The new ones are fantastic!
And the electric fireplaces which look like coal-burners are really wonderful too!

Gosh, I sure hope not. I love mine!

Here is a link that might be useful:

There was a recent thread on electric fp's. Check it out, it was very good.

Not at all! Your new place sounds yummy, and I think a fireplace install is totally called for. :)

There was an article just yesterday in our city paper about these! One of the people interviewed was a dealer that is getting overwhelmed by the residents in the hundreds of older, period homes in our area that have the original coal fireplaces that can't be used now. The owners are buying the electric ones & now are able to use their antiques for what they were intended for-- heat! It's also adding a lot of resale value to their homes and apartments.

Shop around as there are poor, good and better units out there. Do some research first & I think you will be happy w/ what you find. The article did stress following the manfu instructions & don't be fooled into thinking these can heat the entire house. They are best for heating the room in which they are in... which can be a small or huge space depending on the unit. None of them should be operated w/out someone in the room w/ them. Always unplug when you leave the room!

Here's pics of ours. It's a matte black finish ala the old cast iron stoves. Couple hundred $ at Lowes (we went back and forth between Lowe's and HD). The style I chose is not for everyone, but I love antiques and I love this little stove/fireplace ;) We shopped a lot (including Menards) and if you get one with a high BTU, it heats just as well as the really expensive ones from specialty stores (which had the same BTU, so really didn't put out more heat). Woke up this morning and it was 63 degrees in the family room. I turned on the FP and within a half hour it was up to 67. Much cozier!

It has a remote to turn it on/off, adjustable heat dial, flame only, heat only, or both.
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I linked to a you-tube video I found, someone has taped theirs while flame is on, that's pretty much what they look like in a dark room ;)

Here is a link that might be useful: You Tube Electric Flame

This is another situation where there are widely varying opinions and often strong ones. I don't wish to insult anyone who thinks they're wonderful but I do not care for them one bit, especially for an actual old house, since I have not yet seen a fake fireplace that wasn't obviously-to-me fake. I am admittedly a little bit of a purist when it comes to period homes but I would much prefer to see something more like skypathway's friends' solution with the vintage mantel, especially since you have all that beautiful old detailing. Many old houses have intact old mantels with the firebox bricked over, and recreating that look would be totally appropriate in a house of that period. An iron "summer cover" would create an even more convincing illusion of a real fireplace. This website has an example of what I'm talking about and a good how-to: Mantels of Yesteryear.

Before you decided check out this website, this has been on the news and in our papers, it is awesome, and for a limited time they offer free heaters, that go into the fireplaces, I guess?? here's the link:

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.heatsurge.com/amish/

We have a fake one (electric) and I love it. It was either no fireplace or a fake one, so I opted for a fake one. We had to get a corner unit (sigh-- DH and the TV), but had we had a normal space, I would have gotten a vintage mantel and put in an electric box. I have seen great deals on craigslist for them!

Ours DOES look fake (the flame), but the mantle adds a lot to the otherwise detail-devoid room.

Lori, I really, really love your room. Your FP looks amazing, too.

anele, it is the same situation for me: either no fireplace or a fake one.
Lori, I think your fireplace looks awesome! May I ask what brand it is? Also, it looks like you didn't set it flush to the wall by cutting out the wainscotting/molding, right? I've heard that others have cut this back, but I hesitate to destroy any of the molding in my new place -- it is really lovely.
Anyone else have pics to share?

Lori, such a pretty and meticulous! room :) What is your paint color? TIA

I just saw one Sam's club for sale and it's pretty and very ornate and traditional. Of course the flame looks fake, but it's pretty. I like the fact that you can activate the flame without heat if you want. It is only $548.

Moonshadow, how cute! :)
Anele, Marita and Squirrel...thank you kindly!
I believe the FP is a Heat & Glow, bought it many years ago at our local woodstove and grill shop. It was oak and I painted it white this summer when we moved to this house. No, I didn't cut back the wainscotting and I think it fits fine...House is painted BM Standish white. Good luck with your decision, Marita.

Lori, what a warm, comfie room. Do you happen to know the paint color? I think we should institute a new rule, anyone posting a photo has to reveal their paint color if they know it :)

You must have missed my answer before...
BM Standish white~
Thank you for the compliment, I appreciate it! :)

My neighbor doesn't need a FP for the heat; she wants one for the look of it. She's having a mantle installed on a blank wall and building out the side trim so that the distance of the side columns from the wall is about 18" and the mantle depth is about 24". Then she's having a raised shallow floor space inside this FP built up so she can insert a FP candlepiece that holds votive candles. She also plans on installing a FP screen to make it look more authentic.
I haven't seen the finished product but the drawings sure look good.

marita, do you want it for the heat or the look?

If it's just the look you're after, I would agree with sky and others to just get an appropriately-styled old mantel and decorate it. If your condo retains its original architectural details, a new electric piece may stick out like a sore thumb. If you go the electric route, make sure it's returnable if you don't like the way it looks.

So embarrassed, Loribee! Forgive me, ADD :)

Honestly, I didn't know until yesterday when I saw them at Menards that electric fireplaces give off heat. I thought they were merely decorative. Frankly, the idea of heat is extremely attractive here in the frozen north (Minnesota) where additional heat sources -- when one is chilled to the bone or when the furnace fails--are always good to have. so the heat is a plus to me. What I'm learning, I think, is that one can go expensive or cheap in electric fireplaces, and that the expensive ones might be worth it in terms of not looking so "fake." I'd still love to hear from others about brands to check out and pictures, if you have them,are really welcome!

Demeron...LOL. :)

Marita, my sitting room is small, so on a bitterly cold day, it's nice to have the warming feature. I wouldn't expect it to heat up a huge space, though. I think it's $500 well spent, honestly.

I love mine too. It's upstairs in our attic-converted bedroom, and it gives off tons of heat.
{{!gwi}}

Someone....I watched the youtube thing...what makes it look like flames if it's electric????

We recently got one for xmas. It's also an entertainment center. I don't mind that it's faux. It still gives the warmth & cozy feeling of a FP. The remote control is convenient. Some has crackling sounds. And I have woodburning scented candles.

Lori & Auntjen, thanks for sharing your photos. It really enchances your beautiful rooms!

I don't have my pics yet. Mine is Classic Flame. Dimplex has some pretty styles too.

Here is a link that might be useful: Classic Flame

My mom bought an electric log set for her real fireplace in her 1940's home. She had wanted a gas set, but it would have been quite expensive to get the gas line in there. When I first saw it I assumed that it was a gas unit, as the flames look so real.

I'm seriously considering one when we do some work to our FR. Gas is not an option. When the time comes, I'm going to look into the Dimplex models. Although I haven't seen them in person yet, the ones on their website appear very nice.

rilie, I've looked at the Dimplex ones online, too. The "multiflame" is highly rated as the most realistic flame look one can get right now. But, sigh, they are pricey -- up to 2,000.

I am a Property Appraiser and I have seen plenty electric fireplaces put in new homes by the builder. They are very popular in Florida. I guess they are cheaper than traditional fireplaces.

I will post pictures of ours tomorrow, but to make it look more realistic, I am going to get a pretty screen and a hearth rug. I think those accessories will go a long way!

I will get the name of the place our architectural firm uses for fireplaces for you tomorrow. They have great looking ventless gas fireplaces as well as direct vent and natural vent ones.

All the ones I've seen look fake to me too. Maybe I'm just not seeing the "good ones?" To avoid the fake looking thing, I've just wanted to put in an electric stove insert that looks like an old stove, i.e. a Franklin stove. You know the kind that you don't see the flames? Has anyone seen anything like this?

I've thought about buying one with the "flames" and then just painting or in some way "darkening" the glass cover so that you can't tell if it's fake or not. A lame idea?

marita: I was cleaning out files and found the paperwork on ours from Lowe's. It doesn't say it on the unit (at least that I can find), but paperwork says it's a Dimplex. Lowe's doesn't have our particular model stove style anymore, but they do have another that's Dimplex. (Don't know why Lowe's site doesn't mention the Dimplex name on the stove, because they do on the Fireplaces. Anyway, the stove currently at Lowe's is identical, and same model #, as Dimplex site). Our little stove is about 5000 BTU, same as high end ones at Dimplex site. Also has the remote control, flame only, heat and flame. So the 'guts' are the same, it's just the packaging that differs and impacts the cost ;)

What did you finally decide, Marita???

But what makes it look like flames if it's electric? Flames would have to shoot up into the air a little to look real. How is it done??

We have one in our MB. Our ceilings are very high, and there was virtually no heat left around our bed!! I love the way it looks, I turn on the heat when we put the kids to put and by the time we go up it is cozy and wonderful! The flames seem to "roll" up, for lack of a better word... not too cheesy, but not as good as Disney =)

elenkao, I just opened the door on mine (why it opens, I don't know, but it does ;)

Here's a detailed description of it when the flame is on: The 'logs' have the orange-red glow lights beneath them to give the illusion of embers. They've done a good job with that part, it looks hot to the touch ;) Behind the logs is a 'smoked' mirror. It's dark gray and doesn't reflect till your hand is within inches of it. (It does reflect the logs to some degree, because they are backed right up to it.) The mirror is covered it tiny little dots as well, almost a vinyl like material. (These are not pronounced, they are barely visible.) Some how, some way, there are lights that create the flame, they look to be behind the mirror. So maybe it's not a mirror in the true sense, because it has a translucent quality to it, not like a regular mirror. The lights must be programmed to turn on and off in a pattern that creates the illusion of flickering flames. They go high and low, wide and narrow, flicker and dance. Much like a crackling fire would. It it not flat in appearance but rather has dimension (probably has something to do with the 'smoke and mirrors' ;).

I dunno how they did it. All I know is we needed some extra heat in that room, had looked into vented fireplaces but opted out of that for several reasons (one is the room layout, L shaped, hard enough to arrange furniture in a cozy seating pattern, a fireplace would have been orphaned in the corner or on other end of the L, away from seating.) The stove fit every need: small enough to fit in to the seating area in a corner, looked realistic, and most of all cranks out the heat ;) This is a lower level room, and like dixiedo's, most of our heat is at the ceiling because the registers and cold air returns are all up there. (Stupid layout.)

Anyway, we enjoy it, it gives a nice ambiance to the room. In the evening watching TV if we don't need the heat I'll often turn the flame feature on just for that reason. Even DH will do that and he's not the ambiance type ;)

I do recall some of the ones at Lowes and HD were plugged in so we could see the flame.

At the page below there is a paragraph about all the patents Dimplex has (lots) on their electric flame, and I also noticed there are several other brands sold under the Dimplex name.

Here is a link that might be useful: About Dimplex

I appreciate the fact that this thread is still active, and I hope others post pictures. I haven't made a decision yet because I haven't moved into my new place. The closing is next week! It will probably still take me a few weeks to settle in and then see whether I really want to make this purchase. In the meantime, I've been steered more toward Classic Flame than Dimplex. According to at least some, including a couple salespeople at HOM Furniture (where I've seen them on display and lighted) they are sold on the furniture quality of Classic Flame over Dimplex. Seeing several models side by side, I have to agree. But I'm still doing my homework here!

We have our 2 elec. fireplaces over 30 yrs. now and they are timeless, as we moved from home to home, everyone who looked at our home wanted our fireplaces...no way we'd say not for sale not staying with the house! the one in our master suite is wonderful for chilly florida winter nights, it really put's out heat, we close the door no need to heat the rest of the house for a night or 2.

Here is a link that might be useful:

Elen, it's a hologram. Not all are the same though. We had a non hologram one which I was fine with and a hologram one that DH loved. The non hologram did look a lot less real. DH got a wild hair and decided we HAD to get another hologram one to replace the non hologram one. We will put the other fireplace at the cottage.

Marita, we have a Classic Flame. I just looked at the Dimplex video and for the $, it doesn't look that much better than ours in terms of realism.

I think our fire does look a bit cheesy, but like I said before, it was this or nothing, so we picked this. I love it! Our was not cheap (for us- $640) but it is cheap comparatively. I also REALLY love the heat!

Here is ours-- will look better once it is finally decorated!

There are some fake fireplaces that will come close to the older home decor. I have a gel fireplace that has really come in handy when the power is out. I normally use 2 cans, but when the power is out, I burn 3 and it really can run you out of the room. The flame looks very real and it does crackle. I have recently remodeled and will replace the one that I have with a one closer to the new decor. The gel ones are really similar to the elcetric ones. I've had nothing but compliment. As you say, fake is better than nothing if you really want one.

Good luck!

gng

Thank goodness this post came back!

Our architecture firm uses Vermont Castings fireplaces which come in gas, electric and wood burning groups. Great looking styles!

Here is a link that might be useful: Electric fireplaces!

I'm not sure if you're still trying to decide. We faced a similar dilemma when we wanted to use an antique oak mantel. Because we had other fireplaces, we were more concerned with "looks" rather than heat. We love the fireplace. I particularly enjoy that you can use it with or without heat.

I don't know if you're still looking - but I just went through all of the research for a new insert and thought I'd share to help anyone else.

Dimplex is by far the best flame out there. Classic Flame may have better mantels (I wouldn't know), but Dimplex has very good ones, too.

I bought the Dimplex 23" DELUXE insert for an old gel fuel mantel. My husband had to build a "firebox" for it to go into, as the gel fuel box had to be removed. I tried every gel fuel on the market and they ALL smell. We'd get headaches & insence wouldn't mask the odor.

I also own a

After I bought the Dimplex (and a Kracklebox sound system) I found the Classic Flame Fire F/X - their high-end fire effect. Cool features, but the flame looked about as good as the $100 Charmglow. We all agreed that it didn't hold a candle (pun intended) to the Dimplex.

We want to get a new one for the living room - get rid of the huge old tv, put up a mantel and a flat screen - so I've narrowed it down to a or the new Dimplex Optimyst - which uses water vapor to produce the most realistic effect EVER! (See Video)

Either way - take it from someone who has seen both Dimplex & Classic Flame up close - Dimplex blows everything else away.

I would recommend a Dimplex MultiFire insert and find an antique mantel to mount around it. If you want cheaper - do as I did and get the 23" Deluxe insert - it only cost $400 total with the Kracklebox.

I'm including a link to a video of my new Dimplex fireplace insert. (And no - I don't work for Dimplex, LOL!)

Here is a link that might be useful: Dimplex 23