Electric Fireplaces: A Modern Heating Solution

It would be hard to find someone who did not know what a fireplace is. It is an essential part of almost any home, and even some apartments have them as well. Even if you live in sunny California, you can still appreciate curling up to a cozy fireplace on a rainy day. Regular fireplaces are usually built into the home, are hard to modify, and also require a chimney to ventilate smoke. An electric fireplace uses an electric heater, but mimics all the aesthetics of an outdated fireplace. Welcome to the 21st Century. This is how you should keep warm.

The immediate concern when introduced with a new technology is whether or not it is safe. If you own a stove, toaster oven, or curling iron, you should feel safe with an electric fireplace. It does not require any unusual amount of power. In fact, electric fireplaces plug into any ordinary house socket. This makes them really easy to install- they do not even require an electrician! Metal coils convert the electrical energy into thermal energy. This is combined with a fan which is responsible for distributing the heat. It does not burn logs, which is good for the environment and your back. Furthermore, the heating element is not exposed, making it safe for kids and pets.

The flame is typically created with LEDs or other basic light bulbs, which is enhanced with some sort of refracting material. This is done pseudo-randomly, giving a natural appearance. Faux logs also complete the illusion. This is nice because you get all of the heat but non of the smoke.

1. One-Time Low Cost plus Electricity

If you look at the alternatives, electric fireplaces save you a lot of money. An old fashioned fireplace costs a lot to install, requires a chimney, requires cleaning, and also requires an exhaustible fuel source. You either have to buy logs at a markup, or get them yourself, costing you time and energy (both which are arguably worth more than money).

Electric fireplaces have an up front cost of the unit, plus the Watt-hours required to run it. That's it. Because energy technology is advancing, it is more likely that energy costs will scale with inflation, rather than become overpriced. No electrician is required for installation, and if you are purchasing it as part of a media unit (see the picture to the right), you are getting a lot of functionality from it.

2. It Is Better for the Environment

Deforestation is not just about the individual trees that are being lost, it is an entirely inefficient process to produce fuel for heat. Consider the machinery necessary to cut, transport, and delivery lumber. That is needless fuel consumption, which also hurts our environment.

Electric heating on the other hand, has all sorts of potentials for green technologies. We live in a time where self-sufficient solar homes are not too far away for the general public. Clean energy is a growing trend. The infrastructure to transport electricity is already in place in the nation's power lines! It can even be run without heat to give you a natural fire look whenever you want. This means that you can reduce energy costs whenever you want flame without heat. Now that's 21st century thinking!

3. Low Maintenance, Low Fuss

Not only do contractors cost money, it is a hassle to find the right one and make sure he or she does a good job. In addition, electric fireplaces have no ash to sweep, no wood to chop, and only require the flick of a switch to activate. Heating your home has never looked so good while being so easy. The best part is that if you redecorate, you can change models easily! What do you get with an outdated log fireplace? At the end of the day, you are left with a remodeling bill, a dependence on deforestation, and a heat source you are pretty much stuck with, even if you dislike it.