Comparison: Ethanol firepit vs. wood burning on my back deck in Denver

I tried an ethanol firepit for 3 months this summer because I read they put out way less smoke and carbon. Switched back to wood burning last week and honestly the heat output is just not the same. The ethanol one gave off maybe half the warmth and I went through $60 of fuel in no time. Anyone else find a clean burning option that actually keeps you warm?

3 comments

3 Comments

blair_taylor3226d agoMost Upvoted

$60 in 3 months for ethanol is brutal, I feel your pain. It's like the same pattern with a lot of "green" alternatives these days - they fix one thing but trade off something else that actually matters for how you live. My buddy had one of those electric fireplaces in his living room and same deal, looked nice but you had to sit right on top of it to feel anything. The real problem is that wood just has way more heat energy packed in it, and you can't cheat physics no matter how clean the burn is.

diana61726d ago

Yeah I read something about this the other day actually. Some guy who runs a heating company online did a breakdown showing that ethanol fireplaces basically put out like half the BTUs of a cheap electric space heater. Total gimmick for ambiance, not heat. Wood is still king if you want to actually warm up a room, no contest there.

angela_harris26d ago

Lol right, @blair_taylor32 basically nailed it - my cousin spent a fortune on one of those fancy ethanol inserts and now it's just a $1,500 paperweight that makes the room smell like a frat party.