A modern electric fireplace is beneficial as an option for heating a home and keeping the occupants warm and cozy. It is designed to keep the air heated to a level that the people in the house will stay comfortable. As a homeowner, you might find the installation quite tasking, especially if you do not have a wall-mounted electric fireplace option. You will still need to keep your fireplace somewhere it will be the focal point of the home and elevated enough to distribute heat evenly to all the home areas. Can an electric fireplace be against the wall? Can you have a freestanding electric fireplace in your living room? We examine this in the sections that follow and conclude with some of the essential tips to keep in mind as you look for a position to place the fireplace.
Placing the fireplace against a wall is an excellent option for saving space in your home, and you will be able to take up less floor space. However, you need to strategize on a position in the house that will maximize the space while still delivering the heat you need. When you ask yourself, “Can an electric fireplace be against wall?”; think of the other factors that will affect the choice of location. The installation location will be determined by a couple of factors, such as where people are usually located while they are in the room and the nearest electricity source, among other factors.
In this post, you will learn:
- Electric Fireplaces
- Can an Electric Fireplace be Against the Wall
- Installation Options for an electric fireplace
- Benefits of Placing the Electric Fireplace Against a Wall
- Recommendations of Where to place the electric fireplace
This information will prove useful when you find yourself unable to have a wall-mounted electric fireplace for a small living room but still need to save on the available space in your living room. With this information, you will be able to conserve space and ensure that you have a proper fireplace installation that clearly stays out of the way but still serves its purpose well. This will also answer our question, “Can an electric fireplace be against the wall?”; with real-world applications and scenarios where you will need this kind of information. As a result, you will be better prepared for odd installations that do not consider the lack of a wall-mount electric fireplace option.
Electric Fireplaces
An electric fireplace provides heat to your home and has several advantages:
- For instance, it matches up to your home décor and adds to the design and beauty of your home. It brings out a fashionable look that makes it the focal point of any room.
- These fireplaces are also known to save big on space compared to a traditional fireplace. They do not eat up too much space in your room, and one doesn’t always need a wall-mount electric fireplace.
- Installation for the electric fireplaces provides you with a load of options and massive flexibility. The electric fireplace insert is available in all sizes and shapes. You can also combine them with the entertainment center or bookshelves.
- If you live in an apartment or a condo, having a small realistic fireplace helps add ambiance and coziness to your living space. Amazon has the best selection of small-sized fireplaces with mantels for limited spaces.
- The sizes, colors, and shapes allow the electric fireplace to match architectural styles, with the match being more accurate than many traditional wood and gas fireplaces.
- Electric fireplace units are also known to have a longer lifespan than other fireplaces. This makes them last the duration of the warranty, and emissions are kept to a minimum
- It does not produce realistic flames, which means that the parts’ corrosion is not possible. The absence of real flames makes them less of a hazard or danger to a gas line, and zone heating is made possible.
- The electric fireplace’s installation process is as simple as unboxing it and plugging it into the electrical outlet. This is a one-person job, and you don’t need to call in the electrician for the installation.
- For someone who moves from different houses, taking the finest electric fireplace with you is quite simple, and this portability also means you can move them from room to room. As such, making upgrades is simple and easy enough.
- You can use the appearances made by the flame effect and flame color to improve the home décor during the summer. This season, you can keep the heat source turned off and not have to worry about rising electricity bills.
- The warmth from the large freestanding electric fireplace dissipates directly into the room. None of the heat is lost through special venting, and you get to receive all of it.
- You also get to have control over the heat output compared to when you are using a wood fireplace. All you need to do is turn the thermostat to a low temperature while still achieving the level of comfort you need.
- Even though electric fireplaces cannot be the central heating source for an entire home, they can heat individual rooms more efficiently than a real fireplace.
- In terms of safety, the electric fireplace will not emit any harmful fumes and gases such as carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.
- The fireplaces also leave behind a smaller carbon footprint with no lethal gas released into the environment.
- It does not aggravate existing medical conditions such as bronchitis or asthma.
- You also get to eliminate all possibilities of fire from a shooting ember bed or a log set rolling out of the fireplace when you use an electric fireplace.
- Best electric fireplaces do not require chimneys for venting or gas lines.
- They are also available with remote control for easy usage from a distance. This is very efficient and convenient for the homeowner who won’t need to keep moving to the fireplace to adjust to the heat settings.
- Flames on the electric fireplace are not real, and any hazards from open flames are eliminated.
- The electric fireplaces are also safe for kids and pets. They do not expose any hot surface that can cause burns, and materials are always cool to the touch. The heat discharge vent is the only component of the electric fireplace that may become warm to the touch.
- Electricity in the fireplace is directly converted to heat with a 99% efficiency. This is much better than the 60-80% that a gas fireplace provides. Wood-burning fireplaces are one of the most inefficient means of heating your home, with most of the heat getting out through the chimney.
- The electric fireplaces are largely maintenance-free unless changing a light bulb every 2 to 3 years.
- Infrared quartz electric fireplaces are known to provide more heat than standard electric fireplaces. This is useful for supplemental heat in any home, and no fireplace mantel is needed.
Some safety concerns should be kept in mind even as you think of installing an electric fireplace in your home.
- Even with the fireplaces being manufactured to utilize a standard 120-volt outlet, they usually draw maximum power. Using it with another appliance on the same circuit could blow a fuse as one of the appliances might get overloaded.
- You might also need special wiring or a dedicated circuit for larger electric fireplace units, and you will also need a surge protector.
- Heat discharge from the electric fireplace unit also tends to have its safety implications. It would help if you did not have flammable objects in the path of this discharge. You should install the electric fireplace away from carpets, flammable materials, and drapes.
- The wall mounts electric fireplace should always be securely mounted when it is being installed. If you are installing a console unit, ensure that it has been securely anchored to the wall to prevent tipping over. Most of the electrical components in the fireplace are front-heavy and will need adequate securing.
Typically, electric fireplaces are preferred for their greater efficiency, lower costs, and practicality. They have many positive reasons you should consider them, and with the technology improving, they are getting better.
Can an Electric Fireplace be Against the Wall
Installation options for an electric fireplace vary greatly, and when you intend to have the fireplace against a wall, there are a few things you will need to consider. For safety reasons, you cannot leave the fireplace leaning against the wall and not have it secured to the wall in any way. This is because the fireplace’s front section is heavier than the back, and it will be likely to come crashing down after a few seconds.
For the wall installation to be safe, you must have a means of securing the fireplace or giving it supports at the sides to ensure that it does not fall. This is very important as well as critical for safety reasons. There are several options for securing the electric fireplace to the wall. These are all simple projects that you can do on your own and won’t need any additional help to complete the installation process.
Please note that placing the electric fireplace against the wall is very different from an in-wall installation. The in-wall installation will require that a portion of the wall has been dug out to create an allowance for the components at the back of the fireplace. In contrast, placing the fireplace against the wall will not require you to dig into the wall, create an allowance, or have a recessed electric fireplace. This is a significant difference, and there are places where you cannot be allowed to make changes to the wall when installing the fireplace.
Some homes and rented houses have a policy that does not allow you to modify the home’s look and feel. Apartments and condos might restrict changes to only the bulbs and wall paint, but the rest of the house should be remarkably intact when you are leaving it. With this in mind, you will have to develop better ways of installing your electric fireplace without breaking the rules of going against building codes.
Whenever you find yourself unable to break down the wall to get your fireplace installed, you will need to develop better ways of installing the fireplace. This should be a safe and creative way that does not make any changes to the home’s existing structure and integrity. However, it should also be a secure installation that leaves the electric fireplace securely attached to the wall. Safety is paramount for electric fireplace installations, and as you go about looking for ways to place the electric fireplace you’ve bought against the wall, keep this in mind. The safety of your kids and pets should be a foremost priority when you are performing the installation. The result should be an unshakable and unmovable fireplace that cannot fall on anyone or cause bodily harm. Some design tweaks and ingenuity will also help you make use of less space when installing the electric fireplace.
Securing the fireplace to the wall is the most crucial step of the installation process, and you can have a separate board attached to the wall in preparation for this. You can also prepare a bracket on top of the existing board to form a place onto which you will attach the fireplace. The bracket holds the electric fireplace securely in place and ensures that it does not move about or shake once installed. The setup will not affect your wall in any way, and in the case of existing building codes and regulations, you won’t have gone against any of them.
An electric fireplace placed against the wall is not as permanent a solution as a built-in electric fireplace. They do not protrude into the wall itself and are designed to stand parallel to the wall itself. The installation of these types of fireplaces eliminates the need for eating into the wall, and the structure of the home does not get modified in any way. However, it would help if you didn’t ignore the need for safety when installing the electric fireplace in this fashion.
The availability of a close power source determines where your installation will take place. For instance, the LED lights should be visible and not hidden or obstructed. The electric fireplace will need to be close to a nearby electrical outlet. This will factor hugely into where you will position the electric fireplace. You should study the electrical installation in the home before deciding on a place to install the fireplace. This eliminates the need for long extension cords whenever you install the electric fireplace, and you can safely position the fireplace somewhere it will have a reliable power supply.
Being close to the electrical outlets also means that your installation will not take long, and getting connected to the 120-volt electricity outlet will be a simple process. Plugging into a standard electrical outlet is the simplest option for powering the electric fireplace. Still, you should ensure that only the fireplace is plugged into the outlet as a matter of safety. A TV stand should not share the same power outlet as the fireplace. The heating element requires a lot of electricity to operate. Loading more than one appliance on the same outlet is considered to be a safety hazard. The electrical outlet gets overpowered and might result in fires and some of the appliances getting damaged. The cord that connects the firebox to the outlet should also be adequately insulated to ensure that it does not pose any safety threats to the homeowners and the fireplace itself.
Whenever you choose a location for the wall mounted electric fireplace, beams and studs in the room will be a determiner of the best site. The fireplace units are generally heavy, and support from the wall will be quite helpful. You will want to place the electric fireplace in a position where you can easily view it from critical spots all over the room. Being close to the electrical outlet is essential, but the unit should not be above the outlet itself as the discharge vents might blow heat directly to the outlet.
Balance and placement are essential for placing the fireplace against the wall. A bit of rearranging other furniture in your room might also be necessary when you are doing the installation of the electric fireplace. This is all done to create a visual appearance that will be pleasing while not using up too much space in the room. In case there are places where people move about a lot in the room, you should avoid installing the electric fireplace here. Instead, look for a spot that has less traffic and install the fireplace there. This will ensure that you make the best use of space without the latest addition to your room becoming an inconvenience to the people living there and disrupting their normal flow of routines. Moving around without touching the fireplace or getting in contact with it is crucial and as you consider where you place the fireplace against the wall, look for a place that does not often get disturbed.
The cord must be stylishly hidden whenever you are installing the fireplace in your home. The fireplace can be an essential part of the room’s overall design and often becomes a focal point, the same way an entertainment center does. The appliance cords should not go through the wall but against it, with the cables being hidden by decorative covers.
Typically, electric fireplaces have additional hardware that is used for the installation. These are usually screws and metal mounting brackets. Pins and a mounting place will also be provided. The following directions are vital to ensure a balanced placement, and the bracket should be able to hold the electric fireplace in place firmly. Depending on your fireplace’s dimensions, you might need to get better hardware for the installation and ensure that it matches up the size of the electric fireplace you intend to install at your home. This will also be useful as you do not have to worry when the fireplace does not accompany the installation hardware. Getting the hardware separately is not a challenging task, and your local Home Depot will likely have the ideal solution for you. You will also get all the necessary tools and equipment for the undertaking from a single source and ensure that you get all dimensions correctly.
The brackets should hold the fireplace from the top, and you should secure the bottom of the fireplace. This means that the measurements should be accurately made and the markings carefully measured to ensure they are balanced and vertically and horizontally aligned. The fireplace should not be skewed when it has finally been installed, but it should be standing upright to ensure that it gives off the correct impression. Anyone that looks at the fireplace you have placed against the wall should be able to see it perfectly balanced and not out of place or misaligned.
Placing the fireplace against the wall eliminates the need for rear clearance. However, it would help if you used nonflammable wall coverings because the unit produces heat. You should install the fireplace in a place where it is safely away from damp conditions and contact with liquids. All building codes and local regulations must be adhered to whenever you are installing your fireplace, and it should not be modified even when you are merely placing it against a wall. This will ensure safety for the occupants of the home, and the fireplace will be able to render services to you for much longer.
Conclusion
Going through a MagikFlame electric fireplace buying guide or reading through MagikFlame reviews and the MagikFlame story is a touchstone that gives you many options for electric fireplaces for your home. However, building codes might dictate that you cannot modify the wall in any way, and this requires that you make your installation without getting into the wall. This also means that you will need your fireplace to take up a significant portion of the floor covering, and this is in line with how MagikFlame is built. It will be ideal for updating your payment plans and financing options to get better and energy-efficient fireplaces with better BTUs throughput. Dimplex and Touchstone fireplaces are also high quality and have excellent performance.
Therefore, you must know where to make the installation and what key points to remember. For instance, selecting the location where your fireplace will be is essential and ensures that you can get electrical supplied conveniently to the unit. It also provides decoration and artistic effects to the home and makes your fireplace a focal point for the family. This is the reason you should be able to select the ideal position to place your firebox against a wall. You don’t need to hassle with breaking down the wall when you have better alternatives.
Using the tips provided in this post, you will get to have a better idea of how the wall installation should occur. You don’t necessarily need to have a wall-mounted fireplace to make your home appear complete. You can always work around the limitations presented to you, and the installation process will still be a success. The electric fireplace heater will appear magnificently part of the home and always provide heat to the room’s desired areas to specified square feet. The electric fireplace heater will also be safe from all kinds of harm, which is what many homeowners prefer for a fireplace in their homes.
