Living in a cold state and not having a fireplace in your house might be obscuring. From helping us fight cold to protecting from winter-born diseases, a fireplace has a lot of advantages. Historically, fireplaces only consumed wood but it usually resulted in smoke and pollution, along with environmental concerns that arose due to cutting trees.
To overcome this hassle, electric fireplaces came into the market, and are still used by millions to keep their homes warm during the winters. But, is it safe to use electric fireplaces? Let’s find out.
The Safety of Electric Fireplaces
In general, electric fireplaces are safe to use. Unlike traditional stoves that used wood to light fire, electric fireplaces use bulbs to create an illusion similar to that of fire. Therefore, they don’t use woods but an electric heater to produce a warming effect. Traditional fireplaces also produce smoke, carbon monoxide, sulfur, and other gases, that raise safety concerns for the family members and the environment. Moreover, electric fireplaces feature added protection, which was missing in the standard woof furnaces.
If you want to leave your furnace switched on overnight, an electric fireplace is the safest option. Since an electric heater features extra protection, it poses the least risk of furniture and nearby items catching fire. Just to be safe, make sure you have not kept any flammable objects near the furnace.
Benefits of Electric Fireplace
In addition to being safe and secure, an electric fireplace offers a bunch of other benefits as well, as discussed below:
Cost-Effective: Electric furnaces cost less compared to traditional heaters, helping you save on significant dollar bills. Moreover, users have reported that electric furnaces are 50 percent more efficient than wood furnaces, as they lose less energy.
More Efficient: As discussed above, in an electric fireplace, the input energy is directly converted into usable heat, minimizing heat loss, thereby increasing the overall efficiency.
No Installation: A traditional fireplace requires a tedious installation process, including construction, planning, and placing. Electric stoves, on the other hand, require little to no installation process, providing a simple, accessible solution.
No matter how much cost-effective and efficient electric fireplaces are, they still need regular maintenance to save energy and to run smoothly. For regular maintenance, you can always contact Instant-Air professionals. By equipping our technicians with the latest training and tools, we can provide you with prompt, accurate, and affordable maintenance services for your HVAC and other electrical equipment.
Safety Tips while using an Electric Fireplace
Although electric fireplaces are a lot safer, they do pose some dangers. Therefore, here are a few safety tips you should keep in mind while using an electric fireplace:
- Don’t keep any flammable material like clothes, furniture, alcohol, etc. in the near vicinity of the furnace.
- Don’t keep the cord plugged in even when the appliance is not in use.
- Avoid using the equipment if (i) it’s getting malfunctioned, (ii) the cord or plug is damaged, (iii) you are noticing unexplained sounds or sparking.
- Don’t modify the unit, and don’t touch any wires or buttons if you are not acquainted with their function.
- Make sure the socket is well-grounded before connecting the appliance to the outlet.
- Don’t try lifting the glass protection by the glass; do so by holding the firebox.
- Don’t allow kids or pets to come nearby the fireplace. Although the chance of burning is almost negligible, the possibilities of an electric shock are prevalent.
For Kids
- Don’t go near the fireplace, unless accompanied by an adult.
- Don’t touch the appliance as it can pose the risk of burns and electric shocks.
- Don’t touch any objects to the equipment until permitted by an adult.
The Bottom Line
As discussed above, electric fireplaces are safe, at least a lot safer than conventional ones that posed significant safety and environmental concerns. However, being an electrical appliance, modern-day fireplaces also cause some threats; therefore, it is essential to follow the safety tips properly and don’t forget to keep your electrical system maintained.
Regularly scheduled checkups keep your system working at their peak efficiency and can extend the life of your equipment. Give Instant-Air technicians a chance to potentially catch minor problems and signs of wear before they turn into bigger issues down the road.