Since ancient times, people have been drawn to fire. We like to look at flames, bask and enjoy the crackling of logs. In the home, the source of such pleasure has always been the stove or fireplace. Moreover, a fireplace with its open fire is much more attractive than a stove where the flame is not visible.
Electric fireplaces in the interior
For the first time, solid fuel fireplaces appeared in medieval Europe. They served for heating, lighting, room ventilation, cooking. Nowadays, fireplaces play mainly a decorative role in the interior.
Today, creating a wood-burning or coal-burning fireplace can be expensive and troublesome. To equip a fireplace in an apartment, you need to issue a redevelopment permit, draw up a project, agree on it in many authorities (BTI, Fire Supervision, etc.), carry out a number of construction work, equip a chimney and a ventilation system. All this is terribly troublesome and expensive. In a country house, a fireplace is more accessible, especially if its construction is carried out simultaneously with the construction of the building, according to the general project.
What if you want to get your own hearth and at the same time avoid many problems? The easiest option is to install an electric fireplace in the room.
Such products are lightweight, compact and exquisite in appearance. They are fire safe, do not need fuel, do not emit soot and soot, do not require a chimney and are devoid of all the other troubles that accompany a real classic fireplace with an open fire. Their installation is extremely simple. You just need to take the fireplace out of the packaging box, put it in the right place and plug it into a power outlet. After that, the room will be filled with warmth, reflections of flame and comfort.
An electric fireplace is 5-10 times cheaper than a natural classic solid fuel fireplace. And the flame you get is almost as bright, but artificially created.
What’s inside?
In addition to the heating element that produces heat, the most important and very interesting part of the electric fireplace is the mechanism responsible for simulating a flame. It can be arranged in different ways. In “pseudo-wood” models, they often use pieces of red silk or red foil, which oscillate in the air flow created by a special fan. At the same time, inside the firebox there are dummies of burnt logs and charcoal deposits made of skillfully painted plastic. They are backlit and shimmery with all shades of red, as if they were natural. The design is complemented by a system of mirrors and colored lighting. As a result, the effect of playing tongues of fire on a screen located near the back of the fireplace is created. Such an imitation mechanism can be quite complex.
The heating element in electric fireplaces is a heating element or an electric spiral, sometimes paired with a fan with a silent motor. Often, models with a spiral use a reflector located behind the heating element. Then the heat is reflected towards the front of the fireplace, and the effect of an infrared heater is created, to which you can bring your hands and warm yourself.
A working electric fireplace (without a fan) emits laminar streams of warm air. They slowly spread around the room, practically raising no dust. The body of the device does not heat up, therefore the fireplace (depending on the type) can be installed in various places of the room: near the wall, in the corner or in the center. There are high-tech models designed for hanging on the wall like a picture or plasma panel. The design of the fireplace provides air flow around the heating element through the internal channels. At the same time, almost one hundred percent energy transfer of the heating element to the surrounding space is achieved.
Fireplace and electronics
Modern electric fireplaces are equipped with a convenient control system.
Many models have a built-in thermostat to maintain the desired room temperature. It turns off the heating element in time and thereby saves energy.
Often, electric fireplaces provide for remote control from the remote control.
Thus, it is possible to regulate not only the thermal conditions, but also the external parameters of the “flame” – the brightness of the glow, the intensity.
Typically, the heat output of fireplaces is 1–2 kW. On the one hand, this allows you to heat a room with an area of up to 20 m2… On the other hand, such a fireplace can be plugged into a regular outlet, because it consumes no more energy than an electric kettle. And for decorative purposes, the fireplace can be used not only in winter, but also in summer (with the heating function turned off).
By design, electric fireplaces can be divided into several groups.
Classic electric fireplaces with a decorative portal similar to that of wood-burning fireplaces. For the fullest satisfaction of the aesthetic demands of consumers, separate fireboxes and portals of various shapes are produced, with finishing from stone, wood, MDF. All structural elements are standardized in width and height, so it’s easy to find a pair that suits your needs. In various combinations, fireboxes and portals form an endless number of options for any premises, be it a bedroom, study or living room.
Most often, the following models of fireboxes are found:
- standard size: height – 62 cm, width – 52 cm, thickness – 12-24 cm. The deeper the hearth, the more realistic the flame looks, but the deeper the portal should be;
- wide (23 and 30 inches wide);
- extra wide (36 and 42 inches wide).
Almost all electric fireplaces (especially wide and ultra-wide) can be installed inside the fireplaces of conventional classic fireplaces designed to work on solid fuels. You just need to shut off the chimney so that the heat does not escape. Such a fireplace goes well with an existing portal, quickly turns on and off and does not require fuel.
Hi-tech electric fireplaces. With their shape and selection of finishing materials, they are more reminiscent of modern household appliances, and not old heating devices. So, there are electric fireplaces that look like a plasma panel and are hung directly on the wall (for example, the 4 seasons model from Dimplex).
Freestanding electric fireplaces. Cast iron wood-burning stoves with transparent doors were their prototype. Electric fireplace stoves are convenient in that they do not require space for permanent installation. They are often used, for example, as auxiliary heating in summer cottages. If necessary, the electric oven can easily “move” from the living room to the bedroom or to the veranda.
Freestanding wood basketsfilled with decorative embers and logs. They can be independent elements of room decor, as well as be built into existing classic-type fireplaces.
Wide foci. These are the most beautiful, complex and expensive devices. Larger than standard. The wide hearths are designed to be built into the wall, into the existing frame, although additional frames made of wood and stone can be purchased.
Manufacturers and prices
Currently, electric fireplaces are represented on the Russian market by such manufacturers as Be Modern Group, Burley (Great Britain), Hark (Germany), Glen Dimplex Group (Ireland, trade marks Dimplex, Berry, EWT). Most of the devices are included in the price range of 15-25 thousand rubles. If you choose a very “advanced” decorative portal, then the total cost can rise to 50-60 thousand rubles. and more. But after all, for such a sum, it will be possible to build only a very modest classic wood-burning fireplace. Moreover, its design with a mass of 500-700 kg will require reinforcement of floors in an apartment building or the construction of a special foundation in a cottage. Of course, so-called fireplaces with a closed firebox are offered on the market for comparable money. But their installation will also require significant costs.
The King is playing retinue
The portal is no less important element of any fireplace (electric or solid fuel) than the firebox. It determines the decorativeness of the entire device.
Portals exist as an independent market segment. Moreover, not only furnace manufacturers, but also other companies are engaged in their manufacture. In Russia, for example, this is Glenrich, Euro-Kamin, Artistic Furniture Factory No. 1, etc. In some cases, fireplace framing can be made to order according to your own sketches.
There are different design options for fireplace portals. The classics are very popular. It can be stylized as an English fireplace with an open firebox and a dark oak portal, a French country fireplace with a limestone portal, or a richly decorated marble portal in the Empire style. Another trend is emphasized modern design using unconventional materials such as stainless steel, aluminum-based alloys or glass. There are a lot of design options here, especially when you consider that electric heaters do not impose such high requirements on the fire resistance of portal materials as solid fuel fireplaces.
Alexey Evdokimov, Marketing Director of the White Guard Trading House
The most popular are classic models in the “hearth plus portal” set, as well as Hi-tech products. Stoves are in less demand, as a rule, they are taken as a gift. It is important to position the wall fireplace in the Hi-tech style. The flame should be at eye level when seated. It is advisable to leave more space around the fireplace to accommodate the sofa and armchairs, and the portal is clearly visible. If you purchase the hearth and portal separately, you can choose a higher quality hearth and a higher quality portal. If purchased separately, there are more options for this. A set “portal and hearth in one box” is a more massive product, with an optimal ratio of price and quality.
Also, electric fireplaces are widely represented on the market in the form of ready-made sets from the firebox and portal. In the kit, everything is selected and docked, this is a complete composition, verified to the smallest detail. It remains only to install the fireplace in the right place and turn it on like a regular floor lamp or table lamp. And, of course, don’t go wrong with the style. After all, the fireplace is more likely to be selected for the interior than vice versa.
For “full immersion” in the atmosphere of a particular era, the fireplace must be supplemented accordingly. For this, fireplace accessories are used that can decorate the interior, make it stylistically complete. The decorative tool will give your feelings full authenticity. And most importantly, its operational properties do not play any role, because they will not have to be used.
The editors would like to thank the White Guard trading house, OBI, Euro-Kamin, Loki, Real-flame companies for their help in preparing the material.