Do bioethanol fireplaces give off heat? The real numbers
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Short answer: yes. A bioethanol fire is a real flame and it gives real heat, roughly 1.7 kW from a small burner up to about 6 kW from a large one. It is not a decoration that happens to glow.
Heat output by burner
These are EcoSmart's published figures for its burners. The last column is the floor area EcoSmart says each one heats on average.
| Burner | Max heat output | Min room volume | Heats on average |
|---|---|---|---|
| AB3 | 1.7 kW | 40 m³ | 20 m² |
| VB2 | 1.8 kW | 45 m³ | 15 m² |
| XS340 | 2.5 kW | 45 m³ | 20 m² |
| XL500 | 3.4 kW | 80 m³ | 40 m² |
| BK5 | 3.8 kW | 70 m³ | 35 m² |
| XL700 | 4.0 kW | 90 m³ | 50 m² |
| XL900 | 4.4 kW | 110 m³ | 60 m² |
| XL1200 | 4.5 kW | 115 m³ | 65 m² |
| AB8 | 6.0 kW | 116 m³ | 60 m² |
For a sense of scale, a plug-in electric heater tops out at about 2.4 kW. Even a mid-sized burner puts out more than that. EcoSmart publishes these as indicative figures. Indoors the AB8 runs with its Efficiency Ring fitted, which EcoSmart rates at 3.8 kW.
Why the room size matters
The room volume in the table is a minimum, not a target. A burner needs enough air around it, and a big flame in a small room gets uncomfortable quickly. Choose the burner that suits the room, not the biggest one you can fit. Always follow the clearances and ventilation guidance for your model.
Where the heat goes
A wood or gas fire sends a good share of its heat up the flue. A bioethanol fire has no flue, so the warmth stays in the room. As a guide, EcoSmart says a single XL1200 burner heats 65 m² on average. Heat output varies by burner, room and installation.
What to expect
- In a living room: real warmth you can feel across the room, strongest close to the flame. It works well on its own in a smaller space, or alongside a heat pump in a larger one.
- In an apartment: a wall-mounted fire like the Cocoon Vellum gives approximately 3 kW from a 1.5 litre burner.
- Outdoors: you feel the warmth sitting around a fire pit table, but open air carries heat away. Outdoors, a fire is about the flame and the gathering as much as the heat.
Is it a heater?
Think of it as a fire first. It will take the chill off a room and keep you warm near it, but it is not designed to heat a whole house, and it costs more per hour than a heat pump. See what a bioethanol fireplace costs to run.
Not sure which burner suits your room?
Give us the room dimensions and we will work it out with you. Call 0800 468 836, or come and feel the heat for yourself in our Takapuna showroom, open seven days.