Built in electric fireplace

In the daily bustle of the city, sometimes we lack the charms of a country house, where you can sit down and relax in front of the fireplace, doze off to the crackle of firewood, clear your soul and mind, looking at the flames. But now there is a solution - even in a small-sized city apartment you can install a built-in electric fireplace.

• Such a fireplace does not require the installation of a special ventilation system, there is no need to purchase materials for the firebox. It is enough to have a good electrical outlet and prepare a niche into which the fireplace will be built in;
• An electric fireplace can be easily installed with your own hands, its installation (and dismantling) does not require any special knowledge and skills;
• It is impossible not to note the convenience of operation - such fireplaces do not need special care, and the “flame” is easily controlled by the remote control;
• Do not forget that, in addition to decorative, electric fire can also perform a heating function - the heating area of ​​such a fireplace is about 20 square meters.

In addition to the advantages, electric fireplaces have several drawbacks, or, rather, contraindications for installation:

• The main disadvantage of the built-in electric fire is its high power consumption, about 2 kilowatts per hour, with the heating function turned on. Since the fireplace, as a rule, is included for quite a long time, the cost of electricity can "hit" on the wallet. However, if the fireplace works only in the decorative mode, the energy consumption will drop significantly (up to 200 watts per hour) and it will not be “more voracious” than the computer;

• It is strongly not recommended to install electric fireplaces in houses with old wiring, since this device is quite powerful and can cause interruptions in electricity and even short-circuiting. Therefore, the wiring must be carefully checked and, if necessary, replaced;
• Like any heating device, a built-in electric fireplace greatly dries out the air in the room in which it is located. Therefore, it is necessary to thoroughly airing.

Each built-in electric fire, regardless of its type, contains the following elements - the hearth and the portal.The hearth is the part of the device where the decorative elements of the fireplace are installed - “firewood” and “fire”. Sometimes it is decorated with wrought iron doors or grilles. The portal is a certain box in which the fireplace is installed. It can be made of various finishing materials - stone, drywall, wood, marble, etc. The variety of style decisions gives the chance to build such portal which will ideally fit into an interior of the room.

There are the following types of built-in electric fireplaces:

• Decorative fireplaces. These fireplaces are designed exclusively for decorating the room, as a rule, they are narrower, small-sized, they can be built into furniture items, for example, in a wall slide or in a closet. They do not have the function of heating - only beautiful lighting that imitates fire and artificial firewood (coal), as well as sometimes forged grill or glass;

• Fireplaces heaters. They are often less beautiful, but they do an excellent job of heating the room and give their owners warmth and special comfort during the long winter evenings. Heating is carried out using a built-in fan heater or a mirror reflector,which directs heat from the heating elements to the outside. In many models of electric fireplaces, the temperature can be adjusted;

• There is also a third, combined type of fireplaces - decorative fireplaces with heating function, which, if desired, can be used as a means to increase the air temperature in the room, and as a beautiful interior detail.

You can also choose a model with additional features: with steam simulating smoke, with a 3D effect of a burning flame (options for simulating fire on the built-in screen or backlit steam below are now very popular), with sound effects (crackling firewood), with a cleaning and ionization function of air. The choice of electric fireplace depends only on your wishes and the size of the wallet. In order to decide, you need to know a few rules:

• Be sure to compare the dimensions of the room with the desired size of the fireplace - a large fireplace is not suitable for a small room and will look ridiculous and cumbersome. A variety of models of such fireplaces (by type of hearth - open or closed; by location - angular, frontal, three-sided or through; in shape - rectangular or non-standard configuration)will allow you to decide on which is better to choose the form and where to place it, how it will fit into the space. Furniture and other furnishings should be in harmony with the design of the fireplace portal;
• The important role played by the design of the fireplace - finishing its decorative elements, such as glass, marble, metal forging, etc. To increase the realism, designers recommend the use of additional elements, for example, fireplace tongs, poker and wood fenders. Also standing on the fireplace candles, figurines, vases look very beautiful;
• If you choose a fireplace with a heating function, first check the wiring in your house and install a good quality Euro socket. Next, you need to remember that for high-quality heating of the room requires power at the rate of 1 kW per 10 sq. M. Whenever possible choose electrofireplaces with a possibility of adjustment of temperature.

If you have thought over the design of your future apartment beforehand and decided that the built-in electric fire is just what you need, then be sure to create a niche for it at the initial stage of construction and finishing works.In this niche, you must install a structure made of building profiles and drywall or other material selected for the manufacture of the portal. If you are not confident in your abilities, invite a specialist.

It is advisable to buy the device in advance so that it fits perfectly into the prepared niche. Its depth can vary from 5 to 40 centimeters. It is best to choose the option with greater depth, as it looks more realistic.

If you chose an electric fireplace with heating function, do not forget to provide ventilation holes during installation and make sure that there is a small distance between the walls of the fireplace and the walls of the niche in which it is located.

Select the wall for installation. Firstly, it should not be a wall combined with the apartment of neighbors. Secondly, it should not be a window or hanging TV. The best option is a wall between the living room and bedroom or kitchen. Install the fireplace in such a way that you can position a seating area opposite.

To connect the fireplace to the network, use a separate outlet. Think carefully about how you can disguise it, as well as electrical wire.If this is not done, all its realism will disappear.

Gone are the days when the fireplace was the prerogative of only wealthy people, owners of country houses and mansions. Now almost everyone can choose a built-in electric fire to your taste and wallet. Their cost varies from 10 to 200 thousand rubles and depends on the technical characteristics and additional capabilities of the device. When buying a fireplace without a portal, you can save about 50% of the set price. And the portal can be made independently, from a chipboard or gypsum cardboard, and after that it can be veneered with a wooden veneer or a “wild” stone.