Electric Fireplace?

I've been in this business close to 40 years. I would have never suggested to a customer several years ago that an electric fireplace would be a good option for their home.

Things have changed! Electric fireplaces are no longer just light bulbs and colored foil reflecting light around the log set. Today's fireplaces are absolutely beautiful. Electric fireplaces are available in a standard rectangular format or linear. Some linear fireplaces can span an opening wider than 6 ft. As homes have gotten tighter and tighter, this is a great option to install if you don't want to mess with gas or wood. Matter of fact, wood or gas can be too much heat for a newer efficient home. The better electric fireplaces can be set up with either modern media such as glass, stones and geometric shapes. They can also be switched out very easily to a wood burning look thanks to the different colored LEDs that are available in the units.

They also provide additional heat to the room they are installed in. The better units will heat up to 2000 ft². They can be set up with a wall thermostat or a handheld remote that will allow the unit to operate with or without heat. You can also change the look of the flame.

If you are striving to install a NetZero home, this is an absolutely fantastic option. There is no chance for air infiltration anywhere around the fireplace. There's also no chance of spilling dangerous fumes.

Since we are talking about built-in electric fireplaces, It is important to choose a very well constructed fireplace. Don't try to save money by getting a cheap electric fireplace. Keep in mind, this thing will be framed in place. Very few appliances in your home are fixed in place. It needs to last a long time.

Look for a fireplace that contains both modern media (glass, stones, etc) as well as a wood burning look. The better electric fireplaces that we carry come with both media types so you can change the mood.

In a well-built modern home, extra heat is not necessary. But if you live in a household like mine, one of you is cold-natured and the other one is hot natured. This adds just the right amount of heat to the room for the person that feels cold all the time.

Compared to other fireplace options, they are one of the least expensive types of fireplaces, to install. And since most of the time, they are installed in new construction, the need for an electrician is not an added expense.

It's something to consider!