75cm bioethanol insert in old fireplace

This project by Craig Gardner featured our 75cm Bioethanol Container.

“I am sending some photographs of my DIY fireplace in which I used your 75cm Bioethanol Insert. Hopefully, you can use them for your website. I have been very happy with the container and it’s been a real talking point whenever we’ve had guests around.
Although I had heard of Bioethanol fuel and burners before, I would not have considered using one when I decided to renovate the chimney breast in my dining room. I wanted to  change it into a hole in the wall type. I had chosen a gas fire basket with ceramic logs to sit in the opening. However, when a gas fitter came to do the preliminary pipe work, he smoke tested the flue and informed me that it was not safe for use with a gas appliance unless I paid a substantial amount of money to make the flu suitable. He suggested I look into flue-less options and that let me down to say the least"

Bioethanol is easier than gas!

"Later on, a Google search led me to a few websites that sold Bioethanol burners.  Biofires' website was the most appealing and having the most reasonably priced products. On the website, I found the Bio Container for DIY fireplaces and ordered the large version. I was a bit apprehensive as I was about to light the fire for the first time. I was wondering if it would really look as good as in the website pictures, but I wasn’t disappointed. In less than five minutes time there was a beautiful, dancing line of orange flames that put the predictable flame of a gas fire to shame.

I was also happy with the amount of heat that it kicked out, despite what I’d read when researching bio-ethanol burners that they are not reliable as a source of heat. My only disappointment is that the winter has been so mild I haven’t needed to use it as often as I would liked to have!"

Craig made a comment on our blog article featuring his lovely fireplace:

“I’m no builder or DIY expert by any means, but I found building the fireplace I wanted – a hole in the wall type with an opening below it for real logs – fairly easy to do. There was a floor level opening there before where a typical gas inset fire was used. I had a gas fitter remove the gas pipes. Then I knocked out all the bricks at the front of the chimney breast up to approximately 120cm high. Then built up the shape I wanted using breeze blocks, 90cm concrete lintels, and fireproof cement.

The breeze blocks are soft enough to easily chip out the slot shape to home the Bio container. I blocked up the flu, which you don't need with Bioethanol fuel fires. This means all the heat comes into the room and is not lost up the chimney. A plasterer gave the job a nice smooth finish and I have to say it’s very rewarding sitting in front of a fireplace that you’ve built mostly yourself! “

And we’re very happy with the final result too. Well done Craig!