In years gone by an electric stove/electric fire had a certain stigma about it which was difficult to shake off. If somebody was to suggest looking at an electric fire today you might automatically think of the old four bar electric fires. Looking back these fires were potentially dangerous and not much use when looking to maintain a constant temperature in a room. However, the electric fire/electric stove which you see today is very different to that of years gone by!
Stylish and eye-catching
Perhaps the most stylish and eye-catching of the electric stoves available today are the inset machines which literally fit into a relatively small hole in your wall. They are extremely easy to install and immediately they will become the focal point of any room. You can buy an array of different electric fires which vary in length depending upon your requirements. However, these are not just flick a switch and you have one setting, they have many options!
The flickering flames
One thing which is often overlooked when people consider an inset electric fire is the fact that you can enjoy the flickering flames (more than one setting on most machines) with or without the heat on. Many people find them relaxing after a hard day at work, they change the ambience of a room and there is nothing better than watching the flickering flames dance around your inset electric stove.
Remote control
Many of the modern day stoves come with remote controls which not only allow you to control the machine from the comfort of your armchair but you can also put the device on timer. This means that your electric stove will be on before you get into the house pumping out heat into your room. It is worth noting that the even the better electric stoves only release between 1 kW and 2 kW of heat although this is more than enough to take the chill out of any room.
Different fascias
Historically you might have expected an electric fire to be fairly basic and not necessarily eye-catching. The situation today is very different with companies such as Gazco releasing electric fires which have a number of different fascias. Whatever colour, whatever style we can guarantee there will be something for you to fit in with your existing décor. These fascias are extremely easy to fit and in theory there is nothing stopping you changing the visual impact of your electric stove on a regular basis.
Efficiency rating
As you might expect from an electric device the efficiency rating on the modern day electric stove is extremely high at around 99%. This means that just 1% of the power input into the machine is lost in the conversion process to heat. These machines are not necessarily suitable for larger rooms where you want to introduce a natural heat but they are perfect for smaller rooms and smaller areas. There is nothing better than kicking off your shoes, laying back and watching the flickering coloured flames bouncing around your inset fire.
Conclusion
While inset electric stoves are often talked about in the same breath as wood-burning and multifuel stoves, they are very different products for very different markets. The inset electric stove is eye-catching to say the least and probably more of a decorative purchase than a heating system. However, the heat output of between 1 kW in 2 kW is more than enough to take the chill out of a cold room and what better way to settle down after a hard day at work?