Turn off, tune out - 'come home to a real fire'

Turn off, tune out - 'come home to a real fire'

In the olden days – say, the 1970s – you could relax in your home safe in the knowledge that the boss couldn't ring you up from his car, nobody would be sending you messages about things that needed to be done in the morning and that once you closed your front door, that was more or less it for the night. You could relax. You could switch through all three TV channels (no remotes!), confident that even if there was something you wanted to watch, the broadcast would finish at midnight.

Picture source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/books/article-2418874/How-television-killed-Fair-Isle-jumper-ARMCHAIR-NATION-BY-JOE-MORAN.html

Life has changed a bit, hasn't it? None of those things are true today. The telephone is in your pocket, you are receiving text messages and emails at all hours of the day and night and there are more 24hr television channels than anyone could ever watch. Relaxation is now something you have to actively seek. You have to make time in this modern, distracting world to simply do nothing.

Busy as life is, everyone needs to recharge, to have some downtime and just be free to do or think about nothing at all. And we all need a place to do it. For some it's a favourite bit of the settee, for others it's a sheltered corner of the garden. As mankind has known for thousands of years, there is no better way to relax than in front of a dancing, mesmerising real flame. A Bio Fire offers you a unique opportunity to enjoy the soothing effect of a real flame in any number of domestic settings. Because it can go wherever you want to be in the house, it can be a permanent fixture in your favourite room or you can enjoy a more portable unit that can grace any room in the house – or space in the garden.

A couple relaxing by a bio fire - no chimney and no worry about fuel suply.

What could be more soothing and revitalising than quality time spent relaxing in your favourite part of your home, watching the dancing pictures in a flickering real flame? A Bio Fire gives you a superb range of options for your hearth or tabletop. They can also be freestanding and come in a wide range of traditional and modern styles to match your existing décor. And a Bio Fire is not simply a stylish and decorative addition to your living space: it will warm your room as only a real flame can, but without the need for a fixed chimney or the worry of your fuel supply – you only use what you need.

As they used to say in those old television advertisements, 'come home to a real fire'.  Except progress is your friend in this case. Your modern real fire is clean, stylish and efficient. And that's one less thing you have to get stressed about.

Left picture source: http://bungalowclassic.tumblr.com/post/68972245255
Right picture: Bio Fires

Picture source: http://www.liscombelodge.ca/2014/05/07/lovers-hide-a-way/

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!
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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.

New products for the season - delivery in 3 days!!

We have some fresh new products for this season! Finally arriving and ready to deliver starting from Wednesday. Fantastic prices for a kick-start of the season, check it out at

www.gelfireplaces.com

And we have one amaziung new feature - long-developed and absolutely delightful:
FRAGRANCE DIFFUSER - it really gives a scent of a real wood fire, 

YOU WILL BE AMAZED!

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