Nothing beats the atmosphere and ambiance that a fireplace provides. However, looking into the installation of a wood burning fireplace may put you off. Costs can vary widely, installation can be quite difficult, and chimneys need regular maintenance. There is a simpler option. Electrical fireplaces provide the steady warmth and gentle lighting of a fireplace with easier installation and operation.
How Do Electrical Fireplaces Work?
An electric fireplace doesn’t create a real fire. Rather, it uses electricity to produce the appearance of a flickering flame. You can use an electric fireplace in a purely decorative manner to produce this style of lighting and heating. You may also turn on their heating element so that the fireplace functions as an electric space heater.
Electric, Gas, or Wood?
Since electric fireplaces don’t create a flame, they win out in safety over gas and wooden fireplaces. The glass in front of the ‘fire’ is also generally safe to the touch. Wood fares the worst on measures of safety. While wood and gas both present fire and burn risks due to the presence of an actual flame, the chimney of a wooden fireplace needs regular cleaning and may otherwise become a serious hazard. However, you still need to keep flammable items away from the heat source and practice good heating safety.
A fireplace that runs on electricity is a highly efficient option for heating a home. While a real flame fireplace puts out more heat, they also require chimneys and ventilation. As a result, these types of fires lose a large amount of their heat energy. The fact that electric heating doesn’t require the same ventilation means that it suffers much lower energy loss.
When you use your electric fireplace for ambient lighting rather than heat, energy consumption is extremely low. Naturally, energy consumption increases when you use it for active heating, but it’s still a competitive option. The typical operating cost of an electric-powered fireplace is $80 or less over a year. In comparison, a gas fireplace may cost $200 to $500 to operate over a year. Wood is the loser here, due to the cost of wood and professional cleaning requirements.
Electrical fireplaces are a great choice to balance functionality and aesthetic charm. If you are in the need of any electrical work, call the top-notch North Laurel electricians at Tim Kyle Electric. No job is too small! We give 100% to every light bulb change, just as we do to a remodeling or rewiring project.