EcoSmart Fireplace
What is your experience and/or thoughts on the EcoSmart fireboxes/fireplaces that are burning denatured ethanol? Are they any better or worse than the dreaded ventless gas fireplaces in a tight home?
I’ve read that, “the combustion of denatured ethanol releases water steam and carbon dioxide. The ratio of CO / CO2 passes standards for flueless gas fireplaces and the amount of Carbon Monoxide is negligible”
I have asked several energy and combustion safety experts. So far, I’ve only gotten speculation, and, “I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
Here is the website for EcoSmart. Does anyone have any feedback about actual testing. What are your thoughts? http://www.ecosmartfire.com/en/home
Thank you, in advance, for your thoughts.
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Replies
Chris,
Here's all you need to know: alcohol fuel (ethanol) costs $26.33 per gallon in small quantities, or $15.53 in large quantities (including delivery charges).
Here's the link:
http://www.e-nrg.com/
You could also get a first generation Plasma TV and the burning log DVD
that's how I mostly heated my home during the first winter.
Point taken, Martin!
John, that might actually work in a Passivhaus!
So, if we take cost out of the equation, since many of the homeowners that would be interested in this kind of 'heat source' will likely NOT be too concerned about it. They're liked for their cool white flames and ambiance. Does it present a combustion-safety concern?
Chris,
If it always burns well, that is to say the fire place is maintained well, then it may produce low levels of CO. If it doesn't?
Almost important as CO is H2O! Raising the relative humidity in the house can be a problem for a variety of reasons.
To add to Martin's point, ethanol will likely be priced in line with gasoline, as the price of gas rises so will ethanol.
Check out the graph on page 7 of the WEO key graphs if you want to get a sense of what you might be paying in the future for ethanol...
http://www.worldenergyoutlook.org/docs/weo2010/key_graphs.pdf
Cheers,
Andrew
I am planning to use an Ethanol fireplace for my passive house. I think EcoSmart is too expensive though. I found this alternative called SEK ethanol fireplace and it's about less than 50% of the cost. I can't imagine it being so difficult to build a fire box.
I would think if the house has enough CFMs going in and out with an ERV/HRV, in-door air quality should not be a concern. So, maybe the question is one regarding ventilation.
Some passive houses are being built with gas water heaters, gas cooking appliances. I think if that is not a huge concern providing sufficient ventilation, the ethanol fireplace should be less of a concern. Just my 2 cents.
I looked into an ethanol fireplace for a house we're about to start and chose a sealed combustion propane fireplace instead because the fuel had to be ordered from a special supplier to assure purity and the risk that a client might decide to just grab some denatured acohol solvent to burn during a power outage and poison themselves with the impurities seemed too great
We can be sure of a good supply of safe fuel in the buried propane tank for a week without power if we have a sealed combustion propane burner but definitely not if we rely on special order alcohol fuel.
And a week without electricity is a very real possibility where I live in rural Saxapahaw North Carolina.
Heck, Michael, anyone down in Saxapahaw outta be able to cook their own ethanol in the backyard still.
And with the Sellers Co down thatta way, I bet they can also spin a pretty good yarn. ;-)
Robert we do actually have an intermittently operating whiskey still just down the river from us. Pharmaceutical Phd researcher runs it over fervent spousal objections. I haven't tasted it myself preferring to patronize Maker Mark and Basil Hayden.
Sellers had their roof torn off by a tornado a few years ago and is now being creatively re-built as housing, a couple of small charter schools, a river outfitter and gourmet gas station with bio-diesel and Saxaco gas. http://www.saxgenstore.com We hope to get a pub sometime this month, "the eddie", overlooking the river from the old mill. this little town is coming up in the world!