It goes without saying that of all types of fireplaces, electric fireplaces are by far the easiest to install. This is because they entirely use electricity to operate, and they, therefore, do not need a vent, gas line, or a chimney installed with them.
To install an electric fireplace you only need to identify a suitable location and then connect it to a power source. With that in mind, there are two ways of connecting an electric fireplace to a power source. The first one is directly connecting the electric fireplace to a power outlet. And the second one is hiring a professional to hard-wire the unit.
The majority of people prefer connecting the electric fireplace directly to a power outlet as it is simpler and saves them the professional fees incurred in the latter. However, as simple as it might sound, there are power outlet requirements to be met before plugging in your electric fireplace to the outlet. This is to ensure no accidents or damages happen to your electric fireplace or home.
In this article, we have explained all the requirements needed to ensure you safely plug in your electric fireplace
Where can you plug an electric fireplace?
Many types of electric fireplaces come with a standard plug and a power cord. The general principle with electric fireplaces is that you should only plug the unit directly into an electrical standard outlet. In other words, at any point when using an electric fireplace you should never connect it to the power source using an extension cord, power surge protector, power strip, or similar appliance.
The main reason for not using an extension cord or similar appliance is safety concerns. Here is a brief explanation to give insight:
Although an extension lead comes in handy by extending the distance away from the power source where you can install the electric fireplace, it increases the risk of a fire outbreak. When an electric fireplace is connected to any of the appliances mentioned above and is used for long periods of time the appliances are prone to overheating and causing a fire
Ideally, instead of using an extension lead to reach a power outlet that is far. You should move the electric fireplace to a different location near a power outlet or consider installing a new power outlet.
Is it costly to install a new power outlet?
After identifying a suitable location to install your electric fireplace, there might not be an electrical outlet nearby. And now that you know using an extension lead to solving that is not in the cards. The next best thing is to install a new power outlet. While you are toying with the idea, the question, “is it expensive to install a new power outlet?” definitely arises. The short answer to this question is, No.
Hiring a professional to install a new power outlet in your preferred location is not only cheap but also not time-consuming. By calling in a professional, you can have the new power outlet ready for use in no time.
Nonetheless, it should be noted that for safety reasons you should never install a new electric fireplace on your own unless you are a licensed professional of course.
Can you plug an electric fireplace into a regular home outlet?
Knowing you cannot plug an electric fireplace into an extension lead or power surge protector. You are probably wondering if you can just plug it into your regular home outlet. The answer to this question is, Yes.
The majority of electric fireplace models come with a standard plug that can be plugged into a regular home outlet with no other requirements. However, other models need to be direct-wired. Luckily, for those models, you can buy an adapter that allows you to plug them in directly to your electrical standard outlet.
What are the standard electrical outlet requirements?
It is recommended that for you to safely plug an electric fireplace into an electrical outlet, the outlet should be:
- A standard 3-prong grounded 120-volt power outlet since most electric fireplaces have 120-volt plugs. However, other large electric fireplace models need higher voltages and use 240-volt plugs. Hence, you should reference the user’s manual to ascertain the volts required for the model you own
- For additional safety, a GFCI-type to monitor the flow of electricity and prevent electric shorts.
- The outlet must be on a dedicated line since most electric fireplaces have an inbuilt heater
To save you the hassle of going to research what GFCI-type outlets and dedicated lines are, we have briefly touched on them below.
What is a GFCI-type outlet?
Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) is a type of power outlet designed to monitor the balance of electric current moving through a circuit. And if at any point the electricity goes where it should not, like how it happens in an electric short, it cuts off the flow of electricity preventing the occurrence of a short.
What is a dedicated line?
This is an electrical line that connects directly to a circuit breaker and has only one direct-wire connection. If for instance, you switched off the circuit breaker, only this single line would be affected. Having a dedicated line for an electric fireplace is essential since a single circuit can handle 120 volts and as earlier mentioned most units require 120 volts. This means that when the electric fireplace is adjusted to maximum heat settings, there will be no power left on the circuit for any other appliance.
Conclusion
Most electric fireplaces can be plugged directly into a standard electrical outlet. Nonetheless, other models need to be direct-wired. But, even for these models, you can purchase an adapter that allows you to plug them directly into a standard electrical outlet.
Key takeaways are that you should never plug an electric fireplace into a power source using extension leads, power strips, power surge protectors, or similar appliances. This is because they are prone to overheating and causing a fire outbreak. In addition, before buying an electric fireplace you should always check its electrical outlet requirements including if it is a plug-in or direct-wired model.
Comments