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A Guide to Electric Fireplace Logs?
One of the main reasons that electric fireplaces have become so popular over the last few decades is the fact that they are becoming more and more realistic. One reason for this is that modern fireplace logs have become so realistic that it can be hard to tell a real wooden fire from its electric counterpart. In a modern electric fireplace, the log bed generally comes pre-installed, though some companies offer removable beds as standard. One of the biggest advantages of the electric log bed--and one of the primary factors that helps homeowners decide to take this type of fireplace--is that unlike the traditional wood burning and gas burning options, the logs completely eliminate the hassles of the rapidly increasing cost of gas and the time and effort that would normally have to be spent buying, gathering and chopping wood for a real open-wood fire. As most fireplace log beds are made from real wood, they help create the illusion of a crackling log fire without the cheap, blocky plastic look of electric fires from a few decades ago. The benefits of these logs are huge. They can crackle like a real fire, give off glowing embers and sparks, and create the illusion that the room is lit by a real log fire without any of the dangers or waste products such as carbon monoxide, smoke, soot and creosote normally associated with free-burning wood fires. The crackling sound is normally created by an audio unit hidden inside the log bed itself, programmed to make the distinctive crackling sound associated with an open fire. Most units that incorporate this feature also have an audio-off setting – not available in real open hearths! Most modern log beds also come with a built-in option to use the unit with or without heat. People in warm climates who want the look of a fireplace without additional cooling bills may find that just having the light display and audio unit is enough for creating that warm, cozy atmosphere that only a fireplace can provide, even when the weather outside is a stifling heat wave. The actual firelight effect itself is determined by the methods used to create the light. Cheaper units normally just feature a couple of flickering bulbs to create the firelight effect and the occasional glowing ember, while higher-end models use video displays and computer technology to produce almost holographic-quality flame and fire images. |