It's November again and that means it's colder, wetter and darker sooner than usual. The advantage of this is that we can make our homes warmer, cosier and more comfortable! An electric fireplace is the perfect atmospheric element for your home, but when buying an electric fireplace it is important to take certain aspects into account. Therefore Firepit-online.com provides you with 3 handy tips which make the purchase of an electric fireplace easier and more convenient.
Tip 1: Place in the house
First of all, it is important that you know where in your house you want to place an electric fire. This will allow you to narrow down your search and only provide you with options which are suitable for your home. When picking the right spot, think about the size, the view of the fireplace, the warmth you want to feel or not, and of course whether the right spot has a power socket nearby. An electrical outlet is required for the installation of an electric fire. This is why it is wise to look for sockets in the vicinity before purchasing.
Tip 2: Heating element
An electric fireplace doesn't have to be just pretty! If you want to add an extra source of warmth to your home, it is possible to choose a fireplace with a heating element. Many fireplaces also have a fan and a thermostat so that you can regulate the temperature and the heat is distributed throughout the room. This way your room will be comfortably warm in no time! Livin' Flame, for example, has a built-in fireplace that radiates heat and Eurom has a freestanding fireplace.
Tip 3: Flame technique
After deciding on the desired location, the required power outlet for the electric fireplace and whether you want a heating element, the time has come to think about the flame technology of your future stove. Even though you have opted for an electric fireplace, the illusion of the fire is lifelike. The following flame technologies were devised by Dimplex and are all unique in their own way:
Opti-Myst
Light and water mist can be enough to see 'flames'. Opti-Myst is a technology where a water tank under the glow bed produces water mist from an atomiser (transducer). Lamps behind the water tank heat the air, which transports the mist upwards. The rising water mist is distributed over the annealing bed and reflects in the LED or halogen light. This creates a lively flickering fire image, just like a real flame.
Optiflame
When you admire an electric fireplace with Optiflame technology, you are actually looking at a glass plate on which flames are projected. The secret behind fireplaces with Optiflame technology is a moving mirrored shaft. Like the blades of a propeller, curved and mutually rotated mirror elements are attached to this. This creates the largest and most irregular reflective surface, on which the light can refract in countless ways. This contributes to the fire effect; the more individual elements move among themselves, the more realistic the flickering of the 'flames'.
Opti-Virtual
As you may have gathered, Dimplex spends a lot of time developing the ultimate flame effect for its electric fireplaces. The Opti-Virtual is indeed an electric fire, but it goes further by creating an illusion of fire with a lifelike play of flames, crackling and sparks that even seem to jump away. The technique is based on Pepper's Ghost. This is a principle that is able to create 'apparitions' as illusions and is mainly used in large attractions, on stage and in museums. Dimplex has refined this technique for its Opti-Virtual products.
Revillusion
Finally, Dimplex also uses the Revillusion flame technology. These flames are true to life and rise from the centre of the stove without reflection from the lifelike sparkling wood set. With the easy-to-use remote control, the light colour and intensity can be adjusted in many ways. The light image can be optimally adjusted to the desired atmosphere, style and surrounding light.
Inspiration & Advice
On Firepit-online.com, you can find a lot more information and inspiration about atmospheric fireplaces. If you would like personal advice, we are happy to assist you via telephone and e-mail.