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An electric fireplace is an
The electric fire was invented in 1912 and became popular in the 1950s.
Techniques for electrical "flame effects" have been around since at least 1981.
Commercial electric fireplace techniques include the Optiflame, introduced in 1988 by
An electric fireplace is an electric heater
Electric heating is a process in which electrical energy is converted directly to heat energy at around 100% efficiency, using rather cheap devices. Common applications include space heating, cooking, water heating and industrial processes. ...
that mimics a fireplace
A fireplace or hearth is a structure made of brick, stone or metal designed to contain a fire. Fireplaces are used for the relaxing ambiance they create and for heating a room. Modern fireplaces vary in heat efficiency, depending on the design.
...
burning coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen.
Coal is formed when dea ...
, wood
Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin th ...
, or natural gas
Natural gas (also called fossil gas or simply gas) is a naturally occurring mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons consisting primarily of methane in addition to various smaller amounts of other higher alkanes. Low levels of trace gases like carbo ...
. Electric fireplaces are often placed in conventional fireplaces, which can then no longer be used for conventional fires. They plug into the wall, and can run on a "flame only" setting, or can be used as a heater, typically consuming 1.4-1.6 kW, that can heat a room.
History
The electric fire was invented in 1912 and became popular in the 1950s.
Techniques for electrical "flame effects" have been around since at least 1981.
Commercial electric fireplace techniques include the Optiflame, introduced in 1988 by Dimplex
GlenDimplex (formerly known as Glen Electric) is an Irish based consumer electrical goods firm headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. The company is privately held, with manufacturing and development centres in the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingd ...
.
Dimplex claims to have produced the first electric fireplace with a "realistic" wood-burning flame effect in 1995. It is unclear what specific technique is being referred to, although it may be .
In 2008 Dimplex
GlenDimplex (formerly known as Glen Electric) is an Irish based consumer electrical goods firm headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. The company is privately held, with manufacturing and development centres in the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingd ...
launched the Opti-myst effect which simulates both flames and smoke.
In 2013 Dimplex
GlenDimplex (formerly known as Glen Electric) is an Irish based consumer electrical goods firm headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. The company is privately held, with manufacturing and development centres in the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingd ...
launched the Opti-V effect which combines realistic flickering flames with three dimensional LED logs that sporadically sparks and an audio element of crackling logs.
Advantages compared to traditional fireplaces
Advantages of electric fireplaces are that they: * do not requirechimney
A chimney is an architectural ventilation structure made of masonry, clay or metal that isolates hot toxic exhaust gases or smoke produced by a boiler, stove, furnace, incinerator, or fireplace from human living areas. Chimneys are typic ...
s.
* are often portable.
* do not require remodeling to install.
* are more economical.
* are more convenient.
* are safer to use.
* do not require the maintenance needed for wood burning or gas fireplaces.
Disadvantages compared to traditional fireplaces
Disadvantages of electric fireplaces are that they: * are typically more costly to operate compared to gas orwood
Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin th ...
burning heaters due to price of electricity;
*are less efficient than other modern methods of electrical heating
Electric heating is a process in which electrical energy is converted directly to heat energy at around 100% efficiency, using rather cheap devices. Common applications include space heating, cooking, water heating and industrial processes. An ...
, e.g. heat pump
A heat pump is a device that can heat a building (or part of a building) by transferring thermal energy from the outside using a refrigeration cycle. Many heat pumps can also operate in the opposite direction, cooling the building by removing h ...
s. COP of 1 vs. COP of 3-5 for heat pumps.
* are not as realistic as real flames, even those in gas fireplaces;
* cannot be exposed to weather.
See also
*Firebox
Firebox may refer to:
*Firebox (steam engine), the area where the fuel is burned in a steam engine
*Firebox (architecture), the part of a fireplace where fuel is combusted
*Firebox Records
Firebox Records was a Finnish record label based in S ...
* Fireplace insert
Invented in 1896 by Joab R. Donaldson of Oliphant Furnace, Pennsylvania, US,Joab R. Donaldson (1896) "Fireplace" the fireplace insert is a device inserted into an existing masonry or prefabricated wood fireplace. Joab was a 59-year-old coal mine ...
* Fireplace mantel
The fireplace mantel or mantelpiece, also known as a chimneypiece, originated in medieval times as a hood that projected over a fire grate to catch the smoke. The term has evolved to include the decorative framework around the fireplace, and ca ...
* Wood-fired oven
upA double oven
A ceramic oven
An oven is a tool which is used to expose materials to a hot environment. Ovens contain a hollow chamber and provide a means of heating the chamber in a controlled way. In use since antiquity, they have been us ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Electric Fires Fireplaces Residential heating appliances