If you’d like to improve the atmosphere of your home, adding a fireplace is a great way to do it! An electric fireplace is a great alternative to a traditional fireplace, but there are some pros and cons to consider when deciding which is best for your home.

The Pros:

• Electric fireplaces come in a variety of sizes, shapes, colors, and styles. Some can even be combined with furniture such as entertainment centers, mantels, or bookshelves for a more modern look, saving space while adding ambience in your home.
• A typical electric fireplace has a much longer lifespan than that of traditional types; many often last ten years or more.
• Installing an electric fireplace is exponentially easier than installing a wood or gas fireplace. Most of the time, it’s as easy as plugging in the unit, and turning it on.
• Electric fireplaces are portable, so it’s possible to move into another room of your home or even move it to another home.
• Electric installments are great for zone heating, keeping the room warm while allowing your house thermostat to remain at a lower level.
• Electric is the eco-friendly option; they do not emit harmful gases such as carbon dioxide and/or carbon monoxide.
• For those that suffer from respiratory issues, an electric fireplace is much less aggravating than a wood-burning fireplace.
• Unlike the open flame of a wood-burning or gas fireplace, electric fireplaces are child and pet-friendly because they are cool to the touch.
• According to CozybytheFire.com, electricity converts to heat with 99% efficiency while standard fireplaces heat with between 60% and 80% efficiency.
• Electric fireplaces are low maintenance. Although they require some, such as changing a light bulb every couple of years, these minor costs are much lower than a traditional system.\

The Cons:

• Sometimes nothing beats the ambience of an actual wood-burning fireplace: the scent, crackling sound, or light emitted by an open flame. If this is what you’re after, the electric fireplace option may not be for you.
• While they’re great for zone heating, electric fireplaces are not best for heating an entire home.
• If you live in an area with frequent power outages, keep in mind electric fireplaces cannot be used during any outages.
• An electric fireplace doesn’t add value to your home like a traditional fireplace installation does.
• Although many electric fireplaces are designed to run from a standard 120 volt household outlet, they typically run at max power, which may blow a fuse or circuit. For larger heaters, you might even need a surge protector.
• Be aware of where the heated air comes out of the unit and the correlated safety hazards. For example, if your fireplace emits heat at the bottom of the unit, placing the fireplace on a carpeted or crowded floor might pose a safety hazard in your home.
• According to Angie’s List, “…while you may save on maintenance costs, operational costs for electric systems are significantly more expensive than similar wood or gas models.” Because electric fireplaces utilize heaters and lamps simultaneously to create the “real fire” ambience, the units may use more energy and result in higher utility bills.

  Discover your fireplace possibilities today by giving Beach Stove and Fireplace a call at 631-998-0780, stopping by our showroom, or filling out the contact form on our website!