So we're sitting here typing away with a comforter and furry slippers in an attempt to keep warm without turning on the heater. It's currently 38 degrees outside. I guess fall just got its ass kicked by winter.
It's not that we don't like the warmth from our radiator, we just like to wait until the last, frigid moment before cranking it on and watching our bill skyrocket. In a previous life we had an apartment with a fireplace -- a working fireplace. It was amazing. Romantic. Warm. Now we don't have that luxury, but we did recently see these flue-, installation-, and connection-less fireplaces from Australia...
The EcoSmart Fire is an environmentally friendly fireplace that doesn't require a flue (who has the money to add one of those to their home these days?) and doesn't even require a fuel connection. Instead the fireplaces are fueled by Denatured Ethanol (called Denatured Alcohol in the US), a renewable source that burns clean and is virtually maintenance free.
Ethanol is an absolute alcohol, produced by the fermentation of sugars originating from agricultural and forestry products; mainly sugarcane, potatoes, bananas, beetroot and recently from cereals such as wheat. In accordance with various global regulations Ethanol (100% alcohol) cannot be sold in its purest form to avoid human consumption. Ethanol producers de-nature ethanol with various substances for re-sale purposes and it is then called Denatured Ethanol.
Denatured Ethanol is completely composed of biological products resulting in a neutral ecological balance (greenhouse compliant). The combustion of Ethanol (also called Ethyl Alcohol C2H5OH) results in a clean emission: Heat, Steam and Carbon Dioxide. Denatured Ethanol burns just as clean. via EcoSmart Fire
The coolest aspect is that these fireplaces are freestanding so you can put it anywhere, and even move them around. The bummer? They're expensive. Roughly $1500 to $5,000, but you can get either 30% off or a $1,500 tax credit, since it does use renewable energy to heat your home.
(Image: EcoSmart Fireplace)
Unfortunately, these fireplaces are decor only - very little heat. It's real fire, it looks great and perfect replacement for fake electrical fireplaces, but you can't heat a thing with these. In the local shop that sells these I could hold my hand over the flame and barely feel any heat.
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Sure, it's not the equivalent to a full on heating system or fireplace, but it pumps out the same amount of heat as a portable heater. Portable heaters range from 10,000 to 40,000 BTUs (http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/space_heating_cooling/index.cfm/mytopic=12600)
EcoSmart Fires produce between 9,000 and 39,000 BTUs (http://www.ecosmartfire.com/en/about-the-fireplaces/efficiency).
According to Bob Villa, "40,000 Btu units, for example, can heat a small home." so if you just want to heat a room, this is a good solution.
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