Some people add a fireplace to their home to create a certain sense of ambience. Others install a fireplace specifically to warm the room up. If you’re not interested in chopping wood to keep your fireplace roaring, you’ll have to choose between gas or electric. In this article we’ll go over various aspects to consider when deciding how to choose a gas or electric fireplace.
Got Flame?
The main difference between a electric and gas fireplaces is the flame. Gas fireplaces have a real flame whereas electric fireplaces do not. For some people, not having a real flame is a dealbreaker. For others, not having a flame can be a positive. If you have young children or pets, having an open flame might not be the safest thing to have around.
Installation
An electric fireplace is going to be much easier to install compared with a gas fireplace. All you really need to do is plug it in and you’ll be ready to go. A gas fireplace, on the other hand, will likely require an experienced technician to set it up. Making sure gas connections are properly fitted shouldn’t be left up to someone without experience. Another factor you’ll need to consider is whether you’ll need to create a chimney. An electric fireplace won’t require access to a chimney whereas a regular gas fireplace will. That said, there are vent-free fireplaces that don’t require a chimney, although they’re not legal in many areas. Make sure to check your local regulations if looking into a vent-free fireplace.
Cost
Generally speaking electrical fireplaces are cheaper to install than gas fireplaces. And they’re also cheaper to run as well. You’ll find the cost of running an electrical fireplace to be about half that of its gas counterpart.
Functional Or Fashionable?
If you’re looking to warm up the room, both electrical and gas fireplaces will do the job. However, if you just want the ambience of a fireplace without adding heat to the room, an electrical fireplace will be the right choice for you. Most electrical fireplaces have a switch that allow them to be used without generating heat. You’ll be able to enjoy sitting in front of a fire on a warm summer evening without even breaking a sweat.