How Electric Fireplace Inserts Work

Electric fireplace inserts are in actuality very simple systems. They use 3 main components:

1. A heater/blower component
2. A rotating light bar that either uses bulbs or LEDs
3. A flame board that creates the flame effect

Heater/blower component

The heating units on inserts typically are ceramic with a forced fan system. They generate anywhere from 1000 to 1500 watts of power, and that translates in anywhere from 3500 – 5000 BTUs of heating power. Typically a heater of this nature can heat a room of between 300 – 500 Square feet.

What’s great about electric fireplaces in general is they send 100% of the heat they generate into the room. Many heating units only emit around 70% of the heat generated, the rest being used as energy by the machine itself. This means your electric heater is 100% energy efficient. And despite emitting more heat than a space heater (for example), electric fireplace inserts will remain cool to the touch. Even the glass on the front of the heater is cool to the touch, making it safe for children and pets.

Today there are some newer styles that actually use infrared heating cores, that are both powerful and silent. Some people do not like the infrared technology because it emits an orange light which they find distracting.

Rotating Light bar

Today’s fireplace inserts also have decent control chips that allow you to operate a timer, control flame intensity and heating power. These features are great for setting both the mood and a comfortable temperature in the room. Electric fireplace inserts are also very “green,” meaning that they do not cost much to operate in relation to other heating formats.

Flame board

In terms of the flame effects, many electric fireplace inserts today have very realistic flame effects. The flame effects of today’s electric fireplaces are much better then when they started in the market around 2001. The older models used to look very chintzy, and the flame effects also made sounds, adding to the cheapness of quality.

Here’s a great video that shows the differences between the older electric fireplace models and newer electric fireplace models and installation:

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Electric Fireplace Design and Trends for 2013

There are three main categories that modern electric fireplaces fall into based on both form and function:

Wall Mounted Units

Wall-mounted electric fireplaces are a relatively new and sophisticated way to showcase ambiance in a room. They are about 4 -6″ thick and hang from a simple bracket that mounts to wall studs.

Wall-mounted units offer the same amount of heat output as a traditional electric fireplace. Many modern wall-mounted fireplace units also come with a timer, touch controls, and a remote. This is a great addition to any homestead or office, especially if floor space is an issue.

Media and Storage Units

Storage and media electric fireplace units are extremely popular, and for a good reason. With the capacity to house your electric fireplace, TV and whatever else you want to store, this is a great addition to a family room or entertainment room in your home. The example below is from a Canadian high end brand called Paramount. This is a server/sideboard that also has an integrated 21″ inch portrait style electric fireplace insert.

We love this particular unit because it doubles as a serving area for wine and hors d’oeuvres while still providing fireplace ambiance. Here’s a great video that discusses the features of the Paramount media electric fireplace in more depth:

inserts and Space heaters

Another trend is ‘decorative flame’ heaters that combine the beauty of an electric fireplace with the function of a space heater. The image below is a great example of an electric fireplace heater from Dimplex, simply called, “The Cube.”

The Dimplex Cube measures 18″w and 21″H and 10.5″ D, making it easy to place anywhere in your home or business. Don’t let the small stature of the Cube fool you–it can heat up just as large a space as traditional electric fireplaces. Here’s a great video that discusses the features of this model in more detail:

And there you have it–a brief rundown of the top three electric fireplace trends for 2013. Stay tuned for more research and posts on the latest and best electric fireplace models.

Related articles

• Electric Fireplace Design and Trends
• Electric Fireplace Inserts: How They Work
• Electric Fireplace Heater: Reasons to Invest

Electric Fireplace Inserts are in actuality very simple systems. They use 3 main components:

A heater/blower

A rotating light bar that either uses bulbs or LEDs

A flame board that creates the flame effect.

The heating units on inserts typically are ceramic with a forced fan system. They genrate anywhere from 1000 to 1500 watts of power, and that translates in anywhere from 3500 – 5000 BTUs of heating power. Typically a heater of this nature can heat a room of between 300 – 500 Square feet.

Today there are some newer styles that actually use infrared heating cores, that are both powerful and silent, but as they are IR based, they emit an orange light, that we do not find overally appealing.

Today’s fireplace inserts also have decent control chips that allow you to have a timer mercanis,, and control flame instensty and heating power, which is great for setting teh mood and a comfortable air tempertature. Electric Firepalce INserts are also very electricty friendly, meaning that they do not cost much to operate in relation to other heating formats.

In terms of the flame effects, many electric fireplace inserts today have very realistic flame efects, this was much better then when they started in the market around 2001, where the flame looked like a wierd glow, and you could here the lights

At current there a few very clear trends in electric fireplace decor and function:

Wall Mounted electric fireplaces are a relatively new and sophisticated way to showcase a fireplace. They are about 4 -6″ thick and hang from a simple bracket that mounts to wall studs.

The cool thing is they offer the same heating power as a full sized electric fireplace. MAy now come with a timer, touch controls, and a remote.

Another trend is ‘decorative flame’ heaters that combine the beauty of an electric fireplace with the function of a space heater. This is a great example from Dimplex, called the ’Cube’ Electric Fireplace Heater.

This unit for example measures 18″w and 21″H and 10.5″ D, thus it really can be placed in any sized room in your home. This would also look great in a business lobby. The great thing about this system is that it can also generate as much heat as a regular sized electric fireplace.

Finally another key trend is storage form and function. The example below is from a Canadian high end brand called Paramount. This is a server/sideboard that also has an integrated 21″ inch portrait style electric fireplace insert.

These tree trends represent the biggest growing trends in indoor electric fireplace heating this year. We will keep you informed whenever we see a new electric fireplace trend.