eco smart fireplaces

anyone had any experience with the following company/product?

www.ecosmartfire.com

it's a beautiful product, but relatively new in north america.
any reviews on quality, performance etc. would be appreciated.

thanks in advance.

I'm actually shocked that this thread hasn't seen more action.
I have been completely fascinated by these fireplaces since first seeing them in a magazine.
I have seen several different fuel types, and would love to find out how they function, in hopes of safely recreating one for my own home.
I hope more insight can be added to this thread.

here's another one that's pretty cool as well...

http://www.unicahome.com/catalog/item.asp?id=18529

We are preparing to start selling fireplaces that use the Eco Smart Fire box as well as offering it as an option in our countertops.

The firebox is a relatively simple system that uses denatured alcohol as its fuel. It puts out a good amount of heat and could be used to heat a small space.

I like their design and flexibility. Anyone know how long they burn before refueling? Is the fuel readily available in the US? I also didn't see any info on pricing.

I think that they are pretty expensive. I don't remember off the top of my head an actual number, but I remember thinking I couldn't even afford the box, let alone a whole fireplace insert.

Brandon, I can't wait to see some of your fireplaces, sounds like a perfect combo. Keep us in the loop.

was it in the hundreds? or thousands?

I don't really think I want to handle flammable liquids inside the house.
I'd liken it to using a campstove (same fuel). It's also virtually impossible to burn CO free, and remember it's using up the O2 in the room. If the 02 drops below what you're used to, you get this headache (been there done that). I bet if you look closely at the user instructions, you'll find that you're supposed to open a window. D'OH !

I love the looks of this thing, so mainly I'm playing Devil's advocate.

I think they outlawed the kero-sun type heaters because of the various dangers, and kerosene is by far less flammable than this stuff.

here are some suggested retail prices i was quoted on two of the units i was interested in. (to ship from australia-where they're manufactured, to vancouver)

BurnerKit $2095 CAN

900SS (includes burner kit)$4296 CAN
900DB (includes burner kit and glass plate for one side) $5010 CAN

these prices do including shipping and handling.

while the prices seem high for the units themselves, when compared to gas fireplaces, they're not too bad, when you factor in cost of gas installation, and venting.