When most people think of a fireplace, they imagine the atmosphere and warmth. The vibe is right in any space, but the thought of overheating a small space doesn’t appeal to most of us. For small spaces, one of the qualities that make electric fireplaces superior to gas fireplaces is the lower heat output. Indeed, with an electric fireplace, the flames are independent of the radiators, so you can have flames with or without heat. Your small space heats up quickly, you can turn off the heating while enjoying the atmosphere of flickering flames.
No more overheating! There are differences between the different models of fireplaces, which is why we are often asked what are the complete electric heater for small rooms. We’ve broken down the differences into three main categories, to guide you towards the perfect electric fireplace for your most intimate spaces.
Produce Heat – 120 volts vs. 240 volts
All electric fireplaces will connect to a 120-volt power line. It is the standard currency in your home. At 120 volts, the maximum heat output of an electric fireplace is 5,000 BTUs. Which can be thought of as enough heat to cool a space of 400 to 500 square feet. Of course, there are lower settings for smaller or warmer spaces. As already mentioned, you cannot have heat if you prefer.
We don’t consider a 400-500 square foot room to be small, but it is definitely too small a space to have a gas fireplace, where the heat output ranges from 15,000 to 30,000 BTUs and beyond. If 5,000 BTUs equals 400 square feet, then 15,000 BTUs equals 1,200 square feet. , it is an entire floor or in some cases an entire house. There are some models of electric fireplaces that can be connected to 240 volts, which allows greater heat output, up to a maximum of 9,000 BTUs. surface, up to about 800 square meters. Again, we don’t think of it as a small space, but by the standards of a gas fireplace, it could be.
The Heating Zone
An electric fireplace is designed as a backup heater, to heat a defined space that is already served by another heat source, such as a furnace. It is not deliberate as a primary heat source. Sometimes we call it zone heating – space heating is actually used while setting the oven thermostat to a lower setting in other parts of the house. This saves on energy costs. Zone heating is especially useful in the spring and fall when the oven can be turned off, but some rooms need extra heat. Zone heating is also ideal for rooms that are always a little cooler, such as basements or rooms above the garage. While it is possible to get zone heating with gas and electric fireplaces, small rooms get hot with a gas fireplace, while an electric fireplace can be fine.
The scale of the fireplace
Regardless of the size of the space, you want to add a fireplace too, scale matters. Going too small won’t have the desired effect, and going too big could overwhelm the space. In our experience, it’s much more common for clients to be too small than too big. The fireplace should fit the size of the room, as well as the size of the wall. As a general rule, the fireplace should occupy at least half the width of the wall, but not more than three-quarters of the width. On an 8 foot wall, this would suggest a fireplace between 48 and 72 inches. If you don’t feel like you have enough room for that size on the wall, you might want to rearrange things in the room to have a little more space. Otherwise, you might end up with a fireplace that seems lost on the wall.
TVs with Fireplaces
If you plan to install a TV above the fireplace, you need to balance the size of the TV as well as the size of the space. With electric fireplaces, we have complete flexibility as to the size and location of the fireplace in relation to the television. Unlike gas fireplaces, electric units do not heat the wall and there is no space issue requiring the TV to be mounted high up. We suggest the fireplace be wide or wider than the TV, to achieve a balanced look on the wall. Think of the combination of TV and fireplace as a pyramid. If the top of the pyramid is wider than the bottom, the pyramid will look like A, the lower wider part of the pyramid will appear more stable and nice.
