by Elvia J. Malone
Everyone loves a fireplace in their home; it looks nice and can add scenery to a room. Some people live in homes that did not have a fireplace in the original design schematics, and can’t build one. That’s okay there’s a solution for them, it’s called electric fireplace inserts. This can be added to homes to give them the appearance of a fireplace and also give the look of a real fire, but there is no heat.
The main difference between an actual fireplace and electric fireplace inserts is quite basic and simple. These are electric power screens that give them image of a fire in contrast to actually having a real fire in a fireplace. If you are just worried about having the look of a fireplace then this is for you. As stated not all homes can accommodate a real fireplace due to the design of the home.
Any one who knows what the worth of family affection is among the lower classes, and who has seen the array of little portraits stuck over a labourer’s fireplace ... will perhaps feel with me that in counteracting the tendencies, social and industrial, which every day are sapping the healthier family affections, the sixpenny photograph is doing more for the poor than all the philanthropists in the world.
—Macmillan’s Magazine (London, September 1871)
These typically are just brick enclosures that go up to the roof, and not through it. After that the electric insert is installed and it looks like a real fire place. There won’t be much warmth coming from it, but it will look a little more contemporary. Some people don’t care about the actual heat and just want the look.
Electric fireplace inserts are also safer than a contemporary gas, or woodburning fireplace. There’s no risk of a fire involved, or any other kind of unfortunate accident. This is the driving force behind many that buy these. They do give the look of a fire and unless you are sitting within 1 inch of it chances are you can’t tell the difference. So for most it does its job it looks like a fire place with a fire, and that’s good enough for them.
You can often find these products decorating the home sections in retail stores. They set them up with furniture and rugs they are marketing to show you how they would look in a home with a fire place. There aren’t any risks with an electric fireplace insert, no chance of anything catching on fire. When the power goes off however so will the insert, so don’t expect any help there.
You can much sooner dry you by such a fire as you can make in the woods than in anybody’s kitchen, the fireplace is so much larger, and wood so much more abundant.
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
Despite the fact that these can replicate the appearance of an actual fire many people still prefer an actual fireplace. Contemporary gas, or woodburning fireplaces are still very popular with many people and they refuse to use something that imitates the look. After all for some it’s not about the appearance but actually staying warm. Some may say they are being sticklers and not moving on with the times, but the counter argument for that is with a wood burning fireplace you can go get the fuel yourself.
This can be advantageous in times where the gas stops working, and there’s no electricity for heating. Unlike electric fireplace inserts, this actually does something, whether it’s used as a primary, or back up heating source it’s reliable. The only thing it needs is wood and you have a source of light, and heat. If you don’t want to use wood you can use old bills that you don’t want to look at any more, they burn quite well.