Difference between Electric and Gas Fireplace

Electric vs Gas Fireplace

When a person is interested in buying an appliance to heat their home, it is useful to understand the differences between the options available. This article covers the differences between an electric fireplace and a gas fireplace, and as the names alone indicate, there are indeed differences between the two appliances. The factors that can be considered before making the purchase can include where the appliance will be used, the expenditure one can afford, and the amount of heat required.

Both gas and electric fireplaces have their various advantages. It will mostly depend on the individual which one of the two will be the best purchase. A gas fireplace is very convenient to use, and it can be used anywhere, as it does not require electricity. Therefore, even during a power cut, your home will still be warm and toasty! It can use either natural or propane gas, and there is even a ‘clean burn’ option available with these gas logs.

Gas fireplaces include the parts of gas logs, gas inserts and self-containing vent-free units. They do not require a chimney like your old wood fireplace. If you have an original wood fireplace, you could choose to have it converted to a gas fireplace, with relatively few difficulties. Another advantage of the gas fireplace, is that they have a remote that will control their temperature from a distance.

The electric fireplace is a relatively new invention, and has only been available for the past few years. Obviously, it also does not require a chimney, but it does require an electrical connection. Therefore, during a power cut, you will be left in the cold! However, other than this disadvantage, electrical fireplaces have many advantages. They can even resemble a real fireplace, and nowadays, they are available in various new options and styles. Just like the gas fireplace, it has an attractive appearance. More importantly though, it has an excellent heat generating capacity, of about 10,000 BUT’s.

Both types of fireplaces can be used for just about any room size. Although, a smaller room will obviously require less heat, and therefore less money to operate. You may decide to buy a few fireplaces and distribute them throughout your house, instead of expecting one to heat the entire home. When you are using an electric fireplace, you also have the option of transferring the heat to other rooms via a fan.

An electric fireplace is cheaper than a gas fireplace. Unlike the gas fireplace, they also do not require any installation. They can, therefore, be easily carried from one room to another. Sometimes they are referred to as room heaters. Although gas fireplaces are initially more expensive than electric fireplaces, their gas logs are relatively inexpensive, and they are easy to maintain. Remember to take the cost of your electricity into consideration as well, when contemplating the price of an electric heater. It may be cheap to buy, but over time, the electric bills can add up. Initially, gas fireplaces cost approximately $2000.

Summary:

1.Electric fireplaces are cheaper to buy than gas fireplaces.
2.An electric fireplace requires electricity to generate heat, while a gas fireplace uses natural or propane gases.
3.With an electric fireplace, the generated heat can be transferred to other rooms through fans. A gas fireplace does not have this option.
4.Electric fireplaces may be recommended for smaller rooms or apartments, whereas, gas fireplaces could be used for larger, and more permanent areas that need to be heated.

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