Bioethanol Trouble Shooting

1. The fuel won't light.

- There are usually two reasons for this. One: your fuel level is too low. The bio fuel level in a narrow container needs to be quite high to burn - the fuel needs oxygen to keep alight. If there is only a small amount of fuel in your burner, when you put the flame to it, it will quickly ignite and use up the oxygen which is already within the burner - it will not manage to get a fresh "breath" of oxygen in before it extinguishes itself. You need to top up the fuel level up to AT LEAST 3/4 of the burner capacity and start again. REMEMBER to top up your fuel level every time you light your fire. If you only used half of the fuel, you can re-use the remaining liquid, but before lighting - TOP IT UP.

- The second reason for fuel not lighting or extinguishing itself as soon as you light it - even if your fuel level is high - is the fact that the fuel may be too cold. Ethanol MAY NOT LIGHT IF IT IS COLD. Try keeping a couple of bottles handy in a cupboard at a room temperature to avoid this. In case you have cold fuel in the container and struggle to light it, use a long lighter and hold the flame on the surface of the liquid for approximately 30 seconds. This will allow the top level of fuel to warm up a bit and should keep the flame on.

2. The fire makes a "whoosh" sound when igniting.

- This can happen and there is nothing to worry about when your fuel level is high (3/4 of the container's capacity or up to the MAX marking) - just keep a safe distance. If you are worried, use your control tool to light the fire. Dip the end of the tool in the fuel and light it outside of your burner, then carry the long burning tool to the fireplace, it will give you an extra arm's length.

- If your FUEL LEVEL IS LOW IN THE BURNER - your fireplace may 'splash out' tiny drops of fuel when igniting, apart from making a noise. ALWAYS FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS and top up your fireplace before lighting.

3. The fire gives off a bad odour.

- Ethanol fireplaces are virtually odourless, but we never say that they are completely odourless, as nothing that burns a real flame can be! However, the very slight scent should not bother you and if it's more than subtle - IT IS VERY LIKELY THAT YOUR ACCESSORIES ARE TOO CLOSE TO THE FLAME. Ceramic logs, pebbles, driftwood, etc., will produce an unpleasant odour when the flame is constantly touching them. Try rearranging your accessories so they do not cross or constantly touch the flame. Bio ethanol fireplace accessories may only be positioned around the flame, never across it or too close to it.

4. There is some liquid underneath the burner after using it.

There is nothing wrong with your fire. The liquid in the safety tray is a small amount of vapour condensation, which could gather at the bottom of the safety tray. It does not pose any danger and is nothing to be concerned about.

To explain this, when you extinguish the flame with fuel still in the burner (after using it for an hour, for example), condensation will form on the bottom of the lid. This is completely normal. Some of it might drip by the side of the lid to the bottom of the tray. It will normally evaporate by the next time you use it, but in case it doesn't, it is still fine to use the fireplace. It should not affect the burning or the flame. There is a very slight chance that this liquid would get alight when using the fireplace for the second time before it dries out. If this happens and you want to extinguish the fireplace, do so by sliding the lid backwards and forwards rapidly a few times; otherwise, it will burn out naturally.

5. The Aura Fragrance Oil left stains on my lid.

If you spill any oil outside the Fragrance Diffuser reservoirs, try not to leave it to dry up on the lid. If the stains are minor, just use hot water and dishwashing liquid; if the stains are older and more persistent, you can clean the lid by soaking it in hot (even boiling) soapy water and then slowly but firmly cleaning the stained areas with the 'rough' side of a dishwashing sponge or gently scratching it off with a sharp tool.

These are the most common problems and questions related to the fireplaces featuring the Small Bio Burner. If your problem is not described here, please email us.

Please always make sure that you read the instructions attached with your fireplace in the box; if you have misplaced them or the sheet was missing from your order, please find a copy here for a 'Biofire' Product..