Do Ethanol Fireplaces Need To Be Vented? Understanding The Requirements

Ethanol fireplaces have a lot going for them in the heating world.

(If you’re unfamiliar with the modern heating alternative, they’re a design-driven, sustainable and low-maintenance supplementary heat source that is popping up in private dwellings and commercial settings across Australia.)

Bio ethanol fireplaces are eco-friendly alternatives to traditional fireplaces, offering clean-burning properties and versatility in placement, including both indoor and outdoor usage. Their benefits extend from low-cost, effortless setup through to plant-derived, environmentally friendly fuel. So, big ticks across the board for home and business owners.

However, one of the biggest drawcards by far is the fact that you don’t need a chimney, flue or vent to install one. Which means off the bat, you’re saving thousands in upfront costs, not to mention minimising the hassle that’s associated with building a vent system from scratch.

But flues aside, do ethanol fireplaces need to be vented at all?

Essentially, requiring a ‘vent’ and requiring ‘ventilation’ are two different things. Let’s dissect them a bit so you can understand why bioethanol fires do indeed require the latter.

Do You Need Ventilation With an Ethanol Fireplace?

First things first, let’s understand the terminology around ventilation, so you can better understand the concept itself.

• The flue is the internal, unseen pathway for gases.

• The vent is any system for exhausting gases or introducing air.

• The chimney is the external structure that can be seen outside your home or venue, which contains the flue(s) and supports ventilation.

As we’ve already touched on above, a bioethanol fireplace is a clean-burning, ventless heating solution. This means they don’t release fumes, emissions, toxins, gas or soot through an attached chimney like a wood-burning fireplace does.

But do ethanol burners need fresh air like woodfires do? Yes. Because while they don’t require a vent, they do require ventilation.

This can be explained simply as the movement of fresh air indoors, which is what ensures indoor air quality, and ethanol fireplaces require it because oxygen plays an important part in the combustion process. It’s why it’s so important to have air circulation with ethanol fires.

See, ethanol fires are fuelled by bioethanol – a plant-based organic, flammable liquid made from fermented plant materials known as ‘biomass’. Burning bioethanol releases considerably lower emissions than burning wood, which makes ethanol fireplaces one of the most popular green heating options on the market today. It’s also what it’s often referred to as ‘clean-burning ethanol fuel’.

To create heat, e-NRG – Australia’s leading bioethanol fuel provider – explains that the bioethanol combusts inside its stainless steel burner, generating heat via convection, as well as steam and tiny amounts of carbon dioxide. This combustion requires oxygen from the air, which is where ethanol fireplace ventilation requirements come in.

Room Size Considerations For Ethanol Fireplaces

For ethanol fireplaces to be as safe and effective as possible, every individual unit requires a minimum required room size depending on the size of the burner itself (you should always check the manufacturer’s handbook and have a licensed professional inspect your space to make sure this is the case).

Ensuring sufficient ventilation for bioethanol fireplaces guarantees there is always ample airflow to replenish the oxygen used for combustion, preventing the buildup of carbon dioxide. These clean-burning fireplaces are a great alternative to traditional options, but proper ventilation is crucial.

Even the size of our Chama Design showroom has been measured to meet the minimum required room sizes of our display units. We take customer fireplace safety very seriously, which is why we inspect every space our ethanol fireplaces and fire pits are destined for.

Do Ethanol Fires Need a Chimney?

Put simply, no.

An ethanol burning fireplace offers aesthetic appeal and flexibility in design, eliminating the need for a chimney. Ventless ethanol fireplaces have no need for a chimney, which traditional wood-burning fireplaces use to syphon out the things you don’t want in your lovely living room, like soot, ash, smoke and nasty toxins (unfortunately, they are still released out into the atmosphere).

The same goes for gas fireplaces. While they don’t give off the same messy byproducts that woodfires do, they still require a ‘direct’ or ‘natural’ vent systems to draw in air for combustion and to release emissions outside.

Ventless gas fire options do exist, however the level of nitrous dioxide and carbon monoxide emitted can result in poor air quality and potential health risks, as warned by Regency.

Due to its clean-burning fuel, ethanol fireplace emissions on the other hand are so minimal that it’s safe to have vent-free units in your home, hotel or restaurant and still enjoy excellent air quality.

Does an Ethanol Fireplace Need a Flue?

Just as a vent and chimney aren’t necessary for ethanol fireplaces, neither are flues. This is because all the oxygen you need for combustion is already inside, and nothing nasty needs to be emitted outside.

This is another huge advantage of pursuing a ventless fire option – they’re better for you.

As explained by NSW Health, short-term exposure to traditional wood-burning fires exposes you to harmful emissions that can cause irritation of the eyes, nose and throat, while prolonged exposure may increase the risk of developing heart or lung disease.

Gas fires can be just as bad. Their air pollutants can lead to carbon dioxide (CO2) poisoning, while high levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) can result in respiratory tract irritation or shortness of breath.

Air quality is fast becoming a critical health focus in Australia, with UNSW Sydney reporting in 2023 that 3,200 deaths per year are caused by air pollution. So if you can make steps in your own home or venue to minimise emissions, you’re doing your family, customers and environment a world of good.

Another benefit of ethanol fireplaces is greater heat efficiency. 

Because there isn’t a chimney releasing heat particles into the atmosphere, all heat produced by your fire remains in your loungeroom, restaurant or hotel foyer. So you can enjoy a cosy atmosphere complemented by a contemporary decor centred around your designer fireplace, just like Dawn does:

 I bought it to use as an indoor heater to improve the ambience and warmth of my living room in winter.

• Dawn Vallance

In short, ethanol fireplaces present the luxury of a ventless design which – when coupled with a renewable, plant-derived fuel – allows you to enjoy total placement flexibility, excellent heat efficiency, and top notch air quality. So no vent, no worries.

To get you inspired, here are our best ethanol fireplaces right now.