If you have a fireplace, how about turning it into an ethanol burner? Even if you have an outdoor fire pit, you can still use ethanol as a heat source.

There has been a push in recent years to find more environmentally friendly fuels available from sustainable sources, and there has finally been talk of how much pollution we create when we burn wood in our fireplaces or in our outdoor fireplaces or fire pits. . What idea! Ethanol is certainly a better alternative than natural gas, electricity, or propane for your fireplace. Gas logs and electric fireplaces have become increasingly popular in recent years for obvious reasons. People love their fireplaces and don’t want to give them up, but want to get away from burning wood.

First of all, a wood fire is dirty. It’s almost impossible to avoid a mess around the fireplace that needs to be cleaned every time we use it, not to mention all the smoke and soot. We are told that it is advisable to clean it every year before using it. If we clean it ourselves, we look like a sooty chimney sweep from head to toe, and that stuff is hard to remove. On the other hand, if we hire a chimney sweep, it costs an arm and a leg even if we can find one.

So maybe the time has come to be realistic. Let’s say he decides to give up the wood burning fireplace, but he wants to keep using it, especially on cold, wintry days. Sitting by the fire and reading is a special pleasure. Inviting friends over for an evening and livening up the event both physically and psychologically with a fire in the fireplace adds a lot to the pleasure of good friends and good food.

So what are the options?

Gas fireplace insert. These can be obtained with “logs” that look real and the llama looks real. This is as close as you can get to the real thing. If you have a chimney, you can use that vent to keep fumes out of the house. You can buy a propane tank and burn propane gas. They are usually buried underground so only you know that your fireplace is not a real wood burning one. However, you can also use natural gas. You’ll need to hire a professional to do the installation, of course, but you’ll pay for fuel when you pay your regular gas bill.

A more environmentally friendly option is the ethanol fireplace. The fuel is liquid and you can buy it with a subscription, so it will be delivered to you at the intervals you request. It is usually sold in one liter bottles. You’ll have the blessings of a fireplace without the mess of a wood fire and without the environmental compromise a gas fire needs. Many dealers are selling ethanol fireplaces. Just go online and Google “ethanol fireplace” and you’ll be amazed at the number of results you get.

Copyright (c) 2009 Wes Fernley