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Electric Fireplace Insert

Updated on November 23, 2009

Even if you have a fireplace in your home, you might not utilize it as much as you would like. Electric fireplace inserts are a possible solution to this problem. An electric fireplace insert is a contraption that slides right into your existing brick, slate, or limestone fireplace and simulates a real fire. You can use them no matter what your original fireplace designs were.  There are usually fake logs or electric fireplace insert logs that look like they are burning when light bulb configurations behind them turn on. Another name some people might use to describe these are ventless fireplace logs since electric inserts do not need ventilation. Some electric fireplace inserts are more complex and will allow you to change the intensity of the light to give the appearance of a small fire, large fire, or only glowing embers. There are also electric fireplace inserts for sale that are wall mounted. You do not need a hearth for these types of machines, so they can bring the joy of a fireplace to any home. The wall mounted electric fireplaces are great for outdoor patio fireplaces.

Electric fireplace inserts plug into an electrical outlet and come in many varieties.  First, some models only emit light and do not serve as a heat source.  Other models come equipped with heating lamps.  Even the heating models, do not give off as much heat as a wood burning or gas fireplace would.  Generally, if you fireplace is going to be your main source of heating then electrical fireplace inserts are not a good choice for you.  No matter what type of electric fireplace insert you choose, there are many advantages.

First, there is no soot and time-consuming cleanup needed. Electric inserts do not actually burn anything so you will not need to spend hours cleaning out the hearth or paying a chimney sweep to clean your flu. This lack of maintenance needs mean your electric fireplace accessories can be just decoration.  Another advantage is that electric fireplace inserts are portable. You can move the insert from room to room in your house if you have more than one fireplace. Alternatively, you can even take it with you to a friend’s or family member’s house. In addition, they are not a permanent installation. Therefore, if you wanted to make a regular wood burning fire at some point it is easy to remove the insert and put those iron fireplace tools to good use building a real fire. You will love the versatility of these fireplace inserts.

Many people use a fireplace to add heat to the rooms in their homes that are used often so that they can save on energy costs. There may be some concern that the electric fireplace inserts will use a lot of electricity and make energy savings nonexistent. That is far from the case. Electric fireplace insert reviews say that the machines run very efficiently and do not use very much electricity. The only problem that has been reported with electric fireplace inserts is that they do not give off a sufficient amount of heat for some people. If that is the case, you could investigate a propane or natural gas fireplace insert. These fireplace inserts give off more heat, but they are more dangerous to work with and need ventilation so it is recommended that you have a professional install them.

Some inserts come equipped with extras like filters or blowers. Electric fireplace inserts with blower attachments are a good way to help distribute the heat generated by your electric fire to the rest of the room. There are also special electric inserts that have filters or air treatment systems on them to help clean the air of dust and particles. Another extra you might find with your electric fireplace insert is safe glass in the hearth fireplace doors. Some inserts will have doors made of safe glass that does not get hot. This is a prudent safety measure if you have small children or particularly curious pets.  Of course, if you do not want doors, you can always use modern fireplace screens.

When you are considering buying an electric fireplace insert, it is very important that you see a floor model in use if you can. Some inserts look more realistic than others and it is important that you see it so you can make a judgment as to whether or not you will be comfortable with that particular electric fireplace in your home. Some manufacturers go so far as to add crackling noise tracks to the fireplace to make it sound like a real wood fire burning. In addition to its authenticity, you also want to make sure the style will look right with wood fireplace mantels or other fireplace surrounds in your home. Electric fireplace inserts vary in price from just a few hundred dollars up to more than a thousand. If you want something that looks realistic and is efficient then you should plan to spend between four and five hundred dollars. One very popular brand is the Dimplex electric fireplace insert. Dimplex is a very trusted brand and among the leaders in this industry.  The Dimplex website has excellent brochures complete with lots of outdoor fireplace pictures and indoor pictures of the various models to choose from.

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