Whatever happened to the good ol' traditional, wooden fireplaces, you ask? Well. They were left behind. Though they have their own charm and value, the convenient features offered by the modern electric fireplaces give them a huge advantage when pitted against the traditional ones. What are the advantages of an electric fireplace? Let's find out in the following paragraphs.
Reasons to Use an Electric Fireplace
Saves Space
The modern electric fireplaces are very convenient since they are available in many sizes, and you can always manage to get one in the size that suits your needs. They can even be chosen to fit into corners or already existing niches in your living room that you want filled.
Saves Labor
They are ready-made, and do not require any wood to be burned in them. They work on the principle of creating heat from electricity, so they save you the labor of cutting down logs of wood, to fill them up. Besides chopping up wood, they also save you numerous trips from your backyard to your living room lugging the logs.
Saves Money
If you do not want to chop the wood for the traditional fireplace yourself, then you will have to pay someone else to do it for you. Plus, the maintenance required for the traditional fireplaces also costs a lot, with the soot removal, chimney cleaning, cleaning the ashes, etc. The electric fireplace does not require any of this, and ends up saving money for you in the long term.
Great Designs and Graphics
Electric fireplaces can come in really aesthetic designs since they do not have to deal with real fires, and the fireplace does not get messy. So the designs can be innovative and functional and at the same time, can complement your living room décor. Also, the designers have introduced graphics on the glass cover, which have flames on them, which glow like real embers when you switch on the fireplace, to give the feel of a real fireplace. The effects are amazing.
Cost-Effective
Electric fireplaces cost less as compared to traditional fireplaces, and the difference in their prices will surprise you. Traditional fireplaces cost a lot because they have to be built painstakingly, and with great care. The mantel, the chimney and everything else that comes with the traditional fireplace, also cost a lot. These costs are absent in case of electric fireplaces. This is one of the major reasons for using electric fireplaces.
Automatic Adjustment Features
An adjustable thermostat, is one great feature of the electric fireplace. Its temperature can be adjusted to the exact level we want to. You do not have to fiddle with the burning logs to get the room as warm as you want it, and in case it gets too warm, you can simply turn down the thermostat a little. With normal fireplaces, you will manually have to increase the fire or decease it, according to the temperature of the room. This cumbersome work is eliminated in case of electric fireplaces.
Easy Installation
The installation of an electric fireplace is another factor that works in its favor. All you have to do after buying it is, plug it into the nearest socket and switch it on. It's really that simple. No mounting, or wedging, or any other activity just to get the first fire going. Simply plug it in.
Easily Portable
Electric fireplaces are portable. Yes, you can just pick them up, and whichever room you want it to be in, take it there, plug it in and your work is done. Try doing that with a traditional fireplace! And, if you suddenly feel like remodeling or renovating your house, and want to shift it to another wall, that's easy too. It won't get in your way, and you won't have to design the new layout to accommodate the already existing fireplace. So very convenient, wouldn't you agree?
Reduced Requirements
The requirements of an electric fireplace are literally nothing compared to traditional or gas fireplaces. No gas lines, or chimneys are required since they use electric fireplace logs which do not create any smoke. This saves up on a lot of cost and maintenance.
Convenient Features
Electrical fireplaces offer a unique feature of visual effects without the heating. Do you only want the feel of a fireplace, without heating up the room? Voila! You can do that easily enough. They come equipped with this feature. They can also be operated with a remote control! That's awesome. I would consider buying one solely for that advantage! Jokes apart, wouldn't it be really convenient if you are lounging with a book in a corner of your living room, and if you suddenly feel like having a little heat, there you go, fire ready. You don't have to even raise your head. Two of the best reasons, I think!
No Maintenance
Electric fireplaces, as I've mentioned quite a few times so far, require no maintenance, as regards cleaning ashes, changing logs, cleaning the chimney, maintaining the gas lines, ensuring adequate supply of gas all the time, etc. That will reduce almost all the work that comes with traditional fireplaces and gas fireplaces. At the most you will have to dust it regularly, so that it stays clean.
Variety and Easy to Convert
There are a wide variety of electric fireplaces available, that will fit your requirements of size, shape, graphics, design, etc. You will surely find something that matches with your home décor and suits all your needs perfectly. You can get electric fireplaces with low temperature ranges, for small rooms, and with slightly higher ranges for bigger rooms. Also, by using electric fireplace log inserts, it is really easy to convert an old fireplace into an electric fireplace. No complete overhaul is really merited. This can be very useful, if you already have a fireplace, and just want to switch to using an electrical fireplace, for economical and environmental reasons.
The reasons to use an electrical fireplace are many. With so many convenient features being offered by the electrical fireplaces, it is not really surprising that they are fast becoming very popular, and more and more people are opting for them, rather than the traditional brick or gas fireplaces.
