Electric fireplaces have come a long way over the years, and more and more people are seeing them as a better alternative to heat their home compared to a fireplace that burns wood or gas. It’s true that electric fireplaces are the most cost-effective way to heat your home. However, if you purchased the wrong kind of electric fireplace, you can sometimes run into a problem here or there. Certain types of electric fireplaces have more problems than others. Sometimes when an electric fireplace has a problem, it displays an error code. If you are experiencing an error like this, it can be incredibly annoying.
Since you’re here, you may have some questions about your existing electric fireplaces or some questions you need to be answered before purchasing one. Some of those questions might be: What does E5 mean on my electric fireplace? How do I fix my electric fireplace? Do all electric fireplaces have this same problem? Which electric fireplaces are more reliable?
In this post, you will learn:
- What are the different types of electric fireplaces? – We go over the common types of electric fireplaces that many people choose to install in their homes and the benefits of each.
- What are the different ways that electric fireplaces simulate flames? – Because error codes and troubleshooting are heavily dependent on the specific technology that is included within your fireplace, this section helps explain the different ways that electric fireplaces produce a flame effect.
- What does E5 mean on my electric fireplace? – We answer the main question of this post: What does E5 mean on my electric fireplace?
- How to fix an E5 error code – This section will give you a few tips on how to troubleshoot your fireplace and fix your problem.
- Do all electric fireplaces have this error code? – We examine the differences between fireplaces, which ones have this error code and which don’t.
- What other error codes can some electric fireplaces have? – We examine a few more common error messages that electric fireplaces can sometimes have and what they mean.
- Are electric fireplaces better than traditional fireplaces? – We take a deeper look at the benefits of electric fireplaces and how they compare to traditional wood-burning and gas fireplaces.
- How do electric fireplaces produce heat? – This section explains the technology of how electric fireplaces work to keep your home warm.
- Are electric fireplaces hard to install? – If you are worried that electric fireplaces are too difficult to install, this section will help ease your mind.
- Is it common for electric fireplaces to have problems? – How common is it that electric fireplaces have problems and error codes?
- Why you should consider getting a MagikFlame electric fireplace – This section will highlight all the benefits of one of the best electric fireplaces on the market and why it is important that you consider claiming one for your home.
- Frequently asked questions about electric fireplaces – Here, we give quick answers to some of the other common electric fireplace questions.
What are the different types of electric fireplaces?
Before we answer exactly what these error codes mean, we have to understand a bit more about the different types of electric fireplaces and how they work. There are commonly four different types of electric fireplaces that homeowners choose to have installed in their homes. These four types are:
- Electric Fireplace Mantel – This is one of the most common types of electric fireplaces that you will see installed in people’s homes. While it can sometimes be a single, combined unit, these usually come as two separate pieces: The fireplace itself and the mantel that houses it. By keeping it as two separate pieces, you can choose different mantel styles to go with your fireplace. These are common units that sit on the floor and are installed against a wall. There are also modern corner electric fireplaces that can be installed in the corner of the room if that fits the style you are going for. Sometimes these types of units come built-in to TV stands or entertainment centers.
- Wall Mount fireplace – This is the kind of electric fireplace that can be mounted onto a wall instead of being installed sitting on the floor. These typically come with all the equipment that is necessary for you to be able to mount them yourself. However, larger units may require help from a professional for installation. These kinds of units can also be installed directly into the drywall if you want a fireplace that sits off the floor and is flush with the wall.
- Fireplace Insert – These units are the same as the mantel units above, but they don’t come with a mantel. Instead, they are made to be installed into a mantle you already have or are planning to build, or they are used to convert existing traditional fireplaces into ones that work entirely electrically. The best electric fireplace inserts that you can use to convert your existing fireplace are ones that produce not only great heat but also offer realistic visual flame effects and realistic crackling log sounds.
- Freestanding Fireplace – These are essentially just mobile space heater that is designed to somewhat resemble a fireplace. While it can be convenient to have electric portable fireplaces that are so easy to move from room to room, these are often the least realistic electric fireplaces and most commonly have performance problems.
Regardless of which type of electric fireplace you install, they have a huge number of benefits.
Electric fireplaces are the most cost-effective way to heat your home compared to wood-burning or gas-burning fireplaces. While quality electric fireplaces may seem expensive up front, their incredible efficiency allows them to pay for themselves in the long term. This is similar to the upfront cost of installing a tankless water heater system in your home, where the eventual savings of the water heater easily outweigh the initial costs.
Electric fireplaces are much safer, and you can buy the right electric fireplace for your home on this site. Not only do they have a severely reduced risk of starting a home fire as a wood-burning or gas-burning fireplace does, but electric fireplaces also won’t produce carbon monoxide or other toxic emissions.
Many electric fireplaces come with a remote control. The remote control fireplace allows you to turn the unit on and off, set the thermostat, and control many other additional features of the fireplace.
Electric fireplaces in the living room don’t require any venting kind of venting like wood burning, and some gas fireplaces require. Because you don’t need venting, this makes them ideal for condos or apartments where it isn’t possible to install any venting.
What are the different ways that electric fireplaces simulate flames?
Error codes are highly dependent on the technology that a particular fireplace utilizes.
Some fireplaces are simple mechanical devices that spin to reflect a lightbulb. These cheap fireplaces are the least realistic on the market and the ones most likely to have an E5 or other error code.
Some fireplaces use water vapor and project simple flames onto them. Others are just LED screens with a looped fire video.
The best visual effects are made using holograms projected onto physical logs. MagikFlame makes this with their HoloFlame technology. These are high-end fireplaces that don’t have an E5 or other error codes due to their extreme reliability.
What does E5 mean on my electric fireplace?
Now that we understand the different types of electric fireplaces that are out there and how different ones simulate flames let’s answer the important question you have: What does E5 mean on my electric fireplace?
E5 is usually a problem with the ventilation or fan not working on your fireplace. This can be an issue due to the voltage of the fireplace. However, it can just as easily be a problem with the fan being unable to spin because something is stuck in it or blocking the airflow.
How to fix an E5 error code?
To be safe, unplug your fireplace. Now, check to make sure that there is nothing blocking the fan. Make sure there is nothing leaning against it that shouldn’t be there, or something stuck inside that has stopped it from spinning.
If nothing was blocking it, you will want to do a full power cycle. Leave it unplugged for a couple of minutes. Then plug it back in and turn it on to see if the problem has corrected itself. Similar to a computer, some electric fireplaces can restart critical operations after the machine has been turned off and on again.
If this still doesn’t work, contact the manufacturer and have them help you walk through additional troubleshooting steps. It is good that you try to fix it with them over the phone before worrying about expensive repair costs. This likely won’t be an issue if the fireplace is still under warranty..
Do all electric fireplaces have this error code?
Not all fireplaces have this. Codes like these are more common in lower-quality, cheaper fireplaces. High-end luxury fireplaces tend to be much more reliable and work consistently. For this reason, it’s a good idea to invest in the best fireplace that you can afford so that you don’t run into any of these problems.
What other error codes can some electric fireplaces have?
Here are some other error codes that you may find on your electric fireplace:
- E1 – This is an error code that comes up if the overheating sensor has triggered, telling you that your unit is getting too hot.
- E2 – The thermostat sensor is either broken, or it is not working properly.
- E3 – This is another code that shows that the overheating sensor has been triggered and you may need a replacement sensor if no other problem is present.
Error codes vary wildly between brands and companies. You will want to check the manual that came with your fireplace to see the error codes and their meanings for your specific model. If you are still unsure, you should contact your manufacturer directly.
While you can Google error codes and their meanings, they may not be very clear in their meaning, and you wouldn’t necessarily know if it is the correct code for the model that you have.
