Pros and cons of an electric fireplace with a humidifier and a sound of the firebox

Content:

Types of fireplaces
Device and principle of operation
Pros and cons
Additional functions
Safety engineering

A fireplace can be not only an attribute of a country house, but also a city apartment. The artificial flame of an electric fireplace will create a cozy atmosphere and turn the heater into a resting corner. The built-in sound of the firebox will add comfort.

Some people refuse to install a fireplace for fear of drying out the air in the room, however, nowadays, fireplaces with built-in humidifiers have been created that do not dry out the air in the room, and, therefore, do not harm health.

Types of fireplaces

The very first electric fireplaces, if they imitated a flame, then only in the form of an image - a static or video projection. It wasn’t particularly realistic, and it couldn’t simulate a real flame well. They were replaced by fireplaces, in which the flame is simulated by means of steam generation.

A special reservoir is built into the electric fireplace, in which the poured water evaporates and is illuminated, which not only creates a good illusion of a real fire, but also humidifies the air in the room. There are several types of electric fireplaces equipped with humidifiers. Let's take a look at each option separately to see which one is best to choose.

Open and closed

First of all, let's divide the fireplaces into open and closed ones. Closed fireplaces are divided into fireplaces with a grate or glass: on the basis of which access to the flame is limited. There is no technical difference between them: the choice of one or another option is determined only by the user's personal tastes.

A fireplace with a grate is more like a classic wood-burning fireplace, so many people prefer it. But those looking for something a little more modern can opt for a glass fence.

Open fireplaces give direct access to the "flame", but they are not always completely safe: for example, if they use halogen lamps. A fire in such fireplaces cannot do harm, like a real one, but you can burn yourself on a lamp or hot steam, so it is not recommended to leave small children or animals alone in a room with an open fireplace.

Humidification level

Further, fireplaces are divided according to the air humidification capacity. Some models only maintain the existing humidity in the room, others increase its level: it depends on the power of the heating element and the volume of the water container.

Standard volumes of containers are enough from 7-8 to 24-36 hours of work without interruption, large volumes, respectively, provide more hours. Do not worry that there will be problems when emptying the container: special sensors are built into the fireplaces that turn off the heating of the container after the liquid has completely evaporated.

Principle of operation
To understand what exactly is offered as an alternative to an ordinary fireplace, it is worth learning a little about how the device works.

Device and principle of operation

The principle of operation of an electric fireplace with a humidifier is built as follows. The heating element and lighting elements are separated, so the fireplace can either be just a decorative element or a heater. And also a separate heating element for the steam generator is taken out: ultrasound converts water into steam, which, with the help of illumination, creates a flame simulation.

Heating uses more energy, so the functions can be switched on independently of each other. For this, a remote control is included with the device, with which you can turn on and off all functions simultaneously or separately.

Device

The outer part of the fireplace consists of two elements: the hearth and the portal. The portal is the external decoration of the fireplace, and the hearth is the place where the artificial fire is directly located.

In the center of the hearth, there are holes that let in steam, which imitates a fire. The backlight achieves the desired effect.

The internal structure of the fireplace differs little from the principle of operation of a conventional heater-air heater: the spirals located in the upper or lower part of the hearth release heat when connected to the mains. The fans located next to them dissipate heat and prevent the spirals from overheating.

In most modern models, it is possible to adjust the temperature that needs to be maintained in the fireplace: this is also done using the remote control.

Pros and cons

Like every appliance, an electric fireplace has a number of disadvantages and advantages. Among the disadvantages are the following:

High energy consumption (especially if you turn on all functions of the fireplace at the same time).
Regardless of the quality of air humidification, the fireplace burns a large amount of oxygen. Therefore, you need to ensure good ventilation of the room.
The effect of simulating flame is suppressed if powerful light sources are located opposite the fireplace.

The advantages are:

High level of fire safety in comparison with a fireplace with live fire.
The ability to choose the size of the fireplace and build it into any apartment.
Additional heat source in the house.

Many pros and cons vary from model to model.

Additional functions

Among the special functions of an electric fireplace with a steam generator, there is a built-in audio player that can reproduce the sound of a firebox: crackling firewood, hissing tar. This sound is often not enough for those who are used to a conventional fireplace, but the audio player allows you to compensate for this.

Another special feature of the device is the ability to create a 3D flame effect using backlighting lamps located in a certain way.

With this function, the flame looks more realistic and completely recreates the operation of a real wood-burning fireplace.

Safety engineering

Despite the fact that the likelihood of a fire with an artificial flame is minimized, it is worth mentioning safety during operation.

The first and most significant point is to abandon the idea of bricking the fireplace into the wall.
In case of problems with electrical wiring, the operability of the fireplace or its individual functions, you need to be able to provide easy access to it.
The socket to which the fireplace is connected must also be within the reach, so that in case of any problems and doubts, quickly turn off the device.
Since a fireplace requires a lot of energy, before installing the fireplace, check the wiring in the house, and it is also recommended to purchase a voltage stabilizer: power surges can damage the device.
If the fireplace is open, do not leave children or animals next to it: as mentioned above, it is easy to burn yourself or get an electric shock on the lamp or steam.
Be careful when pouring water into the device; liquid should not get into the space surrounding the tank — heating coil, sensors and other elements.
It is better that the water for the steam generator is filtered or distilled: this will prevent the formation of scale on the elements.
Be sure to check the instructions and promptly clean the internal parts that need it: this will prolong the operation of the device.

Observing simple safety rules, you can enjoy the operation of your fireplace for a long time, and save money on repairs and buying a new appliance.

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