Electric Fireplace Insert - Why so popular?

Copyright (c) 2009 Randy Heslip

Are you living in a townhome, condo or small apartment or maybe looking for a quick, easy, economical way to renovate your home but don't want to go to the hassle of installing a "real" fireplace? Than take a closer look at an electric fireplace insert. Once considered "the dog" of fireplaces, this fireplace insert is gaining in popularity. It has many things going for it: ability to heat small rooms 400 square feet or more, flames are finally looking like real flames, and the biggest reason they are so popular is the ease of installation.

Many of today's electric fireplace inserts can simply be plugged into a standard 120V wall outlet. This allows you the flexibility to put it in almost any room of your home as well as slide it over to whatever wall you want. Some of the higher output models come in 220V, again if there is an outlet you can simply plug it in, some common appliances that run off 220V include ranges and dryers. Although I mentioned many inserts can simply be plugged into the wall some are designed to be professionally installed and hardwired into your homes electrical system, do your research contact the manufacturer or supplier to make sure it's what you want - plug in to a wall or hardwired.

Adding to the warmth and feel of a real fireplace electric fireplace inserts are now able to efficiently heat smaller rooms around 400 square feet providing 5000BTU/hr, or larger units that run off of 220V provide approximately 9,200 BTU/hr enough to heat a 600-800 square feet room. To help evenly disperse the heat small fans force out the warm air into the room. Another convenient feature to look for is the ability to run either flame only or flame and heat.

Power to the fireplace insert is relatively easy but what if you have an opening that is larger then the size of the electric fireplace box. Many manufacturers have taken this into account so you should be able to easily find an electric fireplace insert that comes with a matching surround kit to help cover any visible gaps. If you are intending to fit your electric fireplace into an existing opening I suggest you take the measurements before hand and have them handy as you do your research. As you look at the various models doing your research look for the measurements, specifications and installation instructions.

The biggest issue with electric fireplace inserts has been the look of the flame. To be honest most electric flames used to look really bad. But the good news is today, with the advancement in technology, the look of the flames is getting much more realistic. They closely mimic the waving, fluttering, and jumping around of a real flame. Not only are the flames looking more realistic the logs and embers have also improved adding to the overall presentation. It is very hard to tell just by looking at pictures if the flames are very realistic looking. Wherever possible look for reviews. You may find some inserts that look just amazing in the picture but the customer reviews may reveal that the flames look terrible or the finish on the mantle looks cheap, check the reviews it may save you a lot of trouble.