Many homeowners do not know what makes up a safe ethanol fireplace, even though a growing number of them want to enjoy the benefits these fireplaces offer. Unfortunately, all ethanol fireplaces are not safe; furthermore, price is not always the best indicator of quality. Continue reading if you are interested in investing in a safe ethanol fireplace. In this article, we are going to look at three essential facts that you can use to identify a safe to use model.
Certifications for Ethanol Fireplace
In most cases, an SP Sitac, UL, C-UL, Swedcert and TUV certified ethanol fireplace is safe for use. This is due to the fact that, the process of certifying ethanol fireplaces is expensive and time consuming; furthermore, manufactures aren’t required to certify their ethanol fireplaces. For certification, the manufacturer must provide the product to be tested, cover testing costs and annual fees as well. As such, only producers who are concerned about the quality of their products will want to have them certified.
Quality of the Burner
To ensure that you can be able to easily control the size of the flames or put them out whenever necessary, look for a burner that features a lid when shopping for an ethanol fireplace. Top quality burners weigh between 11 and 4.5 pounds and are made using stainless steel. Furthermore, choose a burner that comes with a design featuring a spill tray. This is a great safety mechanism to have in place in the event that fuel spills accidentally.
It is also worth mentioning that choosing an ethanol fireplace that includes a cup system in its design is discouraged by most experts. This fuel system design is associated with a variety of issues among them, difficulty in extinguishing flames and spillages.
Material Weight and Quality
When looking for an ethanol fireplace, quality is emphasized as previously mentioned. It is recommended that you compare a number of units if you are looking for a wall mounted unit. On average, wall mounted units made of top quality materials weigh about 22 lbs.
Look for modern fireplaces with a minimum thickness of 3 millimeters, if you are interested in a stainless steel unit. It is much easier for you to distinguish the quality of different units when you focus on the stainless steel thickness. Materials and weight are great indicators of quality, even though they cannot be relied upon solely.
You can rest assured that the unit you end up choosing is safe for use, provided that it lines up with the above described factors. Quality is the most important factor when it comes to purchasing an ethanol fireplace, with burner quality considered to be a close second. You are bound to find exactly what you are in search of given the varied selection of models, styles and sizes.