Article Key Points
- Building surveyors require two documents for ethanol fireplace installations: a product technical statement confirming compliance with the ACCC Safety Standard 2017, and written confirmation that installation followed the manufacturer's instructions.
- The ACCC Safety Standard (F2017L00909) sets mandatory product-level requirements across four areas: design, stability, refuelling, and markings, but applies only to the product at point of sale, not to how it is installed.
- No Australian regulation governs bioethanol fireplace installation, so the manufacturer's instructions are the definitive reference, typically covering minimum room size, ventilation, clearances, and compliant finishing materials.
- Bioethanol fireplaces sit outside the building code, meaning no building authority signs off on the device itself; device documentation supports the occupancy inspection process but is not a compliance instrument.
Your building surveyor needs two things from you after installing an ethanol fireplace into a new home.
1) A product technical statement showing the fireplace meets sections 6 to 9 of the Consumer Goods (Decorative Alcohol Fuelled Devices) Safety Standard 2017, including clause 4.5 of the European Standard.
2) A confirmation that the installation was completed as per the manufacturer's instructions.
The ACCC Decorative Alcohol Fuelled Devices Safety Standard
This standard contains four mandatory rules at the product level and is controlled at the initial sale of the ethanol fireplace.
- Design (section 6) - A decorative alcohol fuelled device must require installation in a fixed position; or have both a dry weight of at least 8 kg and a footprint of at least 900 cm2.
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Stability (section 7) - A decorative alcohol fuelled device must comply with clause 4.5 of the European Standard.
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4.5 Stability Test
- If the manufacturer provides fittings for mounting or fixing the appliances, they shall be durable for the whole life of the appliance.
- If unintentionally moved or tilted during operation, the appliance shall be stable according to the tests in Clause 5.
- For wall-mounted appliances, unintentional movement shall be prevented, and it should not be possible to unlatch or lift off the appliance from the hook.
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- Refuelling (section 8) - A decorative alcohol fuelled device must be supplied with a fuel container that incorporates a flame arrester or have an automatic fuel pump system.
- Markings (section 9) - A decorative alcohol fuelled device must display a specific permanent, prominent, legible warning with the text set out in the case: 1) where the device has a fuel tank that must be removed from the device for refuelling, 2) is supplied with a fuel container that incorporates a flame arrester and 3) is supplied with an automatic fuel pump system for the device.
At Chama Design, only supply and install products that meet the ACCC Safety Mandate (F2017L00909), and we sign off on our customers' installations for the surveyor for reference.
Where the ACCC Standard Stops
The standard ticks off the product, not the installation. No Australian instrument regulates how a bioethanol fireplace gets installed.
With no installation standard to point to, the only place to follow is the manufacturer's instructions.
A quality ethanol fireplace brand's manual usually covers minimum room size, ventilation (ACH), minimum clearances to combustibles and non-combustibles, and compliant fire-rated/noncombustable finishing materials.
Bioethanol fireplaces fall outside the building codes, so no building authority signs off on the fireplace itself.
The certificate of occupancy or final inspection covers the building work; device documentation supports any questions that arise during that process; it isn't a compliance instrument in its own right.
References
Australian Government (2017) Consumer Goods (Decorative Alcohol Fuelled Devices) Safety Standard 2017 (F2017L00909). Federal Register of Legislation. Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2017L00909/latest/text (Accessed: 13 Aug 2026).
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (2017a) Decorative Alcohol Fuelled Devices Mandatory Standard. Product Safety Australia. Available at: https://www.productsafety.gov.au/business/search-mandatory-standards/decorative-alcohol-fuelled-devices-mandatory-standard (Accessed: 13 Aug 2026).
Standards Australia/Standards New Zealand (2018) AS/NZS 2918:2018 - Domestic Solid Fuel Burning Appliances - Installation. Sydney/Wellington: Standards Australia/Standards New Zealand.
Standards Australia/Standards New Zealand (2022) AS/NZS 5601.1:2022 - Gas Installations - Part 1: General Installations. Sydney/Wellington: Standards Australia/Standards New Zealand.
Australian Building Codes Board (2022a) Building Classifications. National Construction Code. Available at: https://ncc.abcb.gov.au/ncc-navigator/building-classifications (Accessed: 22 July 2026).
Australian Building Codes Board (2022b) Part A6 Building Classification. National Construction Code. Available at: https://ncc.abcb.gov.au/editions/ncc-2022/adopted/volume-two/a-governing-requirements/part-a6-building-classification (Accessed: 13 Aug 2026).
Owners Corporations Act 2006 (Vic). Available at: https://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/vic/consol_act/oca2006260/ (Accessed: 13 Aug 2026).
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