Gel Fuel

       Gel Fuel is usually made up of Isopropyl Alcohol. This is produced by the combination of water and Propene, which is a typical byproduct of the Natural Gas processing. Gel Fuel is clean burning into the air and evaporates in the same way as gas does whenever you are heating your own home with gas. But gas has this ability to produce some small amounts of water that collects in the nooks and crannies inside your home; this causes structural damage after several years of use. Isopropyl Alcohol does not generate damaging amounts of water vapor. It can't even be compared to the water evaporation due to cooking or bathing.

Ethanol gel fuel gives several key advantages compared to conventional solid chemical fuels like Hexamine and Trioxane without sacrificing efficient heat output. Gel fuel burns with clean, odorless and smokeless blue flame that does not blacken your cooking utensils, add flavor to food or odorize your clothing. It is also non-toxic both in situations when you inhaled it or accidentally ingested it, allowing this type of fuel to be safely stored along with foodstuffs and it can also be used in confined spaces. Gel fuel can also be ignited quickly and easily with the use of one of striker flint or other match products.

Gel Fuel Fireplace

Traditionally, we wood burning fireplaces that can be considered also as renewable fuel but for many people they still see them pollutants because of the large amount of smoke, dirt and other stuffs that is released during combustion. The alternatives to common wood burning fireplaces have been increasing in the last few years and gel fueled fireplaces come out as one option that lots of consumers love. Gel fuels is just thickened ethanol that comes packaged inside a can. They have a short combustion duration time that last not more than 3 hours, this could be a negative feature to some but there are so many more benefits in owning gel fueled fireplaces.

Using gel fuel, reduces smoke, soot or harmful chemical toxins. There is always a release of carbon dioxide into the air. But this is the same gas that we exhale with each breath and the amount released is also very minimal. Gel fueled fireplaces are low cost and low maintenance. You can place them anywhere since they do not require installation hookups or gas pipe lines. There are no ashes or soot to clean too. They even have optical similarities to a normal wood fire. Gel fuel fireplace provide flames and also the genuine sound of crackling that a real fire makes.

Gel fireplaces may not be easy to maintain but they are the most energy efficient, cost saving heating units on the hardware store. The biggest bonus is that there are no limits on where you can locate a gel fueled fireplace. They are great for small apartments, large town houses and even confined bedrooms.

Gel Fuel Safety

Isopropyl alcohol fuel is burned up into vapors, a smokeless flame, which produces 90 percent efficiency based on its ability to burn indoors without the use of an exterior vent or chimney. Is this fuel recycled? For best results you should buy pure grade only so that you are best assured that there are no impurities that emit toxic fumes into your air.

You should also check how much carbon monoxide is emitted by the gel fuel, look for the lowest amount possible as this will always be the safest, look for something less than four parts per million

Does any company say that their fuel is OSHA or EPA certified? OSHA is only concerned for the workplace safety and EPA does not monitor Air Quality. You should verify that the gel fuel is designed for indoor use and intended for unvented gel fireplaces.

Be extra cautious when using dyed fuels or colored fuels, they produce soot and hydrocarbons that could be the result of burning this gel and may result in toxic fumes being emitted into your surrounding air. Lithographed labeling embedded on gel fuel can also emit toxic fumes whenever the can heats up from the combustion of the gel fuel.

Alcohol fuel must not be placed in direct sunlight, and it should not be stored in areas with excessive heat. Gel fuel should only be stored at room temperature preferably in cooler areas.