Introduction to the Electric Fireplace, a Modern Alternative

Electric fireplaces have undergone an impressive development in recent years. Gone are the early days when their obviously fake flames and unreal looks failed to capture anyone’s imagination. Today, practically all electric fireplaces on the market feature a very realistic and professional design that will surprise many when they see an actual electric fireplace for the first time: often, prospective buyers cannot spot an electric fireplace among its gas counterparts during a store visit.

We have looked at the range of electric fireplaces on the market today and selected the top 10 best models. We provide recommendations for inserts, free-standing units and wall mounted heaters. See our article on the Top Electric Fireplaces.​

Not a Real Fire

Still, an electric fireplace is not a fireplace in the true sense of the word: there is nothing burning at all. This, however, has not kept sales of these units from rising tremendously in recent years. To understand better what electric fireplaces have to offer, take a look at their features, the available types, their installation, prices and costs, and finally, their advantages and disadvantages.

All electric fireplaces produce visual effects designed to closely resemble an actual wood-burning fireplace: “flames” made from fabric are moved by the air from a small blower, while glowing lights and even simulated burning embers add to the overall impression. Additionally, many units contain an electric fireplace heater which generates heat for distribution into the surrounding room by a fan. To control operations, most electric fireplaces come equipped with devices found usually also in gas fireplaces: an instant on/off switch with optional timer settings and a remote control.

Types of Electric Fireplace

There are three main types of electric fireplaces available: electric fireplace logs, electric fireplace inserts, and free-standing electric stoves. Electric logs are simple and cheap and can be easily installed into a real fireplace as an add-on for the summer months. Electric fireplace inserts consist of an entire self-contained housing also designed for installation into an existing fireplace cavity. They are designed to generate more heat than logs and are typically built for permanent installation, requiring significant effort to remove. Finally, free-standing electric stoves are available in many varieties, for example simulating old-fashioned wood ovens or more modern designs.

Installation

The installation of an electric fireplace is far simpler than that of any other fireplace, in fact, for someone with experience in home improvement, do-it-yourself installation is definitely possible. Most units simply need a regular 100-120 Volt power plug-in, while large electric fireplace inserts may require a 240 Volt connection.

The prices for electric fireplaces start around $200-$500 for electric logs and $500-$2000 for free-standing stoves. A simple corner electric fireplace costs between $500 and $1000, while more elaborate inserts can be found from $1000 up to more than $2000. Still, compared to gas or wood fireplaces, electric models are by far the cheapest solution.

Electric Fireplace vs Traditional Fireplace

• There are numerous advantages associated with an electric fireplace: first, only a power connection is required – no venting and no fuel is needed.
• Nothing is burning, there are no fumes and no soot.
• The appliance is plugged into a standard outlet and uses only minimal electricity: on average equivalent to 2-3 light bulbs for visual flame effects.
• However, an electric fireplace heater will use 10 to 20 times more electric power than that. It can be switched on and off conveniently, can be tuned to an exact heating level.
• Electric fireplaces require minimum maintenance effort: no fireplace-specific cleaning needs to be done and no firewood or gas must be supplied.
• Many free-standing units are small, even movable. Electric fireplaces are “zero clearance” devices, installable anywhere in the house.
• Positioning a small corner electric fireplace is as easily possible as installing a free-standing unit in the middle of the room.
• By far their biggest advantage is however the separation of the visual “flames” effect from the heating function. Both can be turned on and off independently, for example to use only the visual aspects during hot summer months or to ward off a chill in a dark bedroom with the electric fireplace heater.

Read our article on the best electric fireplaces available today

With all these advantages, it must be remembered that an electric fireplace is, in fact, not a real burning fireplace. Being dependent on electricity, it cannot be used during a power outage. Also, the heater alone is -like all electric heaters- less efficient than a comparable unit running on gas or wood.

Conclusion

In summary, electric fireplaces have become more and more attractive over the last years. While they cannot replace a real gas or wood-burning fireplace, they have many interesting features to offer, especially for buyers on a tight budget or for those whose housing situation does not allow for a fireplace using real flames. In any case, the information provided above should help prospective buyers to make an informed decision and get the most out of their new fireplace.

The post Introduction to the Electric Fireplace, a Modern Alternative appeared first on Space Heater Pro.