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A conservatory or winter garden rarely gets a wood stove, because a flue through a glass roof is expensive and often not allowed. A freestanding bioethanol stove needs no flue at all: Cozo FLOGS gives 4.4 kW and a log-burner look, Arcticon 3.5 kW and up to 20 hours per tank. Both are an extra source of warmth and light for evenings, not a replacement for heating. Check two numbers before you buy: the room volume (44 m³ for Cozo, 35 m³ for Arcticon) and ventilation, because every litre of bioethanol adds about 0.9 litres of water vapour to a cold glass room.
Key takeaways
- No flue through the glass: a freestanding bioethanol stove stands on the floor and needs no chimney, no hearth and no building work.
- Extra warmth for evenings: 4.4 kW from Cozo FLOGS, 3.5 kW from Arcticon, all of it staying in the room.
- Check the room volume: at least 44 m³ for Cozo FLOGS and 35 m³ for Arcticon, which is about 18 m² and 14 m² at a 2.5 m ceiling.
- Plan for moisture: burning 1 litre of bioethanol releases about 0.9 litres of water vapour, so air the room briefly in cold weather to keep the glass clear.
A conservatory is the best room in the house on a sunny afternoon and the coldest one after sunset. Glass loses heat fast, radiators are rarely planned for it, and a real wood stove usually stops at the question of the flue: a chimney pipe through a glass roof or a lightweight wall is expensive, needs a hearth and approvals, and in many winter gardens is simply not possible. This guide shows how to get a real flame and noticeable warmth into a conservatory or winter garden without any of that, what to check before you buy, and which of our two freestanding bioethanol stoves fits which room.
Why a classic fireplace is hard in a conservatory
A wood or pellet stove needs a flue that leads the smoke safely outside, a non-combustible hearth and an approval from the chimney sweep or building control. In a conservatory the flue has to go through glazing or a light roof structure, which means special connectors, extra cost and often a refusal. Gas fires need a gas line and in most cases a balanced flue through the wall. A bioethanol stove avoids all three problems: the fuel burns cleanly into heat, water vapour and a small amount of carbon dioxide, so there is no smoke to lead out and no flue to build.
How much warmth does a bioethanol stove give a conservatory?
Cozo FLOGS delivers 4.4 kW and Arcticon 3.5 kW, comparable to one or two large radiators, and because there is no chimney all of that heat stays in the room. In a 15 to 20 m² conservatory you feel the difference within 20 to 30 minutes. Glass, however, keeps losing heat to the outside, so how warm the room gets depends on the glazing, the outside temperature and whether you close blinds after dark. Treat the stove as an extra source of warmth and light for the evening, not as the heating of the room. The physics behind the numbers is in our guide how much heat a bioethanol fireplace gives.
| Type of winter garden | Typical winter temperature without extra heat | What a bioethanol stove does |
|---|---|---|
| Unheated (cold) conservatory, used seasonally | 5 to 12 °C | Makes evenings in autumn and spring comfortable; in frost it takes the chill off the seating area |
| Heated conservatory, part of the living space | 18 to 21 °C | Adds warmth on cold evenings and gives the room a real fire as its focal point |
Five things to check before you put a fire in a glass room
1. Room volume
Every bioethanol stove has a minimum room volume because the flame uses oxygen from the room. Cozo FLOGS needs at least 44 m³, Arcticon at least 35 m³. Multiply floor area by average ceiling height: a 4 × 5 m conservatory with a roof rising from 2.3 to 3.1 m has about 54 m³ and fits both models. A small lean-to of 3 × 3 m fits neither, and a tabletop fire is the better choice there.
2. Ventilation and condensation
Burning 1 litre of bioethanol produces about 0.9 litres of water vapour. In a living room that disappears unnoticed; on the cold glass of a winter garden it can show up as condensation. The fix is simple: air the room for a few minutes every hour or two while the fire burns, keep a trickle vent or roof vent slightly open, and wipe the glass if needed. A conservatory kept a few degrees warmer also mists up less.
3. A level, stable floor
Stone, tiles and solid wood are ideal. The stove must stand level and away from steps and doors. Cozo FLOGS weighs 27.5 kg and Arcticon 36.5 kg, so floor load is never an issue.
4. Distance from plants, blinds and textiles
Keep the clearances from the manual to curtains, roof blinds and plants, and never place the stove under hanging plants or dried leaves. Above the stove there must be free space, not a low roof blind.
5. Summer sun and fuel storage
Conservatories get very hot in summer. Store spare fuel canisters closed and out of direct sun, in a cool place inside the house, not on a shelf under the glass.
Cozo FLOGS or Arcticon for your conservatory
| Cozo FLOGS | Arcticon | |
|---|---|---|
| Heat output | 4.4 kW | 3.5 kW |
| Burn time per tank | up to 11 h | up to 20 h |
| Tank | 5 L, replaceable, in the cabinet | 5 L, automatic refill system |
| Minimum room volume | 44 m³ | 35 m³ |
| Size | Ø 45 × 130.5 cm, 27.5 kg | 126.2 × 32.1 × 40 cm, 36.5 kg |
| Look | round stove, flames around ceramic logs | slim column, fire visible from three sides |
| Control | remote, 2 flame levels | remote, 2 flame levels |
Choose Cozo FLOGS if you want the look of a classic log burner in a glass room and the most warmth: the flames rise around ceramic logs, which is what most people picture when they imagine a fire in a winter garden. Choose Arcticon for a smaller conservatory from 35 m³, when you want the longest burn time between refills, or when the stove should stand in the middle of the room with the fire visible from three sides.
Safety in a winter garden
Both stoves use Planika's BEV (Burning Ethanol Vapours) technology: the fuel is heated in a closed tank and only its vapours burn, so the flame never touches liquid fuel and there is no open pool of ethanol. You light and adjust the fire with the remote. The general rules are the same as anywhere: fireplace-grade bioethanol only, such as Fanola, nothing flammable within the clearances, the room volume kept, and a short airing on long evenings.
Running cost
Depending on the flame level, Cozo FLOGS uses roughly 0.45 to 0.75 litres of bioethanol per hour. With Fanola in 5-litre canisters (about 3.20 EUR per litre) that is around 1.50 to 2.50 EUR per hour of fire. There is no installation, no chimney sweep and no service contract on top. More on fuel quality and consumption in our bioethanol fuel guide.
FAQ
Can I put a log burner in a conservatory?
A wood-burning stove needs a flue, a hearth and approval, which a glass room rarely allows. A freestanding bioethanol stove such as Cozo FLOGS gives the same look with flames around logs and needs no flue.
Can a bioethanol stove heat a conservatory in winter?
It is an extra source of warmth: 3.5 to 4.4 kW that noticeably warms the seating area in the evening. It does not replace heating in a conservatory used every day in frost.
Will the glass steam up?
It can on cold days, because burning bioethanol releases water vapour. A few minutes of airing every hour or two and a slightly open vent keep the glass clear.
Do I need permission from the chimney sweep or building control?
A freestanding bioethanol stove is not connected to a chimney, so in most cases no flue approval is needed. Check local rules and tell your home insurer that you have a fireplace.
Planika has designed and manufactured chimney-free fireplaces in Bydgoszcz, Poland since 2001. Technical figures come from the product specifications of Cozo FLOGS and Arcticon; temperatures for winter gardens are typical values and depend on glazing and climate.
