 mm clearance for the flame (if you don't have that much, you could reduce it slightly, but you must make sure the entire hole is lined with stone, slate, brick etc.)
• No pebbles, logs or other accessories may be put across the flame. The nature of the product is that it needs to be clean in order to burn clean, so if you are looking to use i.e. ceramic driftwood pieces, you may arrange them around the flame opening and from a little distance it will make the right visual impression of a flame coming through the branches.
• Whatever material you use to cut a hole to drop the Bio Container in - you always need to leave about 2 mm extra space around for the air flow and metal expansion. This means that your container should be loose within the slot and it should sit (hang) on the steel rim around it, rather than sit on the floor of the cut slot. FAILING TO DO THAT MAY CAUSE YOUR LINING TO CRACK.
• A lot of people decide to use granite or other stone to line their fire with. When using natural stone, you have to use as thick layer of it as possible as the fire will produce a lot of heat and thin layers are prone to cracking.

testing the bio container in a hole in the wall, it works!

building and finishing the hole in the wall

final look: Bio Container inserted into a hole in the wall. Decorated with ceramic Stones. TV above is absolutely safe, providing you insulate the wall properly and use solid materials like stone, slate, brick or vermiculite board to build or line your hole.

When you build your own fire with our ethanol fuel box Bio Container you need to make sure that you are inserting it in a completely fireproof material. The slot cut in the base of your opening must not be made of MDF. 

Facts about our Bio Container:

• burning time: 3-4 hours per refill
• one refill takes: 1L (medium container) or 1.5L (large) of Bio Ethanol fuel
• effective running cost: £0.80-£1 per hour (based on buying fuel in bulk, Annual Pack for £110)
• heat output: 3KW or slightly above
• flame regulation: no
• flue needed: no
• fumes or smoke produced: none (if flame is not obstructed)
• smell: virtually any (it is a real flame, so you will smell it when you enter a room as nothing that burns can be completely odourless, but the scent is barely present and does not bother 99.9% of people)
• do I need any ventilation: no. You may want to open a window after having the fire on for couple of hours, but nothing more)
• can I use Bio Fuel bought elsewhere: yes, but you must make sure it is the right one, with ethanol content not greater than 96.6% and designed specially for fireplaces. Also - be very weary of buying your fuel in 5L containers as, although it is cheaper, the weight of it makes it hard to fill up precisely and you are much more likely to spill the fuel. Never light the container that has been overfilled.
• can I use jellified fuel with it: no, because you cannot wash it and gel leaves residue
• does the top of container discolour after time: slightly, it is a real flame, so the top of the container will eventually tarnish a bit, this is completely normal and cannot be prevented

Here are several pictures of our happy customers who designed and built their own fireplaces using just our simple Bio Container.

Picture courtesy of our customer Paul Rourke

Picture courtesy of our customer Julia Solovyev, featuring 2 x Large Bio Container

Picture courtesy of our happy customer Craig Gardner

www.gelfireplaces.com

Have you built your own fireplace and learned something that may be useful for other readers? Feel free to comment and share your experience.

Thinking about our container? Are you in the process of building you fire? Ask a question in the comment to this article and we will do our best to help.