A fireplace is a structure that is designed to contain fire. Their main purpose is to heat a room and to create an ambience of relaxation. Historically, people used them for cooking or heating water that is meant for laundry or other domestic uses. The way they work, fire is contained within a small structure like a fire pit. A chimney or any other form of smoke exhaust structure is constructed to allow fumes to escape. Fireplaces are often connected to a wall but they may also be standalone structures. Before now most were made with bricks and stones. While this still holds true, some modern ones are made of metal. The fire contained therein is controlled so that it does not spread and it may be burned by coal, wood, gas, or electricity. While you may use any of these four, electric fireplaces are great and hold a distinct advantage over other types. You can read this article to learn more about fireplaces.
What Is An Electric Fireplace?
An electric fireplace as its names states is a fireplace that is powered by electricity. It is a heater that imitates the way traditional wood or gas fireplaces work. It does not involve burning any fuel or material but uses electricity to operate different electrical components. This then produces a flame effect which is an imitation or a real-life fire.
The flames produced in this device are either from LED lights or a combination of rotating mirrors and different light sources. This helps to provide the impression and effect of flickering flames. The realism of the flames will depend on a product’s quality as well as the technology used for making the effects.
Different models operate in slightly different ways but generally, they take in cool air, heat this up and release warm air into a room. It is much like the reverse of an air conditioner. An average one consumes around 1.4 – 1.6 kW of power. These can heat up to around 400 square feet of space.
You can learn more about how these devices work here: https://home.howstuffworks.com/home-improvement/heating-and-cooling/electric-fireplaces.htm.
There are several types of electric fireplaces. These are:
- Wall-mounted
- Freestanding
- Built-in and Inserts
- Media Consoles
- Stoves
- Mantels
- TV Stands
- Two-sided
- Three-sided
- See-through
Advantages of An Electric Fireplace
When wood and gas are burned, they release gases like carbon monoxide which may be detrimental to the health. Electric ones do not produce this as they do no actual burning.
This type of fireplace provides clean air and can easily heat up a cold space within a few hours. This means you get to enjoy the ambience in a clean, safe and conducive atmosphere. Some of the other benefits are stated below.
- They come at a low cost and therefore are affordable.
- They are very easy to install and operate. You only need to plug them in a socket and switch them on and off as needed. You also do not require a permit to use them.
- They are neat and organized and do not make any mess. You do not have to pack or clean up charcoal and ashes after they are used.
- They are safe and user-friendly. Children, as well as pets, can play around them comfortably without getting burnt. They are even cool to the touch.
- They are efficient as they provide zone heating. You can also use them to cover a defined area of space to maximize efficiency. This makes them good sources for providing supplemental heat in a home.
- They do not require venting since they do not produce any emissions. With this, you can comfortably use them anywhere within your home.
- They are also durable and can be used for a long time without needing maintenance.
Another advantage of electric fireplaces is that they can be used at any time of the year. They mostly produce heat on-demand meaning that the flames can operate with or without heat. That is, during summer or in warm climates, you can have the flames without the heat. This adds a beautiful ambience to the room.
These types of fireplaces also come with different settings. You can select low, medium, or high heat. Some even come with an in-built thermostat to regulate and maintain a particular temperature within a room.
Where To Locate An Electric Fireplace
A real flame electric fireplace may be placed on any stable surface including rugs, carpets, tables, tiles, wood floors, etc. They do not produce actual fire so they are not dangerous and won’t burn any material they are placed on.
They can also be placed in any room in a home. They can even be placed underneath the TV. They blow heat from either the bottom or front of the unit. So this will not affect the TV or any other item placed above them in any way.
Conclusion
Electric Fireplaces are great for keeping warm in a cold season. They also help to beautify and add to the ambience of a room. While conventional ones make use of fuel and emit gases, electric ones offer you the same but with a cleaner output. You can also regulate them not to dispel heat if you only need the flames.
