How to light and refuel a bioethanol fireplace safely

A manual bioethanol burner is simple to use: fill it, light it, adjust it, put it out. The steps below are the general method. Your fire's manual always comes first, so read it before you light the fire for the first time.

What you need

Step 1: Fill it cold

  1. Make sure the flame is out and the burner has cooled completely. A bioethanol flame can be hard to see in bright light, so be certain.
  2. Open the burner.
  3. Pour slowly, and stop at the max line. Do not overfill.
  4. Wipe up any fuel that has spilt on or around the burner.
  5. Seal the fuel bottle and move it well away from the fire.

Step 2: Light it at arm's length

  1. Check that nothing is on or over the burner, including covers and glass plates.
  2. Hold the lighter or lighting rod to the burner opening with your arm out and your face back.
  3. The flame starts low and builds over the first few minutes as the burner warms up.

Use a long lighter or lighting rod. Do not use matches or a cigarette lighter.

Step 3: Adjust the flame

Many manual burners have a slide that changes the size of the opening. Use the tool supplied with your fire to move it. A smaller opening gives a lower flame and uses less fuel.

Step 4: Put it out

  1. Close the burner with the supplied shut-off tool or lighting rod. This starves the flame of air.
  2. Check that the flame is out.
  3. Leave the burner to cool.

Never use water, and do not try to blow the flame out. Put the fire out whenever you leave the room and before you go to bed.

Refuelling

Wait until the burner has cooled completely before you add fuel, then go back to Step 1. Check your manual for the cooling time for your model. This is the rule that matters most:

  • Never fill a burner that is lit.
  • Never fill a burner that is still hot.

If you have an automatic burner

Automatic burners, such as those from Planika, light, adjust and switch off from a remote, an app or a touch panel, with electronic fuel management built in. Follow the manual for filling the tank and use the controls for everything else.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Topping up a warm burner because the flame has just gone out.
  • Leaving the fuel bottle next to the fire.
  • Lighting over a spill.
  • Using fuel that is not specified for the fire.
  • Leaving the fire burning when no one is in the room.

Storing fuel

Keep it sealed, upright, away from heat and flame, and out of reach of children.

Stuck on a step?

Call 0800 468 836 and someone who has lit that fire will talk you through it. More on our Safety page and in Are bioethanol fireplaces safe?

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