Small Fireplaces

Small fireplaces can still create a lot of heat--you just need to turn the knob up all the way. Of course, I'm talking about electric fireplaces. Since they heat (and for that matter, light) completely by electricity, they are very easy to control. You can turn them up or turn them off; small fireplaces can even feel like big ones if you want.

Getting Small Fireplaces for Small Rooms

The problem with small rooms is that a standard fireplace can be overpowering. For that reason, smaller rooms--spare bedrooms or dens, for example--generally don't have wood-burning fireplaces; they are complicated appliances for larger rooms, requiring chimneys and all that. But that's a moot point with electric fireplaces.

Since all an electric fireplace needs is an electrical outlet, you can easily move them from room to room--especially to rooms that have been ignored by traditional fireplaces. They are cozy, adjustable, and safe--perfect for dorm rooms and cellars or wherever else you want to pick up and go at a moment's notice. But small fireplaces are more than just light and portable.

An electric fireplace or stove of any size is more efficient than a wood- or gas-burning one. All the electrical energy that a fireplace receives can be converted to heat; in combustion fireplaces, much of the heat is vented out with the smoke, wasting money. A small electric fireplace has big advantages over conventional ones.