Features electric fireplaces

With the onset of cold weather, one wants to feel the warmth and comfort of home, listening to the crackle of firewood in the hearth. Fireplaces in this situation will be most welcome. But what if the apartment in the bedroom high-rise building does not allow you to feel like in a country mansion? A good solution to the problem will serve electric fireplaces, presented in a large assortment in the modern market.

Many fear that a fireplace powered by an electrical network will consume too much energy, possessing high power. However, if you choose the right heater for the functional accessories, it will be no less economical than a simple oil heater.

The materials of which the decorative portal surrounding the main structure is made also matter. As for the various principles of operation of electrical appliances, here the conditions will fit almost any room with the proximity of a quality outlet. The exception is the fireplace with a steam generator, because it must be brought in the place where there is close access to the water.

Despite all the seeming difficulty in choosing such equipment, it is enough to understand for what purposes it will serve and how much space in the room it can take. And, of course, you should always calculate your budget in advance and, depending on it, choose both the brand and model of the fireplace, portal design, and accessories to it.

To get started is to find out what types of fireplaces exist in Russian stores. Classifications are different, but the main one is the gradation according to the place of installation.

The fireplace has a small size and, accordingly, the price. Its main convenience lies in the fact that it is not mounted in the wall, but is a separate piece of interior, easily moveable in space.So, if the room is planned to be repaired, such a fireplace, be it long or small, can easily be temporarily removed to another room.

Such electric mini-fireplaces, as a subdivision of the floor, perform a rather decorative function. The low price compared to a conventional heater allows you to make a luxurious gift to friends and family who have always dreamed of such an interior detail. However, the small area of ​​the apartment or the closeness of the furniture does not allow installing even the floor version.

By the desktop also include fireplacesworking on alcohol or the so-called bioethanol. In this case, the model is connected in parallel to the network. This substance is absolutely harmless to the environment, which is especially important in homes where there are small children or pets. Most often they are ordered in a frame of fire-resistant transparent glass and placed on a kitchen or coffee table.

An electric fireplace is installed in the manner of a television plasma panel, that is, it is attached with brackets to the wall near the outlet.Its convenience lies in the fact that full embedding in the wall does not occur, therefore, if desired, such equipment can be easily moved around the house.

With this option, you can give free rein to the imagination of the portal, that is, some kind of hinged frame to the screen, where the embers glow. If you build it in the same style with the surrounding furniture or other furnishings, you can create a room with the scope of a rich noble house of the XIX century.

The most naturalistic and close to the real fireplace is the built-in option (it is sometimes called the portal). Of course, such an acquisition involves considerable expenditure and a long wait for the order, the complexity of installation. It is simply impossible to equip them with certain types of premises. Everything is very easily solved if in the room, even when designing, a niche was laid for the stove or fireplace. In this case, you can simply order the fireplace itself to the size of the niche, having previously provided a connector for the power supply.

Small such a structure can not be called, and if you want to change the interior can not be moved. That is why it is better to immediately choose a suitable room - a living room or an office where an electric fireplace can be put on forever.

Another classification of electric fireplaces is such a feature as imitation effects:

It is considered the most popular among owners of country houses and apartments in metropolitan areas. Working, including, and as a heater, such a fireplace creates a psychological feeling of a real burning fire. The logs, however, are usually not real here, but drawn by the artist and highlighted by LEDs and other special illumination devices.

It has not only the backlit panel itself, but also a special niche behind the panel with a tank full of real coals. Sometimes it is not natural hydrocarbons, but harmless polycarbonate substitutes. Their great plus is that they do not stain the fireplace itself and the surrounding space, and also do not emit unpleasant odors. Embers can be made to glow and flicker in different ways, constantly stirring, and then the atmosphere of presence in a country estate will not take long to wait.

Equipped with a steam generator, which contributes to the feeling of real heat from the furnace.The steam element has a tank with water, which must be replenished periodically. If you do not want to often recall that water runs out in the fireplace, you can order a large-capacity tank, at least 50 liters. However, this capacity will not look very nice in the interior, decorated with refined antiquity.

Fireplace with 5D effect is considered to be the most high-tech product in the line of its electrical counterparts. This is where a person feels that logs are burning around him, and electric elements are completely invisible.

In electric fireplaces, new functions have recently been added, contributing to greater environmental friendliness and care for the environment. These qualities correspond to several models.

• Fireplace with a fan heaterwhere a special spiral with blades is inserted, discharging air during rotation. All this contributes to the preservation of heat in the room and its uniform distribution in air masses. This additional element absorbs a little more electricity than an ordinary fireplace, but the quality of air in the room is noticeably improved.

• Infrared fireplace plays about the same role as a sauna with a similar effect. This means that shortwave radiation is not only absorbed by the human body without harm, but, conversely, is for the benefit of the owner of such a fireplace. An aggregate with an infrared function is, of course, not cheap compared to its usual counterparts, but health, as they say, is more expensive.
• Electric fireplaces with ionizers and humidifiers also facilitate the breathing of people in the room. From any heating element, the air, as is known, is very dry, and the window, not in any weather, can be opened for ventilation. In such situations, devices that make the air more suitable for normal life come to the rescue. For some models of fireplaces, you can later purchase an ionizer or humidifier separately as part of the design, or you can simply install such devices separately from the fireplace.

The main division of the subspecies of electric fireplaces occurs on a functional basis.

Before ordering a fireplace, you need to clearly define for what purpose you need it.

• A fireplace that will simply mimic glowing firewood or coal, where the picture of logs and lights can serve only as a decorative element.
• Fireplace with heat transfer function, where the lights do not play a major role. Such a fireplace plays the role of a presentable heater.
• Universal fireplace, which, as they say, and warms, and pleases the eye - the most popular, but also the most expensive. In different variations, it can be equipped with heating control, for example, to turn off the heat in summer and enjoy only the backlight. There are fireplaces with a remote control that regulates not only the heating temperature, but also how and with what intensity the coals will flicker.

Electric fireplace creates a mood thanks to the center panel, where the lights are dancing, but it is through the design of the portal that you can judge the taste of the host. It is worth thinking about how to entrust the finishing of the fireplace portal to a professional designer. The master will still initially have to agree on the sketches of the outer part of the fireplace with the customer, so that differences in preferences are minimized.

You can try it yourself or with the help of the artist to draw a sketch of the fireplace frame. Both simple curls, monograms or imitation of columns on the sides of the hearth, as well as complex floral or ornamental motifs with inserts of letters from the family coat of arms are welcome.

There are situations when the fireplace has already got accustomed to the interior, but the owner of the villa or apartment comes to mind to make repairs. For such cases, you can initially make a removable portal or a frame of polyurethane materials and heat-resistant chipboard, suitable for painting. Now, even if the interior of the room changes dramatically, you can adjust the electric fireplace to a new design with minimal cost.

As for the design of fireplaces, depending on the geometric shape of the portal, the following options are most popular in a modern apartment.

It can be either semicircular or triangular. This option is very good for rooms with a small area or rooms with a non-standard layout. If in the corner there is a finished likeness of a niche, then the fireplace will look right on this spot. With the correct arrangement of furniture in a semicircle around the hearth, you canto reach the atmosphere of comfort and warmth in the same way as if there was a full-fledged large fireplace in the center.

Decorating the portal in the high-tech style may suggest completely unpredictable shapes in combination with artificial materials, bending in different directions. Thus, an electric fireplace is made, for example, in the form of an open hearth, located in the middle of the room and lined in a circle with stone or brick. To such an artificial fire in room conditions, it is possible to attach an exhaust pipe to the top that simulates the smoke coming out of the room.

The design of high-tech style fireplaces can most often be seen in the form of silver steel or white plastic surfaces. This element of decor must match the other components of the room. A modern fireplace with antique furniture is by no means combined.

In recent years, Art Nouveau portals have become a sales hit in all specialized stores and workshops. Such a fireplace is characterized by smooth curved lines, a bright range of colors (most often, the so-called color of coffee with milk or ivory), an abundance of inserts of flowers, leaves and soft rounded monograms. This elegant solution should be consistent with the rest of the furniture in the room.It is also good to combine with the portal in the modern style there will be light stucco on the ceiling, repeating motifs and lines of fireplace decorations.

A striking example is the cladding of the front panels of the fireplace quartz agglomerate. This finishing material is easy to handle and care, almost does not absorb dirt and soot, as well as heat-resistant. Quartz material looks almost like natural marble, with small multi-colored inclusions in the stone, which creates an additional shimmering stream that adds play of colors to artificial fire.

Acrylic stone is also very good for decorating an electric fireplace. If you choose it correctly, it will gleam nobly, beautifully combining a change of matte and glossy play. Acrylic is very popular, primarily due to the possibility of seamless installation. This means that when finishing and grouting, neither joints nor excess seams will be visible, which allows this finishing option to compete with smooth surfaces of natural stones.

An important quality of acrylic is the ability to thermoform., which allows them to cover almost any surface, and not just the portal of an electric fireplace. So, if you wish, you can create a single composition of the fireplace itself and the portal, the mantelpiece, the chimney, the part of the wall adjacent to all this splendor.

Stainless or blued steel, chrome-plated coating - all these are the materials that make it possible to create a unique design not only in high-tech style. A fireplace with iron elements looks like a piece of furniture from a medieval castle, which will look especially impressive in a country house.

An integral part of the design of modern electric fireplaces are accessories such as a woodpile with real firewood., as well as a bucket with tongs for turning the logs and a scoop for sweeping away the coal.Firewood can be artificial, in tone painted on the fireplace panel. The smell of real wood and the atmosphere of comfort are transmitted only with natural materials. Do not forget that the tree is rotting, bark beetles can be got in the wood, therefore logs should be treated with special tools every few months.

Often before buying an electric fireplace, the question arises of exactly where it should be installed. The moment of choosing the indoor space is very important, because depending on this, a certain power of the device and the design of the portal are selected. The favorite place of Russian buyers is the living room, because this is the largest room in the house where the whole family likes to gather in the evenings or a festive table is set when guests arrive.

When ordering a fireplace of a certain size and heating power, it is necessary to proceed from the calculation that for every 10 square meters of living space there are 2-3 kW of power for uniform heating. So, it is better to spend money on a hall of 20-30 square meters in a large country house and purchase a large and powerful fireplace so that in winter it performs not only an aesthetic function, but also accumulates heat.

The most common mistake when placing the fireplace - its installation in front of the window. The principle is the same as with the TV - the light from the window, falling on the panel, will brighten the picture with glowing logs, and it will be dim.

It is best to place an electrical design element along the side wall.away from the front door and the coffee table. The last remark is true, because, otherwise, the glass surface of the table and the mantelpiece can heat up from each other. Although modern fireplaces are equipped with a special protective screen, which remains a bit warm even after long-term operation of the unit, it is better to be safe.

In the case when you want to make a complete imitation of a real fireplace with a chimney and a chimney shelf, you need to make sure that the ceiling in the room is rather high for such beauty. Having ordered a complex installation project, it is better to find out in advance what wall in the apartment is bearing, so as not to destroy anything superfluous when building a fireplace.

With a hinged fireplace, everything is much simpler. It can be hung on the TV in front of the couch, if the inhabitants of the house a calm picture of crackling coals are more interesting than TV shows.However, combining in one room and a TV, and a hinged fireplace, it is better to carry them away from each other. Placing both types of equipment on different walls, you can protect them not only against mutual heating, but also to avoid a failure in electrical wiring, when two devices with high power are connected to the same outlet.

Now also often order small electric fireplaces for the bedroom.to create a harmonious intimate atmosphere in the room. In this case, the angular or wall option is the best fit. The main thing is not to install the equipment too close to the head of the bed, because the fireplace dries the air and takes excess oxygen.

Wall fireplace should be hung below the horizon, because they admire mainly from a horizontal position, lying in bed.

Quite a small room does not involve embedding an electric fireplace. For such a cubic room you can buy a mini-fireplace and install it anywhere - on the table, bedside table, or just on the floor.It is unlikely that it will warm the frosty winter night, but it can serve as a worthy replacement for a night lamp or a TV.

Before installing an electric fireplace, especially in a small apartment or an old high-rise building, better to take some advice.

• Having a narrow entrance door, it is necessary to measure in advance the length-width-height of all openings through which the fireplace will be carried during the installation process.
• Determine the bearing and side walls according to the construction plan of the apartment, because installing a fireplace and destroying the bearing wall is simply prohibited by law or requires additional permission for redevelopment in the relevant housing and utilities authorities. Even the brackets for the wall fireplace in the supporting wall will be practically impossible to screw in, only the wallpaper will be damaged, and zero will be useful.

• Check the quality of the wiring and connectors of the sockets to which the fireplace will be connected, as well as the steam generator, air ionizer and other related appliances. In the same room should not simultaneously work two or more devices with high power, such as a fireplace, microwave, multiple TVs, and so on.For apartment owners in a high-rise building, such a situation can be simply dangerous, because with a sudden power outage some devices can fail. What is most terrible, at this moment, numerous neighbors may remain without light.
• Decorations of the portal should also be chosen depending on the architectural features of the room and even on the fact whether there are small children or animals in the house. If they are, then you should not richly decorate with stucco the area near the floor, especially when the decorative elements strongly protrude on the smooth surface of the portal. Restless households can break off or scratch all the rich ornamentation during the game, and after all, the cost of such elegant patterns is oh so great.

The electric fireplace in the house has, of course, a number of advantages:

• Cost effectiveness compared with the purchase of this fireplace as at the time of purchase, and with further maintenance and care.
• The ability to install even in a small apartment in the city, because now you do not need to attach the chimney to the exit to the street, so having a fireplace in the house is easier than a kitchen hood.
• If there is absolutely no place for a fireplace on the floor - hang it on the wall or put a mini-version on the table or nightstand.

• The portal for the fireplace can be bought separately or manufactured according to an individual sketch, so that it does not look like a foreign object in the interiors of the room. Panels made of artificial materials allow you to repaint the fireplace frame or to replace part of the decorative elements, if there has been a repair or the old fireplace just disliked.
• It is possible to adapt an electric fireplace even for a sauna in the country - coals and incandescent stones in a separate tank, and on top there is a beautiful picture of glowing logs.

There is a number of inconveniences near the fireplace in the house, although they cannot be considered significant:

• Compared to a conventional heater, a fireplace is expensive, although you can always find a cheaper model, it all depends on your household budget.
• From the work of a powerful fireplace wiring can fail, especially if you turn on several electrical appliances at the same time.
• During long-term operation of an electric fireplace, the air is dry, since during the reaction of heat release, oxygen is absorbed.Regular airing or buying a humidifier will easily solve this problem.

The electric fireplace in this room fits the interior of the room in the best possible way, despite the risky combination of three materials in the finishing of the portal. The main lining of dark wood contrasts well with the background of white walls, and the light brick at the edges serves as an extension of the wall. Dark grout between the individual bricks does not allow the fireplace to merge with the surrounding space. Dark stainless steel grate smoothly passes to the surface of the screen with glowing logs, giving the fireplace a naturalistic look. The built-in mantelpiece allows you to complement the image with antiquarian accessories, which creates a special atmosphere of comfort.

Not very prominent from the wall portal in the neoclassical style looks spectacular in a room with a strict atmosphere. The main panel resembles an ancient Greek temple with semi-columns on the rim. A minimum of jewelry in combination with round elements of the so-called Doric order in the corners give the whole structure solemnity and monumentality.An unusual solution in the form of a double frame allows you to consider smoldering logs in the manner of the picture. First, it is surrounded by a wooden frame, and only then a wide white portal. The walls in the room are two tones darker than the portal, which allows the fireplace not to merge with other interior items in the room.

The high-tech fireplace in the interiors of the room slightly resembles a traditional hearth in ancient Japanese houses thanks to an unusual portal, lined with solid wooden beams converging crosswise and protruding from the wall. The inner beige frame is painted the same color as the walls. This allows the fireplace as a whole to blend in harmoniously with the wall. Accessories in the same style can be put on the upper and lower wooden surfaces to create an authentic oriental spirit.

Everyone chooses independently whether it is worth making such an unusual purchase to improve the design of their apartment. On the one hand, a spirit electric fireplace can replace an ordinary heater, on the other hand, instead of glowing logs, it is much more interesting to look at the TV screen. Anyway, the fireplace will definitely help to create a unique atmosphere of comfort and warmth, which can gather the whole family in the evenings for long conversations or tea drinking.

How to make your own portal for electric fireplace, you will learn from the following video.