Why Buy an Electric Fireplace in the Middle of Winter

The answer to the question, "Why buy an electric fireplace in the middle of winter," may be obvious to you. But there is a story behind it.

We moved to Georgia from Florida a few years ago. In Florida there was no need for an electric fireplace. The temperature was always between 70 and 100 degrees with humidity about the same. HOT.

And even when we moved, it was July, and the temp in Georgia was even hotter than where we left because there is no sea breeze here (we live just north of Atlanta).

So, we were enjoying our new surroundings when all of a sudden, the temperature starts to change and get colder. We were kind of expecting it, but it took us by surprise when it got into the teens in the middle of November. That ain't supposed to happen. But, no problem, because we had gas heat and a fireplace in the living room. I was looking for an excuse to crank that wood burning fireplace up, and I had it.

I put some logs in and got it started without any problem. But then after about 10 minutes the room started to fill with smoke. My wife started yelling that the house was on fire! I rushed over to see if I could figure out what the difficulty was and quickly discovered that I had forgotten to open the flue. First problem solved.

The next thing that happened was not fun. I took the dog out for a walk and looked up. There were flames coming out the top of the chimney! Holy Smoke, Batman! No, it wasn't holy, but there was definitely smoke and fire. I quickly dosed the fire, but I had to call a chimney sweep and get the flue cleaned out.

By this time, I was not feeling too good about fireplaces. But that is not why we ended up having to buy an electric fireplace.

Have you ever moved away from a place that you lived in for 50 years? If you have you will be familiar with the this. We were getting at least one family a month coming up to "check out" our new digs. Sometimes we had more than one family at a time, so we put some of them up in the basement. The basement is rather chilly in winter. We needed some kind of heater down there. That's where the idea to buy an electric fireplace came in.

Bottom line - I LOVE my electric fireplace! It is a traditional Amish electric fireplace finished in a nice cherry stain. And boy does it deliver the goods, I mean heat. It easily heats our basement quickly (and cheaply, too). It can be turned off when not in use. I don't have to wait for the logs to finish burning.

The best part about our Amish Electric Fireplace is that is "looks" real, with flames and everything. In fact, you can turn on the flames without turning on the heat. Try that with your wood burning fire pit. Our guests have never complained about the lack of heat or ambiance in their quarters. I am totally sold on these electric fireplaces.

One other plus is that they are portable. So when you move, they can move right along with you.

As mentioned above, I lived in Florida for most of my life. I was in construction for a good part of my adult life, so I know a bit about putting things together. I love working with wood and doing home diy projects.

There was a store close to our house that sold electric fireplaces. We stopped in one day and I got the idea to build a fireplace surround myself and save a few $$$. That is exactly what I did. It turned out pretty good, too, if I do say so myself. In fact, that was the icing on the cake, er, sale when we sold our condo. The folks who bought it wanted the fireplace as part of the deal.

Well, when it came to making the inside of my homemade fireplace look real, I was at a loss. So I went back to the fireplace store to buy an electric fireplace insert. Foolishly, they did not carry them. I had to go online to find one. I didn't need the heater, but that came as part of the deal. It fit nicely into my homemade unit.

What a great idea... electric fireplace inserts. For do it yourselfers like me, they are the cat's pajamas. They make us look pretty good. All you need is the correct dimensions for your opening. Again, the fire can be on and the heat does not have to be on. It adds a real homey atmosphere to a room, even in Florida.

Electric Flame:

• Patented Dimplex flame effect
• You may operate flame with or without heat (independent controls)

Electric Log Set:

• Realistic, painted opaque logs

Electric Heater:

• Fan-forced heat quietly provides up to 4700 BTU/hr (1375 watts) of instant warmth (provides supplemental heat for up to 400 sq ft)
• Four season enjoyment – flame operates with or without heater turned on

Remote Control:

• On/off remote control
• Easy to use, allowing you to operate your fireplace with the push of a button

Other Features:

• Place it anywhere with an existing fireplace – bedroom, living room, office, basement, and relocate it easily
• Simply plug it into a standard household electrical (120V) outlet
• Economical to operate and a breeze to set up – no renovations required!

I am so impressed with these units, I built a website to promote them. It is www.buyanelectricfireplace.com. Quite a mouthful, but it says what I wanted.