Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is a Bioethanol stove?
A. It is a stove which is fuelled by Bioethanol, it requires no chimney or flue and it emits Carbon Dioxide and a tiny amount of water vapour. All our stoves are antique stoves which have been skilfully converted to take a Bioethanol box into which you pour the Bioethanol liquid. Some take a round 1 litre box like the Deville Lily and some take a long 1.5 litre box like the Godin Chauffette and a few take a large 3 litre square box like this magnificent Deville Monopole.
Q. Bioethanol vs Wood burning stoves:What’s changed and what do you need to know?
A. In January 2022 new Government legislation came out to ensure all Wood Burners fitted after that date had to have the Ecodesign mark to comply with building regulations. This means that it is now virtually impossible to fit a stove without it. As a company we were moving further and further over to Bioethanol due to client demand so when this legislation came in we converted all our stoves to burn more environmentally friendly Bioethanol.
Wood burning stoves have to be fitted in accordance with with building regulations by an approved fitter and be signed off for your house insurance. Installation is often very expensive and ongoing maintenance of the stove is required. Twice yearly cleaning of the chimney is now also recommended by Hetas.
Q. Do Bioethanol stoves give off heat?
A. Yes they do. How much will depend on the size of the box. We have three different sizes. 1 litre round, 3kW, 1.5 litre oblong 3.5kW and 3 litre square 3.5kW. In addition to this heat, the stove itself will give off radiant heat once it gets hot.
Q. Are Bioethanol stoves safe?
A. Obviously any fire/stove has an element of danger by the very nature of it. Bioethanol stoves are no more dangerous than any other fire as long as the instructions are followed and they are used by a responsible adult. Any safety issues arise from user error, such as spilt fuel, re-filling a lit or hot bioethanol box or substandard equipment.
Q. What are the running costs?
A. At the time of writing (Jan 2026) running costs are around 60p an hour dependent on where you buy your fuel from. Bioethanol prices tend to much more stable that other fuels. This will give you 3-3.5kW of heat an hour which is pretty reasonable compared to logs, gas, oil or electric. It is worth noting that there are no expensive installation costs and no maintenance costs.
Q. Are they easy to install?
A. There is no installation required for Bio Ethanol stoves. That is part of their beauty.
Q. We do not have chimney or a flue, do we need one?
A. No, Bio Ethanol does not require a flue or chimney. Bio ethanol fuel does not emit any harmful vapours, just carbon dioxide and a very small amount of water vapour.
Q. I have an old French stove, can I buy a Bio Ethanol box off you and put it inside and use it?
A. No, definitely not. We only ever sell our boxes to clients who have already bought a stove and want another box. This is because it is really dangerous to just put a Bio Box in an old stove because any residue left inside will be heated up and the fumes will come into your room. Bio Ethanol needs air to work safely and many adaptations need to be made to most stoves to make them suitable for burning Bio Ethanol. Also, beware of people selling stoves cheaply who think this is the way to do it. It really isn’t.
Q. I live in the USA/France/New Zealand/China can I buy a stove from you and have it shipped?
A. Yes, we regularly ship all over the world by courier. We parcel them ourselves to make sure they arrive in one piece and insure them just to make sure. Most stoves will be with you in 1-2 weeks depending on customs clearance.
Q. Can I take a stove home in the back of my car?
A. Yes, the vast majority of our stoves would fit in the average car. Just make sure you have someone the other end to help you lift it out. Also it is a good idea to bring old blankets or similar to protect it and something to secure it as you don’t want 50kgs of solid metal flying around if you have to stop suddenly.
Q. I thought the windows were made of glass but they aren’t, it’s like plastic, what is it?
A. It’s a natural mineral called MICA which is mined, often in India. It laminates and gets disproportionately more expensive the larger the piece you need as it is much harder to laminate large pieces. It is what all old French stoves originally had fitted. We replace it with new Mica in all our stoves.
Q. Where can I buy replacement Mica for my stove?
A. Look no further, contact us and we can sort you out if you bought your stove from us.
Q. Do you want to buy my stove?
A. We may, but I would say it is unlikely as it is not economically viable to travel any distance to pick up one stove and we are very specific in what we buy. Send us an email with photos, price and location and we can let you know.
Q. Can you source a particular stove I have fallen in love with?
A. Possibly if you have the details and/or a photo of one. We can’t guarantee anything but we go over to France very regularly and have a good chance of finding what you want. Get in touch for details.
Q. Is there a website where I can access original information about old French stoves?
A. We came across a great site called Ultimheat which has a page with fascinating information about all types of old stoves including old catalogues etc. Well worth a visit.
Q. We would like to come and visit the showroom but it's a bit of a trek, is there anything else to do in your area whilst we are there?
A. Devizes, a Wiltshire Market town is well worth a visit. Stonehenge is only 18 miles away, Marlborough is 9 miles away, Hungerford which is full of Antique shops is 20 miles away and Avebury is about 6 miles away so loads to do. Come and see us.