No. You don't need a chimney with a bioethanol fireplace because bioethanol fuel burns cleanly — without smoke, soot, or ash. This makes bioethanol the ideal alternative energy source for buildings that don't have chimneys, such as flats, conservatories, and many modern homes.

Do I need a flue for a bioethanol fire?

Bioethanol fuel burns without creating any harmful emissions — it uses a little oxygen from the room and emits:

• Heat (around 3kWh or equivalent of an electric heater on medium)
• Water vapour (although you won't notice it), and  
• A little carbon dioxide — don't worry, burning bioethanol produces around the same amount of carbon dioxide as two lit candles. 

This makes it safe to burn indoors without a flue or a chimney.

It is good, however, to have some ventilation to prevent the room from becoming too stuffy. So, we recommend keeping an internal door open to ensure the through-flow of oxygen or opening the window a little to let fresh air in.

You may have seen some images on our website and social media of some of our fireplaces with our flues. These are FALSE FLUES and just add to the wood burner effect and do not impact on the heat output as there are vents on the rear of these flues to help the heat circulate.

Can I install a bioethanol fireplace into my existing fireplace with a chimney?

Absolutely. If you have an existing chimney but are concerned about burning fossil fuels, such as wood or coal, a bioethanol fireplace makes an excellent alternative heat source for your room. 

Remember, chimneys reduce the efficiency of all fires because a lot of the heat from the burn escapes up the chimney. So, an open vent will reduce the amount of heat produced by your bioethanol fireplace. 

You can close off your chimney with a proprietary”chimney sock” and some fireboard to stop the heat escaping.

Can I use a bioethanol fireplace with a closed chimney?

If your chimney is closed, a bioethanol fire is the ideal eco-friendly heat source because it burns at around 98-100% fuel efficiency (compared to approximately 80% or lower for a traditional wood-burning stove). You don't need a flue or working chimney to operate bioethanol fireplaces.