How to Select an Electric Fireplace

There’s nothing like the warm glow of a fireplace to create a little ambiance, but traditional wood burning fireplaces can be smoky, messy, and expensive to maintain, and because most of the heat is lost up the chimney, they’re not very energy efficient. If your home wasn’t originally designed with a traditional fireplace, adding one can be very costly. By adding an electric fireplace, you can still get that warm cozy look and feel without any major construction. Learn how to select an electric fireplace in this Build.com video:

Electric fireplaces do not produce flames. Instead, special lighting effects create an appearance of fire and glowing embers, and because nothing is actually burned, electric fireplaces don’t produce smoke or other emissions, so they don’t require a chimney or venting to the outside. Electric fireplaces are often used as supplemental heat, and the heat output is measured in BTUs. You can shop by BTU output or square footage of the area you want to heat.

Models with faux logs have highly detailed realistic looking wood, ash and embers. many contemporary electric fireplaces don’t have logs at all; the flames just rise out of decorative material. There are many looks to choose form, including stones and crystals in a variety of colors.

The most permanent installation type is the built-in electric fireplace. These units have unfinished sides, so they are designed to sit within the opening of a wall. Built-in electric fireplaces come in a wide range of sizes and styles, and you can choose from a variety of features like a remote control or color-changing flames and embers.

Wall-mounted electric fireplaces give you more flexibility than built-in models. Since the fireplaces hang on the wall, you don’t need to construct a box around them.

Mantel fireplaces are freestanding units that are designed to look like a permanent fireplace. When positioned against the wall, these electric fireplaces look like they are part of the home’s architecture.

Media console fireplaces can also double as television stands. These are functional freestanding pieces of furniture that don’t take up too much space.

If you already have a wood burning fireplace, you can easily convert it to a clean efficient electric fireplace with an insert.