Are you in the market for a brand new electric fire? Then let’s walk you through some of the basics you’ll need to know, so you can make the right choice for your home. By the way, we reckon an electric fire is a great investment. Every household should have one. We’ll tell you why.
The ease convenience of electricity for heating appliances is practically unparalleled. After all, with an electric fire, you can just plug it in, switch it on, and there’s your heat. That means if your electric fire is free-standing and need to relocate it to a small bedroom for occasional use, or if the conservatory could do with a boost of warmth in the spring or autumn, or even if you want to revolutionise your garden shed, all you need is an electric socket and hey presto, there's your fireplace! You won’t need a chimney, so you have a lot more flexibility about where to locate your heating source, and it’s relatively cheap compared with other kinds of fireplace.
Electric fires come in a very wide range of designs, which means you can pick and choose something that’s likely to be perfect for your home, whatever your choice of decor. If you have a traditional cottage or period house, you’ll be able to find electric fires have the look of an old fashioned open fireplace. With the benefit of modern technology, a high quality screen, especially at the higher end of the market, will give you a display of flames that could be mistaken for the real thing. What’s more, you're not forced to have both the display and the heat. If you prefer, sometimes you can switch off the hot air, and simply enjoy that background ambience of flickering and glow.
Now, of course, if you wish you can recess your electric fireplace in the wall, for even more authenticity. Match it with the right surround, and you’ll get instant retro appeal. You can get the power lead embedded in the wall and conceal the socket, and most people might be forgiven for assuming it’s a real fire. A wall-mounted model is going to give you a really current minimalist styling for your fire. It’ll save on floor space too.
How about a wood-burning stove effect. Electric versions, unlike the authentic log burners, can go anywhere there’s a power socket. Transform your garden room with a lightweight electric stove, and you’ll extend your living space for hardly any outlay.
A long time ago, you could only get those thick glowing orange bars on electric fires. You can probably still source one if you have a nostalgic interest. But these days most fires are unrecognisably different from this. You can use a remote control to choose the colour and size of the flame, the speed of burning, the amount of flicker, and even have a water vapour effect to simulate a real fire. So much to choose from.
For safety, you’ll want to ensure your electric fire doesn’t overheat nearby furniture and has enough ventilation to operate safely, but it’s fuel-efficient, convenient, and needs little maintenance. What’s not to love about electric fires.