How to choose an electric fireplace?

How to choose an electric fireplace? What are the reviews of electric fireplaces?

What is an electric fireplace?

An electric fireplace, a decorative fireplace, is a great alternative to the traditional wood fireplace.

An electric fireplace is not a recorded image displayed on a screen, but a flame that is hardly distinguishable from a real flame with the help of modern technology. It is not just a picture with glowing bulbs, it is a decorative electric fireplace with the effect of a real flame.

The reviews of electric fireplaces are only positive, and with this device you can create cosiness and a real flame anywhere. From now on, we can install a fireplace in any home. Our customers also recommend electric fireplaces to others to create a real flame in their homes.

Do you need a chimney or chimney flue?

The biggest advantage is that you can have a fireplace not only in your own house, but also in your apartment, office, perhaps in your café, restaurant, hotel or spa, or more precisely, wherever there is no chimney. An electric fireplace with a realistic flame does not smell, does not produce soot, ash or smoke. It is an environmentally friendly fireplace that does not emit CO2 and is safe to use.  

Can an electric fireplace warm rooms?

An electric fireplace not only has a realistic flame that you can enjoy all year round, but can also have a heating function. The heating function in an electric fireplace is activated separately and independent of the flame, which means that you can enjoy the flame in summer, autumn and winter, and only activate the heating function when you need to warm up your room. Electric fireplaces can also be equipped with an electronic thermostat, whereby if you set the desired temperature in Celsius °C, e.g. 22 °C, the electric fireplace will maintain that temperature, switch off when it reaches that temperature, and then switch back on when the temperature drops by a few degrees, heating the room again to the set temperature. There are also electric fireplaces that do not have a heating function but only emit a flame if no heating is required.

How much electricity does an electric fireplace use?

Electric fireplaces are not only safe and environmentally friendly, but also use very little electricity. This is due to the fact that electric fireplaces are equipped with LED lamps, which are cost-effective and have a long service life. LED lamps have a lifespan of less than 100 000 hours (taking into account the lifetime of an electric fireplace of at least 10-13 years) and an electricity consumption of 10-30 W per hour, which would mean about EUR 0,01 per hour. Is this expensive? 

Is an electric fireplace safe for children and pets?

Although an electric fireplace produces heat and a realistic flame, it is completely safe for children and pets because the glass and the body of the fireplace do not melt at all and remain cold, so you can safely touch it without getting burnt, which is not the case with wood fires or stoves, where the glass and the body can get up to 400°C .

Is it safe to install an electric fireplace in/within or against a wooden wall or combustible material?

As the glass and the casing do not melt at all when the electric fireplace is in operation, it can be installed on any wall, be it wood, brick, concrete, plaster or wooden furniture. There are no safety requirements, which makes them versatile and allows you to have a fireplace even where you thought it was impossible. With electric fireplaces, anything is possible.

Can an electric fireplace be installed under a TV?

Yes, it is safe to install an electric fireplace under the TV, as the warm air is blown forward while the heater is running, so that the TV and any appliances or furnishings hung above the electric fireplace do not heat up. 

How do I choose an electric fireplace: hanging, built-in or freestanding?

Electric fireplaces will fit in any home, in any room and will become a functional design element in your interior, as you can choose from built-in, wall-mounted or freestanding electric fireplaces, together with luxurious finishes to decorate your home.

A suspended electric fireplace is the easiest way to have a fireplace in your home, just choose the wall or the place where it will be hung, hang it up like an elementary painting and you can immediately enjoy the flames of the fire or the cosy warmth. As the casing does not heat up, there is no need for a refractory wall or its preparation. With a wide choice of models and sizes, with straight or curved glass, with illuminated back wall or without, the possibilities are endless. 

Built into a wall, recess or even furniture (which is now becoming very popular for TV tables or sectionals with an electric fireplace), electric fireplaces are space-saving, with no protrusions and aesthetic appeal. The wide range of sizes of built-in electric fireplaces allows you to adapt the fireplace to your existing wall or furniture. The only difference between a built-in electric fireplace and a suspended fireplace is the heater. You can recess any suspended fireplace into a wall, recess or furniture just like a built-in fireplace, but it is important to pay attention to the heater. In the case of electric built-in fireplaces, the heater and its grille are located in front of the glass, which allows the warm air to be blown forward (this allows the electric fireplace to be fully installed, leaving no air gaps and no need for an opening for air inlet or warm air outlet), whereas in the case of suspended fireplaces, the heater and its grille are located on top of the body, This means that if a suspended fireplace is installed, the warm air has nowhere to go and it is possible that the heater fan will burn through, so suspended fireplaces should be hung on the wall, and if you decide to install one, they need an additional grate in the finish (like a traditional wood fireplace) through which the warm air should escape. 

Electric fireplaces are the easiest way to have a fireplace in your home, and don't even need a wall or a dedicated space, as you can move, transport and relocate the fireplace from one place to the next, giving you complete freedom to choose the model you want, without having to decide exactly where it will be located.
Electric fireplaces can be either stove-type, or fire inserts to be placed in an existing fireplace that is not being used for many reasons, or built with a finishing, which are the most widely available, and what's more convenient is the corner electric fireplace, which allows you to make the most of the available corner and save space. The wide choice of models and colours makes it possible to adapt the electric fireplace to your existing interior, and the different patterns, colours, wood or imitation stone will leave you in no doubt that you will find a model that suits you. 

What functions can an electric fireplace have?
In addition to the realistic flame and heating functions we have already mentioned, electric fireplaces have:
Variable flame colours: orange (natural flame), blue (gas), yellow (bio-fireplace), but also ten other colours (red, green, purple, white, blue, pink, mixed red and blue, etc.) The choice of flame colours allows you to adapt the fireplace to your own mood or to the variety you want, but of course orange is the most natural and true-to-life colour, and is the main one in all fireplaces.

The electronic thermostat allows you to keep the room at the exact temperature you want in degrees °C. Temperature control from 7 to 35 degrees.

Weekly programming, which allows you to program the electric fireplace according to the days of the week to maintain the desired room temperature.
Electric fireplaces can be equipped with an 'open window detection sensor' as a safety measure, which switches off the heating function of the fireplace when the room temperature drops suddenly, even if a window is opened unexpectedly, so that the room is not heated in vain.
Suspended electric fireplaces may have an illuminated back wall that lights up the room and the wall on which the fireplace is hung. 

Decoration: almost all electric fireplaces have imitation firewood with embers as a firebox decoration, but there are fireplace models which, in addition to the firewood, come with pebbles or crystals which you can easily change and use again each time you replace it, as if you were buying a new fireplace, with a new fire effect and a different image.

Almost all electric fireplaces have a flame height adjustment, which allows you to set the flame you want, and to have a different flame every time, higher, lower or automatically changing.

Electric fireplaces can also be equipped with a flame intensity-velocity control, which allows you to adjust the intensity of the flame by accelerating or reducing the flame.

Electric fireplaces can be equipped with a real firebrick imitation, which creates a realistic look of a brick wood-burning fireplace.
Electric fireplaces can have a standard air heater, where electric spiral lamps are heated and hot air is blown into the environment by a fan, and electric fireplaces can have an infrared heater, which allows you to heat a much larger room of up to 60m2, while standard heaters of 1.5-2 kw heat a room of up to 35m2, and the power of the heater is adjustable to save you money.\

Electric fireplaces have all the protections against overheating or electrical leaks, making them completely safe. 

Electric fireplaces can have a timer to set when the fireplace should switch off.
Few fireplaces have a built-in crackle function, but you can buy an additional device for each fireplace that emits the crackle of burning wood and allows you to enjoy not only the realistic fire view but also the sound of burning wood.

Which flame should I choose for my electric fireplace?

Each manufacturer offers different flame technologies to differentiate itself from the others, and it is difficult to distinguish them from real flames:
2D LED flame

2D LED The most popular and realistic representation of flames and fire. LED lighting and the rotating shafts built into the electric fireplace produce the most realistic and lifelike flames, while the glowing embers only make the fireplace even more realistic and pleasing to the eye.
3D LED flame

The 3D LED lighting and the rotating shaft built into the fireplace and the realistic firewood in the firebox, which is not placed along the glass like the 2d LEDs, but in depth, which creates the appearance of a real firebox and the natural burning of the firewood, will not leave you unmoved and will be hard to distinguish from the real firewood burning. 

OPTIFLAME flame

OptiFlame is a patented, unique flame effect where a simulated flame is created by electric and LED lighting, where the flame emanates from the end of the firebox and the firewood is placed towards the wall, creating the illusion of a magnified realistic firebox and the flame looks realistic as if all the firewood is burning.

OPTI-MYST flame

Opti-myst is a real and natural fire effect created by illuminating extremely fine water vapour with halogen lamps. The water tank is built in under the wood, so it is easy to refill when the wood is lifted. OPTI MYST technology allows you to enjoy a realistic flame and heat with the Opti-myst® natural fire effect, which instantly stands out from other electric fires, a 3D fire and smoke effect in three visualisations. An electric fireplace has never looked so real and like real burning wood.
The water tank, the lighting (halogen), the heating function and the water evaporator create a revolutionary flame indistinguishable from a real fire. A full tank takes 8-10 hours to evaporate, so you don't have to worry about refilling for a long time. When the water runs out, the built-in safety switches on and automatically switches off the fireplace, so you don't have to worry if you forget to switch it off. The ultra-fine steam also humidifies the room, so you get double the benefits with an electric fireplace. 

OPTI-V flame

OPTI-V flame technology is a revolution in the electric fireplace market, a patented state-of-the-art high-definition TV technology that creates real flames and sparks, making these electric fireplaces indistinguishable from real wood-burning fireplaces. The unique and patented flame technology combines ultra-realistic and flashing light with a 3D effect and wood that occasionally produces sparks. OPTI-V technology is the most serious competitor to real fire, so to speak. And you can have all this in your own apartment.

You can find all the videos of the fireplaces (how the flame burns) on our Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzn_0_Qe8ILJoTKEPHYVqiA/videos

We represent the most well-known and respected manufacturers of electric fireplaces, who strive to offer the most realistic electric fireplaces so that you can enjoy the flames of fire wherever you are, whenever and wherever you are, whatever the time of year or location. Electric fireplace manufacturers such as AFLAMO, CLASSIC FLAME, XARALYN, DIMPLEX, TAGU, ROYAL FLAME are the best-known and most appreciated experts in real flames. 

Contact us at info@heatbaltic.eu or by phone +370 611 62 722 and we will answer all your questions and advise you what would be the best choice in your case, so that you don't just buy a basic picture with light bulbs, such as the ones offered by manufacturers of "electric fireplaces", such as Electrolux, Flammifera or Klarstein ale.