You're in the market for a new fireplace, you've looked at gas and electric and you're on the fence as to what route you want to go. Enter us, Barbecues Galore. We're here to give you the Pro's and Con's of electric fireplaces to help you make the right decision for your home.

PRO #1 - Convenience & Cost

Arguably the biggest pro's of electric fireplaces, when compared to their gas counterparts, is convenience and cost. With gas fireplaces, you're typically in the $3000-$5000 and up range, and that's before installation. 

Speaking of installation, it can range on cost and difficulty, whether it's an insert or a new build, and what venting is needed. If you're wary of these things, we recommend speaking to one of our experts so they can help give you an idea of what would work best for you.

Now electrics on the other hand, are much more straight forward and cost effective. We offer units as  low as $600 and can range upward of $3000. No venting, typically just plug in (or hardwired), and can be wall-mounted, semi-recessed, and fully recessed. 

*We always recommend checking in with your builder to ensure installation is done safely with your current wall materials.

PRO #2 - Décor

Now this one may seem a little obvious, but we have to say it anyway. An electric fireplace is a fantastic way to enhance your rooms décor and ambiance. Whether it's an insert, or a linear in wall unit, an electric fireplace is an eye catching addition to any space. It's a feature to build your media set-up around, and something to gaze into as you slowly lose focus in your in-laws conversation.

*A huge bonus of electrics, compared to gas, is most allow the heater to be turned off while you still enjoy the flame. This lets you enjoy the unit 7 days a week, 365 days a year!

PRO #3: No combustible fuels 

As we've already stated, most electric units are pretty much plug in and turn on, with the exception of some being hardwire only. Regardless, this means there is no combustible fuels used for your fireplace. 

Now we realize this this isn't a huge worry for most people, and if installation is done properly, gas fireplaces are extremely safe, but we felt it was worth mentioning as electric units provide some people with a little extra piece of mind.

Now that we're done discussing some of the PROs, we do want to run some of the perceived cons by you as well so you get the full picture.

CON #1 - The Flame

The first con most you probably thought of was the flame. Electrics tend to have a negative stigma around them, that their flames are very unrealistic.

While we will admit, their flames aren't the same as the real thing in their gas counterparts, manufacturers have come along way to making their digital flames and media beds look as real and beautiful as possible.

Amantii, Napoleon, and Dimplex electric fireplaces are now producing extremely realistic, beautiful flames that also allow colour-changing options for ambiance enchasing moods. 

CON #2 - Heat Output

Lastly, another con that can be associated with electric fireplaces is the heat output. If heating your home, or a large area is your main priority of your potential fireplace, gas may be the way to go.

That's not to say the electric's don't provide a good amount of heat. They're mostly just limited to a standard 120V outlet, producing around 5000 BTU's. This is great for zone heating up to roughly 400-500 square foot rooms.

Stop by our five showrooms across Canada to check out both electric and gas fireplaces. We are located in Burlington, Toronto, Oakville and we have two locations in Calgary.

Read more about electric fireplaces and heat here.