Heater

As well as displaying flame effects, the large majority of electric fireplaces will also be able to generate supplementary heat through an integrated heater.

There are two main types of heater used in an electric fireplace: Fan forced heater, Infrared heater.

Fan forced heaters are more commonly found in electric fireplaces. They work much like a conventional home space heater where air is blown over a heating element to generate warm air for the room.

The other main type of heater you’ll find in an electric fireplace is infrared. Infrared heaters are typically able to heat a larger area compared to fan heaters and can generally be found on the more expensive models of electric fireplace.

Electric fireplaces with infrared heaters can typically heat spaces up to 1000sqft, while those with fan heaters typically up to 400sqft.

We’ve explained more differences between fan and infrared electric fireplaces here.

Electric Fireplace Heaters – Summary

Electric fireplaces are more commonly found with fan heaters, which are typically rated to heat rooms up to 400sqft in size.

If you’re looking to heat a larger area then look to buy an electric fireplace with an infrared heater, which typically have the ability to heat rooms up to 1000sqft in size.