Whether you are looking for heating elements for outdoor use and outdoor space, or a nice fireplace to match your current indoor home decor, choosing the right unit can be tricky. While an architect for a new home, and by extension a home builder, can help pick the right spot for your heating elements, which unit you get is really up to you. That being said, you might be simply doing a remodel of your home. In this case, some people look for an interior designer to help. This isn’t necessary. With this guide, we are going to help you choose the right heating unit for your home. In the guide that follows, we will compare Infratech heating units with electric fireplaces. We will cover some of their features, and explain which looks better with your interior design elements.
Infratech is a brand of electric heating devices that uses infrared heat in their heating system. They are primarily outdoor heaters with several mounting options so you can use different mounting heights.
The infrared quartz element radiates heat into an area and tends to be more electrically efficient than non-infrared methods. It is common to find them in stainless steel and other materials used in construction depending on the specific model. Infrared is considered eco-friendly due to the comfort of heat and concentrated heat options that use minimal electricity. Many are UL listed.
In general, Infrared patio heaters do a good job of heating a patio area. Of course, they do better with outdoor heating, so you should focus their use on an outdoor patio. Since enclosed patios are more like an indoor living space, you might be better off looking at other options like electric fireplaces. However, if you truly appreciate outdoor living areas and your patio isn’t enclosed, an electric patio heater by Infratech can be a good option.
First of all, Infratech has plenty of popular models, many of which are patio heaters. They have the Slimline for a low-profile look. The W-Series. WD-Series. CD-Series. C-Series. SL Series. They even have a dual-element model. The dual-element heaters are made for much larger areas at a higher electricity cost compared to their single-element heaters. Of course, the Infratech WD series are dual units.
Different Infratech models will have different clearance requirements. They also can be mounted in different ways. Some can be a pole mount, others can be a flush mount with a flush mount frame.
Whether you get Infratech W series heaters or one of the other series, there are other features to be aware of. There are different control options, some with custom controls. On/off switches, input regulators, solid state controls, stack switches, and other element fixtures are all things you should consider when choosing a model.
Some units can also be used with home management systems such as a smart homes.
MagikFlame is the best choice compared to other types of fireplaces.
Keep in mind that several infrared heating devices require a higher volt outlet to be installed due to the amps needed. Most electric fireplaces for the bedroom can easily be plugged into your standard 120-volt outlet.
Infratech patio heaters use infrared radiant energy. Electric fireplaces that use infrared technology use convection instead of radiation. This makes them much more ideal for enclosed spaces. Quality electric fireplaces will typically warm an enclosed area much more quicker and more efficiently.
Another reason electric fireplaces are better for enclosed patios is the visual element. Basic infrared heaters tend to look ugly, which isn’t ideal if you want to use your patio a lot. Electric fireplaces are absolutely more aesthetically pleasing.
A wood-burning fireplace is the least efficient source of heat.
If you are talking about interior spaces, wood, and gas fireplaces should usually be avoided. To start, here are your basic wood fireplace types:
● Open Hearth
● Enclosed
● Enclosed Insert
● Wood Stove
● Fire Pit
Unfortunately, there are so many dangers and other issues that come with them:
● Fire Safety – Soot buildup in the chimney combined with the exposed flames can cause a lot of fire safety issues.
● Harmful Emissions – Smoke and carbon monoxide are very dangerous to inhale. Unfortunately, some of these will always make it into your home.
● Hassle To Use – Building fires, watching the fire, cleaning, and maintaining the fireplace ends up becoming quite a lot of daily work.
● Heat Loss Problem – Since smoke needs to escape through the chimney, it is inevitable that heat will also be lost.
● Smell – There is no avoiding the smell of smoke that will fill your home when you use wood fireplaces regularly. The smell can linger for several days.
● Stains – Because smoke will get in your home, your white walls and light-colored furniture will eventually stain and yellow.
● TV Damage – Unfortunately, there is no way to safely mount a TV above a wood fireplace. The smoke and heat will always damage your TV.
● Wood Storage – Wood fireplaces require quite a lot of storage for wood logs.
● Expensive To Build – If you want to build one, it is a huge construction project that will cost a lot to build.
Gas fireplaces are thought to be a slightly better alternative. They usually come in one of these two main types:
● Direct Vented
● Ventless
Despite gas fireplaces being a little safer and cleaner to burn, they still have their issues:
A carbon monoxide alarm is a necessary investment if you don’t buy a MagikFlame.
● Flame Is Exposed – Although the risk is smaller than wood fireplaces, gas fireplaces still have the issues of exposed flames presenting a fire hazard.
● Carbon Monoxide – Even with less smoke, carbon monoxide is still a serious concern with gas fireplaces.
● Ugly Flame Color – Gas fireplace flames never have a good color. Their natural colors are dull. The blue flame varieties look absolutely strange.
● Weak Flame – Flames are usually quite weak in gas fireplaces. They don’t seem to flicker or move like a proper fireplace.
● Costly Installation – Professionals will need to be called to install your fireplace, gas lines, and more.
MagikFlame’s infrared heater can heat up a chilly room without drying out the air.
Compared to wood and gas, electric fireplaces are in a league of their own. Here are all of the amazing benefits you can expect with electric fireplaces:
● No Added Fire Risk – Nothing is actually burning in electric fireplaces. This makes them much safer when it comes to a fire risk.
● No Harmful Emissions – Electric fireplaces don’t emit any carbon monoxide or smoke.
● No Staining or Smells – Since smoke isn’t present, you don’t have to concern yourself with the smoky smells or stains on your walls.
● Using it is Easy – There is no work involved with using electric fireplaces.
● Easy Installing – In many cases, installation is effortless. Pick your spot and plug it in.
● Any Room – Electric fireplaces don’t require ventilation, which makes it easy to put them in any room of your house with ease.
● TV Safe – Since any heat blows to the center of the room, it is perfectly safe if you want to mount a TV above an electric fireplace.
● Heat Efficiency – With the lack of ventilation and the incredible infrared technology, electric fireplaces are incredibly heat efficient.
● Supplemental Zone Heating – For very large homes, you can put multiple fireplaces in your home and only turn them on when people are in that part of the home. This saves a lot of money over conventional heating methods.
● Remote Control – Electric fireplaces come with a remote or app.
● Flame Effect Ambiance – High-end fireplaces can perfectly capture the realistic ambiance of a traditional wood fireplace.
Choose from a variety of MagikFlame electric fireplaces including: Artemis, Trinity, Churchill, Athena, Morpheus, Neo, Smith, and the 28″ Insert.
Knowing which type of electric fireplace to get can be a bit tricky. Some are great in most situations. Others are situation specific. Others need to be avoided completely. Here are the main types you will find and a breakdown of their usefulness:
● Fireplace Flat Wall Mantel Package – If you want the electric fireplace that is the most like an open hearth fireplace, this is what you want. These solid fireplaces are installed by placing them on the floor and up against a wall. These units typically come with the mantel and fireplace disconnected, and you simply connect them upon installation. Manufacturers do this so several options of mantels can be provided.
● Corner Electronic Fireplace – This is a unit that functions the same as the flat wall units, but it is designed for use in a corner of a room. These can help save space and give an interesting corner focus to a room.
● TV Stand Fireplace – While these can also safe spaces since the fireplace is built into a TV stand, you still need to be careful purchasing. Very often, their fireplaces are lower performance due to limited space.
● Corner TV Stand Fireplace – These are corner versions of TV stand fireplaces. Of course, these are going to also have limited space, and low-performance issues. Since you can put a TV on top of a standard corner electric fireplace, you should usually just get one of those rather than these versions.
● Electric Wall Mount Fireplace – If you want a fireplace that is up off of the ground, you will want one of these wall-mounted types. These are mounted to the studs within the wall. Additionally, you can install these in recessed walls so that the fireplace sits flush against the wall. Typically, these fireplaces are for a more modern aesthetic rather than a traditional look.
● Electric Insert Fireplace- Inserts are very versatile. They can convert existing fireplaces into electric. They can be used with third-party mantels. They can also be used if you want to custom-build your own fireplace mantel.
● Freestanding Fireplace Heater – These are just basic portable heaters with fireplace aesthetics. These perform very poorly compared to the fireplace units listed above and should be avoided.
● Small Electric Stove – These are just basic electric fireplaces that are built with the aesthetics of a wood stove that you might find in a log cabin. You usually don’t see these in modern homes.
MagikFlame uses state-of-the-art holographic technology to make the most realistic flames.
The Holoflame technology inside of every MagikFlame fireplace is definitely one of the main things that set them apart from other electric fireplace brands. However, there is so much more that goes into making MagikFlame fireplaces amazing. Here is what you can happily expect:
● Ultra Realistic 3D Fire Effects – The realistic 3D fire effects are amazing at simulating the flames of a real fireplace. 3D flames are holographically projected onto the log set inside of the firebox of MagikFlame fireplaces. These flames dance, flicker, move, and spark like real flames. You aren’t limited to just one flame style either. There are 30 different flame styles depending on the mood you feel like setting.
● Crackling Log Sounds – Incredibly visuals of the flames are further elevated by the sounds of crackling logs. This auditory enhancement adds so much more depth and atmosphere than the visuals alone. Hear the crackle of the flames just as if real wood were burning inside. Nature sounds are also available to play for added relaxation.
● 5,200 BTU Heater – The infrared convection heater inside of MagikFlame fireplaces can easily warm a home of up to 1,000 square feet. This is plenty for most people as this can heat most apartments, condos, and small to medium houses. Of course, if you have a much larger home, you can implement zone heating with two or more fireplaces, allowing you to still keep your heating bill low with infrared efficient heating.
● Smartphone App – Instead of a typical remote, you can control your MagikFlame fireplace with their specially-made app. The large, graphic buttons, make controlling every aspect of your fireplace incredibly intuitive. You can turn your fireplace on or off from any room, change the temperature, control the visuals, control the audio, and more.
