An electric fireplace is an asset every homeowner in the north (and even some parts of the south) should possess. There are numerous reasons to have one of these key household appliances. The first reason is cleanliness. The electric fireplace requires very little cleaning as the heat is produced through the home’s electricity. The absence of wood shavings, dusty soot, and occasional ash in the house is a welcome relief with this cleaner heat source.
The electric fireplace or stove heater also lacks the odor of oils as one might encounter with those portable heaters that burn oil or propane. The fuel burning fireplaces do a tremendous job of heating up a room, but they appear to pose greater safety hazards than the electric model. Heating appliances with contained fuels or even burning logs always present a fire danger and serious attention should be paid to maintaining these appliances and their environment. While electric fireplaces are much safer, they too can be extremely dangerous if one does not follow these safety tips.
Electric Fireplace Safety – Electricity
Once you bring this brand new appliance home, you must insure the outlet for this heater is capable of handling the minimum power requirements as suggested by the manufacturer. This information is usually provided in the fireplace manual or tagged on the cord or back of heating unit. An outlet that is overloaded with other appliances or not producing enough juice will quickly pop a fuse or circuit.
Take time to inspect the cord and plug to the electric fireplace. If there is any sign of damage or fraying to the cord or plug wrapping, it is probably time to replace the heater unit of the fireplace. The danger of exposed wires can be catastrophic to your family and home.
Electric Fireplace Safety – Maintenance
All electric fireplaces emit their warm or hot air through the blower of the electric heater. Make it a practice once a week to take a cloth and wipe free any cobwebs or dust from the grill or blower exhaust port. Use the vacuum to remove any other potential dust from within the blower. Also if accessible, take a cloth and vacuum to the rear portion of the blower unit to remove dust from the fan assembly. This area seems to be the greatest collector of dust. Removing dust from the fan assembly will also ensure a longer life for your electric fireplace while keeping potentially dangerous flammable dust and debris away.
Electric Fireplace Safety – Surroundings
Keep the fireplace blower well safe away from flammable objects or carpeting. Most of these fireplace models have the blower unit higher up which pose no threat to getting the floor hot. If the electric heater is a stove type unit which does have a low to the ground blower, consider placing the unit on a non flammable surface such as brick, stone, tile, or countertop materials.
Also consider the safety hazard of an electric fireplace from tipping over. Most of these electric fireplaces carry the same heavier weight as a heavy bookcase. These can be extremely dangerous situations when there are small children present. Consider anchoring the fireplace to the floor or wall if necessary to prevent tip over.
