Every winter we have to worry about rising energy costs and how to efficiently heat our home. Heating your home is certainly a tough problem and energy costs are rising, one way to cut down on household fuel consumption is an energy-efficient electric fireplace. Electric fireplaces are an attractive and effective way to add a glowing ambiance to any room in your home, dorm, or apartment and they only require an outlet. They are more economical, portable, and convenient than a permanent gas or wood fireplace.
More Than a Simple Space Heater
Don't confuse an old space heater with the stylish electric fireplaces of today. Space heaters and electric fireplaces both have the ability to maintain and fill a room with heat fairly quickly. What sets a modern electric fireplace ahead of the outdated space heater is the multitude of styles, classifications, and sizes. An electric fireplace also offers less maintenance than a traditional charcoal, wood, or gas fireplace because charcoal and wood require you to travel, store, and maintain these fuels. They also require no combustion and all of the heat produced by the fireplace is vented straight into the room, none is lost through unnecessary venting compared to a traditional wood stove which requires an attached chimney. Most electric fireplaces also have a built-in thermostat that allows the user to set the room to their ideal temperature. In other words an electric fireplace offers a wider variety of benefits compared to the space heater. Following this further they include features like glass that remains cool to the touch which should be considered if you have children of your own. Remote controls for those lazy winter nights when your trapped in the house because of a snow storm. A flickering fire that looks realistic and can still be seen when the heat is not on. Some electric fireplaces include a stove top that can be used for cooking or heating your own incense mixture.
A Style for Any Home
Generally speaking electric fireplaces are not just freestanding energy-efficient fireplaces, they come in an assortment of styles that include traditional and decorative wooden mantels that surround the fireplace unit. The decorative mantel surrounding the fireplace unit commonly comes in walnut, cherry, and oak but is not limited to these types of wood. In addition the traditional style of mantels span from clean and simple lines to ornate features that include pillars and carvings. Another type of electric fireplace is the insert or electric log set and can be used in any nonfunctioning wood burning fireplace. Almost all fireplace inserts can be used with or without heating the room and most include realistic glowing logs. Also some packages include louvers and trim to dress up or cover the pre-existing fireplace openings. Furthermore an electric fireplace can also be built into a media center which will hold your personal electronic devices like your TV or gaming console. These warming media centers come in sizes that are certain to fit any living room. Another interesting style of the electric fireplace is the contemporary and sleek wall mounted or freestanding units. Wall mounted fireplace units usually consist of a gel insert made of butane that is safely contained and burns for 3-4 hours before you have to replace it. They usually use a fan to blow the heat out of the wall mounted unit and into the area you are heating. Some wall mounted fireplaces are built into the wall and connect directly to your homes electrical system which requires professional installation. Wall mounted units are not made to heat an entire room and are generally used for decorative purposes or to warm a short hallway. All in all it is up to the consumer to choose the style that is right for their home.
Zone Heating
Nobody denies that an efficient way to use your electric fireplace is with a method called zone heating. It requires the home owner or renter to only heat the rooms they are using at that time or the most often. This might include your living room, kitchen, and bedroom. The second step in zone heating is letting the unoccupied or less frequently used rooms cool. Remember these rooms still have to remain above freezing so none of the existing plumbing lines freeze which makes it necessary to have your household's heating system on. Using an electric fireplace in this manner will decrease your energy consumption by 20-40%, reduce your households consumption of fuel, and put money back in your pocket compared to previous years. People who live in a smaller dwelling have the advantage when using zone heating. All electric fireplaces also have zero emissions, that means the room won't smell like smoke and the quality of the air inside your home will remain healthy and safe. Laslty an electric fireplace of any size, shape, or type will not only be a beneficial addition to your household appliances. They will make any room into a warm one during a cold winter.
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