FAQ Other questions

The word 'open fireplace' is frequently used to refer to a decorative fireplace. Both an open fireplace and a decorative fireplace naturally create a cozy fire. 

A traditional open fireplace has an open combustion system. During combustion, harmful flue gases and combustion residues are released. With an open fireplace, almost 70% of the heat escapes through the chimney. However, flue gases and particulate matter also enter the home. It may smell nice, but it is certainly not healthy.

A decorative fireplace offers the same atmosphere without the disadvantages. The heat output of a decorative fireplace is not lost through a chimney. However, as a primary heat source, a decorative fireplace offers insufficient capacity.

Pros and cons of an open fireplace: 

+ the smell and sound of burning wood

+ direct radiant heat

- low return: 10 to 15 percent 

- chimney is needed

- environmentally polluting due to particulate matter emissions

A gas fireplace is easy to use and has flames that are hardly distinguishable from a real fire. A gas fireplace has either open or closed combustion. Released flue gases must be discharged through a flue. In the Netherlands, in the future, a gas fireplace will only be possible using gas cylinders.

Pros and cons of a gas fireplace:

+ user-friendly

+ (if still available) connected to the public gas network 

+ high yield (70-80%)

- the immediate vicinity of the gas fireplace is heated well, the rest of the house less so 

- gas connection 

- high price 

- loss of space due to flue

A decorative fireplace has been developed as an alternative to the traditional open fireplace. All the atmosphere, none of the drawbacks. We are familiar with electric decorative fireplaces and bio-ethanol decorative fireplaces. 

Xaralyn's electric fireplaces create a flame effect realized through light projection. Most electric decorative fireplaces also have a heating function. With an electric decorative fireplace, the flame effect and heating can be used independently of each other.

Bio-ethanol fireplaces produce real flames with real heat. Bio-ethanol, or bio-alcohol, provides completely clean combustion. Therefore, bio-ethanol can be used indoors without a chimney.

A bioethanol fireplace or bioethanol burner with a patented ceramic stone from Xaralyn is the safest way to enjoy an open fire.

Bio-ethanol burns cleanly but is not without danger. Xaralyn has a patented bio-ethanol burner with a ceramic stone. This ceramic burner absorbs the bio-ethanol completely. The heat generated causes the bio-ethanol, which is held in the ceramic stone, to evaporate. The difference is that it is not the bio-ethanol that burns, but only the evaporation.

With a bio-ethanol burner with a ceramic stone, therefore, only the gas produced by the evaporation of the bio-ethanol burns.

This makes the ceramic bio-ethanol burner from Xaralyn not only the safest burner but also the most economical bio-ethanol fireplace in terms of consumption.

Hardly any odor is released during the combustion of pure bioethanol. 

Not all bioethanol is the same. Bioethanol is also used in the industry for cleaning purposes. Contaminated bioethanol is subsequently recycled and returned to the market. Furthermore, if bioethanol is not properly filtered, consists of (too many) different raw materials, or has a lower alcohol percentage, it can emit a stronger odor. 

No combustion is completely odorless. One person perceives more odor than another. The combination of bio-ethanol and evaporation from the absorbent ceramic stone in the burner ensures the purest possible combustion, releasing a barely noticeable odor. If a bio-ethanol burner with a ceramic stone is extinguished, any odor may be somewhat stronger.

For safety reasons, we advise against the use of bioethanol in jerrycans. Our liter bottles are fitted with a special cap. This cap reduces the risk of a spark coming into contact with the alcohol. If a spark does enter the bottle, it is knocked out of your hands by the pressure. With a jerrycan, you run the risk of getting bioethanol all over yourself.

Furthermore, larger jerrycans are usually made of a soft material that slowly dissolves in the pure bioethanol, causing contamination in the bioethanol.