Re: ethanol fuel for fireplace

[Frank]

hello all,

does anyone know where i can purchase ethanol fuel for a fireplace in
tennessee? i have a special ethanol fuel burner for my fireplace but i
can't find any pure ethanol (denatured ethanol i guess)...i've just
been using regular rubbing alcohol (70%), which works fine but i can
only find it in 32 oz bottles at wally world, etc. so if anyone knows
where to but denatured ethanol in gallon jugs or even 5 gallon pails
shoot me a line...or if someone knows where to buy rubbing alcohol in
gallon jugs that'll be fine too....thanks...

I would imagine the big box home stores would all have it. Maybe you
need to look in other departments like paint and it might just be called
denatured alcohol.

 

[Frank]

If fireplace is vented, the cheapest source of denatured alcohol would
be E85. Just consider it alcohol with 15% gasoline denaturant.

Denatured alcohol contains various substances depending on end use. The
cleanest is alcohol for cosmetic use. Those for industrial use can
contain benzene, methanol, xylene or some other toxic material. Pure
grain alcohol may be available at your liquor store but you will pay a
lot of tax. Pure alcohol is available for laboratory use but you need a
permit as it is tax free.

Best bet might be to contact stove manufacturer for his suggestions.

 

[Frank]

thanks for all the replies....the fireplace is ventless so no go on
the e85...i don't think i would even burn e85 in a regular fireplace
because it has gasoline in it...thanks though

I wouldn't either. The pharmaceutical grade alcohol, called SD alcohol,
would be cleanest you could get without tax.

Personally, I don't like breathing combustion fumes from anything.

 

[Neon John]

I wouldn't either. The pharmaceutical grade alcohol, called SD alcohol,
would be cleanest you could get without tax.

You're telling this guy to try to buy USP EToH to burn in a friggin' stove?
Amazing. Do you have any idea how much licensing and oversight is required to
buy that stuff? The paperwork is about equal to Schedule drugs. My uncle
owned a small pharmaceutical company until his death about 10 years ago. He
had a walk-in safe. Two things went in the safe. Schedule drugs and USP
EtOH. He had to account for every drop including evaporation.

If you go to the BATF site you can download the denaturing formulary. there
are thousands of formulas to match all the EtOH uses. Some require only trace
amounts of intensely bittering agents. Gasoline or MEoH is also in the
formulary. This is academic information in this context since MEoH is still
likely to be the cheapest and best solution for the stove.

Personally, I don't like breathing combustion fumes from anything.

So you don't cook with gas, camp, drive a car or anything else involving fire?
Interesting. Especially interesting in this context since the combustion
products of alcohol are water and CO2. Practically impossible to get it to
make CO. That's why alcohol stoves are so popular in other countries where CO
alarms might not be available. An oxygen-starved MeOH flame makes
formaldehyde before it will CO and THAT will drive you out of the room long
before it'll harm you.

John

--
John De Armond
See my website for my current email address
http://www.neon-john.com
http://www.johndearmond.com <-- best little blog on the net!
Tellico Plains, Occupied TN
What do you call a blonde's cranial cavity? Vacuum chamber?

 

[Frank]

You're telling this guy to try to buy USP EToH to burn in a friggin' stove?
Amazing. Do you have any idea how much licensing and oversight is required to
buy that stuff? The paperwork is about equal to Schedule drugs. My uncle
owned a small pharmaceutical company until his death about 10 years ago. He
had a walk-in safe. Two things went in the safe. Schedule drugs and USP
EtOH. He had to account for every drop including evaporation.

No, just talking about denaturants and purest denatured alcohol is what
is used in cosmetics and does not have tax of pure alcohol.

And, yes, I do not want to breathe unvented combustion products if I do
not have too. I would not have an unvented stove or kerosene heater.
Scared the hell out of me staying in friends cabin with unvented natural
gas heaters. Sure there are cutoffs, but what if they fail?

 

[pit34]

"so if anyone knows
> where to but denatured ethanol in gallon jugs or even 5 gallon pails
> shoot me a line...or if someone knows where to buy rubbing alcohol in
> gallon jugs that'll be fine too....thanks..."

I don't know ,but look at www.planikausa.com
This is propably leading producers. They make ethanol fireplace, bio fireplace, so maybe you find important informations. Good luck!!