If you have searched online for “Bioethanol Fuel”, you will have likely come across a number of products. Some liquid, some in Gel form, some stating different ethanol contents or percentages and some scented or marked as “low odour”.
This can quickly become confusing and the question presents itself;” How do I know I am choosing the right ethanol for my bioethanol fire?
In this article, we will review some of the most common features of ethanol fuels to help clarify some of this confusion.
Gel or Liquid?
Firstly let’s clear up the confusion between liquid and Gel. These are not the same thing and it is likely that your appliance or burner will be designed to only use one of these fuel types. So it is important that you buy the right one.
The best place for information on which one you need is the manual that came with your appliance or burner.
For more information on the differences between gel and liquid fuel you can see our article on that topic here: What is the difference between Liquid and Gel bio ethanol fuel?
Denaturant percentage.
The ethanol content of a fuel and the different denaturants that have been added to it can affect how clean the fuel will burn.
The denaturants are an important ingredient for making the alcohol undrinkable. By ensuring the alcohol is not suitable for consumption it is subject to different duties and taxes to drinkable alcohol such as vodka. Although the denaturants can affect the burning, without them the price of the fuel would be greatly inflated.
As such it is important to pick a fuel that uses a low amount of clean denaturants that have little to no impact on the burning.
Alcohol content.
Many bioethanol fire manufacturers recommend using a fuel with a minimum content of 96% ethanol. Some also indicate an upper percentage limit as burning 100% ethanol could be too hot for the design of the burner and result in the appliance not behaving correctly.
We would recommend contacting your burner supplier or checking the manual that came with the appliance to check for the recommended alcohol content and ensure that you purchase one that fits their recommendations.
Scented or non-scented.
As with adding denaturants, adding scents to the fuel can affect how it burns. In our experience of testing scented fuels, it can also be difficult to find a product that smells as advertised.
EkoFuel does not produce a scented product and instead has focused on ensuring our product is a low odour and as clean burning as possible.
Low-Odour, No Odour, Odourless, what’s the difference?
When alcohol vaporises it can give off a strong alcohol smell. This is normally removed when the vapours are burnt. And so for the majority of the time your appliance is in use, the fuel will likely have very little, or no smell.
Sometimes, particularly just before lighting the appliance or after the flames go out, some alcohol vapours are still being produced and are not being burnt. Even with very pure and no odour fuels this can result in a strong alcohol smell during these times.
If during the use of the appliance, you smell a burning or smoky smell, this indicates the fuel is likely not very clean or of the correct purity. It is this smell that the “no odour” and its variants refers to.
Should you use an “odourless” fuel but still get a smoky or alcoholic smell while the appliance is in use, and after it is up to temperature, then it is likely that the appliance is not getting hot enough or providing the correct amount of airflow to the fuel to ensure complete combustion of the vapours.
This may be due to some decorations such as ceramic logs or pebbles being in the way of the flame and cooling it down, or a blocked air vent preventing appropriate airflow.
Should you believe your appliance is not behaving correctly we recommend you check the manual it came with for instructions on cleaning, maintenance and correct setup.
So what type of fuel is EkoFuel?
EkoFuel bio ethanol is 96.6% pure ethanol with approximately 1% denaturants. We have worked hard to ensure this high purity fuel is clean burning and as odourless as it can be.
Ekofuel is also produced from sustainable sources and is eco-friendly using the by-products of other agricultural industries for the materials needed in its production.
Unlike other bio-ethanols, our fuel has been rectified to remove a lot of the other alcohols normally present in the ethanol. This results in a cleaner burning and smelling fuel, perfect for indoor and outdoor bioethanol fires and alcohol burners.
