Showing posts with label Fireplace. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fireplace. Show all posts

Thursday, December 29, 2011

How an Electric Fireplace Works

!±8± How an Electric Fireplace Works

Electric fireplaces have become a popular choice of product for many homeowners who cannot have an actual fireplace in their home. Many people grew up with fireplaces crackling in their homes, but they may have purchased a home or live in an apartment that doesn't have a model. Fireplaces are not only less common these days, but are also expensive and very dirty at times. People still nonetheless desire to have the warmth and sound of a beautiful fire in their homes and electric fireplaces provide this opportunity without the expense and hassle of having to clean up afterwards. These products have become more popular over time and many people have already completely substituted their existing fireplace for these products as well.

An electric fireplace does not have any real fire in it. Instead it's an electrical imitation of a fire that still expels heat and has the ambiance of a real fire. With such a setup, families and individuals can still enjoy the feeling of a fire without the problems associated with it. These products are fun to have around and even provide the random snaps and crackles that you get with a regular fire. For many people, these products are indistinguishable from a regular fire when not look directly at. And they don't even need to be maintained, just turn them on or off with a simple flip of a switch.

These products work using a couple different components that work together in concert to create the illusion of a fire. The heat is probably the most important aspect and works just like an electrical coil heater does. A coil is heated and then a fan blows the air out to create warmth in a room. Most models also feature a finger guard, which prevents curious children from sticking their fingers inside the vent and getting burned.

Two other effects - sound and visual - complete the effect. The sound is provided by a speaker system that plays, usually, a randomly generated sequence of sounds to give a unique experience every time the unit is used. The visual effects vary wildly depending upon the actual model. Some are simply the drawing of a fire that glows red and orange. Others are complete videos of fires burning. Either one creates the sense of a fire's glow, and each person can determine what effect they like best for their own model. Regardless, all models will provide the same great benefits without the need for a chimney sweep.


How an Electric Fireplace Works

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Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Can an Electric Fireplace Heat the Whole House?

!±8± Can an Electric Fireplace Heat the Whole House?

I was hanging out at the local pub the other night when a friend of mine told me he was thinking about buying an electric fireplace for his home. Inevitably he asked me about their heating capabilities. Like many people, he was thinking about putting the unit into his bedroom, and using that as a main source of heat, and turn down, or even off, the heat in the rest of his place.

Now as you know, I'm a big, big fan of electric fireplaces. I love Dimplex and Classic Flame fireplaces the most-with ChimneyFree fast becoming my 'best value' choice. But as a primary source of heat in a home? Well, it's a good question...but...so here are some facts....

To do this right, if you're thinking of heating the whole house with an electric, then we should take a look at a couple of different sized models to see how they stack up. We'll look at the Classic Flame Augusta 33" Antique Mahogany Electric Fireplace, a larger, high-end model, (pictured left) and the ChimneyFree Ashbury 23" Premium Cherry Media Console Electric Fireplace, a beautiful, real cherry-wood, mid-sized, mid-market model, pictured right.

The ChimneyFree Ashbury has fan-forced heat with up to 4,600 BTUs/hr (1350 watts) of heating power.  I don't think I have to say anything more as I note that the ChimneyFree sales materials state that this model "provides supplemental heat for up to 400 sq ft", key word being 'supplemental. So, the manufacturer is not saying this should be a primary heating source. As for a 400 square foot room, that's a 20 x 20 space, so it's not small-but remember-'supplemental'.

As for the Classic Flame Augusta, interestingly enough, the sales literature also says fan-forced heat quietly provides up to 4,600 BTUs/hr for 'supplemental' heat for up to 400 sq ft.

Frankly, sales people in the fireplace business don't seem to have much imagination...

But I digress...the bottom line is that the makers of these fireplaces don't even market them as a primary heating source. And with good reason. Electricity is the most expensive way to heat a home. You have to figure you'll spend at least 10 cents an hour for a unit, and that would be in one room. You still have to heat the rest of the house, at least where I live in the northeast. So, 10 cents an hour, every hour, for a month, comes out to...hmmm....carry the 2......not bad-except that it only heats one room...put one in every room and and your paying more than you even pay to the oil company...oh well...

The Electric Fireplace Reviewer's final say: One large, one medium sized, but both with the same size heater. Fireplaces like the ChimneyFree Ashbury electric fireplace and the Classic Flame August electric fireplace are furniture-beautiful and functional-but they just aren't primary heaters. Still, they do provide enough warmth, and great ambiance, and, with such realistic flames and long, to make them worth every penny.


Can an Electric Fireplace Heat the Whole House?

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