Do Electric Fireplaces Give Off Heat?

If you are trying to decide whether or not you should get an electric fireplace, you might be concerned that they do not give off as much heat as gas fireplaces.

You might assume that electric fireplaces are not very warm or powerful, but are they able to improve the heat in your front room?

Knowing the differences between a gas fireplace and an electric fireplace is important for making sure that you are aware of how they will impact your home.

If you are unfamiliar with how an electric fireplace works, you might find that it will be the perfect addition for keeping your room warm and comforting.

This article will explain how an electric fireplace can give off heat so that you can understand how they work.

You will then be able to understand more about electric fireplaces and see how one would fit into your home and whether it would be a great addition.

How Do Electric Fireplaces Create Heat?

Electric fireplaces can create heat by having a heating element inside. The heater inside then has a fan mechanism that pushes the heat into the room, making sure that it heats the entire space.

The heaters are often made out of heating coils, not the fake flames that are on the front of most electric fireplaces.

The coils are what cause the room to heat up, and the fan makes sure that the fireplace doesn’t get too hot and that the heat leaves the inside of the fireplace and spreads out to the room.

Although this is a common way that electric fireplaces heat rooms, you can also find electric fireplaces that are heated using infrared rays.

The infrared rays heat objects and people as the rays are absorbed, allowing people to feel warmer quicker than an electric heater. As the infrared rays tend to heat up faster, they are usually more popular.

Do Electric Fireplaces Always Give Off Heat?

The flames that are on the front of the electric fireplaces are fake, but some allow you to use just the flames to create a warm atmosphere in the room without giving off any heat.

To do this, you will need to read the manual of your fireplace.

You can use the heater and the flames at the same time, but you can also use them separately depending on what vibe you want in your front room.

You are also able to adjust the temperature of your fireplace, so if you want the fireplace to give off some heat, you can set it to the lowest setting.

How Much Heat Is Produced By An Electric Fireplace?

Each electric fireplaces are different, but most of them use about 120 volts or 240 volts.

When an electric fireplace uses 120 volts, the maximum output of heat is 5,000 Btu, but there may be some models that do not produce as much heat as this.

It is important to make sure that the electric fireplace that you choose for your room can heat the entire room, so you need to check the square foot of your room.

Fireplaces that use 120 volts usually heat a room that is around 400 square feet. However, some fireplaces can heat up to 1,000 square feet, you just need to make sure that it is suitable for you.

Are Electric Fireplaces Efficient?

Electric fireplaces are often thought to be very efficient as no heat is lost as electricity is converted into heat with no energy lost.

Gas fireplaces lose a lot of energy as only 15% to 30% of energy is converted into heat that can be used to heat a room. Due to this, people believe that electric fireplaces are the most efficient.

However, the electricity that comes from power plants causes around 66% of energy to be lost before it has the chance to power your electric fireplace.

This shows that electric fireplaces may not be as energy-efficient as people believe, but they are still a popular choice for safety and quick heat.

Is An Electric Fireplace More Consistent Than A Wood Fireplace?

Electric fireplaces are more consistent than wood fireplaces as the heating of an electric fireplace doesn’t die down unless you readjust the settings.

This means that there is consistent heat coming into the room and keeping your room warm without you having to worry about relighting the fire.

When you have a wood fireplace, it is expected that the flame will begin to die down. Therefore, you need to keep adding wood to keep the fire burning.

This can be time-consuming for people, so they prefer to just have an electric fireplace set to heat the room without having to worry about monitoring the fire.

If you have small children or pets, an electric fireplace is safer than having an open flame in the room.

Although it is advised that you keep your children and pets away from electric fireplaces as you don’t want them to be too close to the heat, having an open flame could cause an accident.

Are Electric Fireplaces Easy To Install?

Electric fireplaces are easy to install as they come with plugs that you can use in your home. This means that you can plug the fireplace in and it will work almost instantly.

Check the manual that comes with the fireplace to make sure that you set the fireplace up properly and then you can learn how to use it.

Final Thoughts

To conclude, electric fireplaces can give off heat and they are more than capable of heating a room.

Electric fireplaces are popular as they consistently produce heat due to the heater or infrared rays inside the fireplace, and they can easily be adjusted to keep you comfortable in the room.

Always make sure that you read the manual that comes with your fireplace to set it up properly so you can then begin to enjoy the benefits of your electric fireplace!