What's the consensus on electric fireplaces in a mountain cabin?

Question

I'm old school and like a real wood-burning fire.  But I am looking at doing a renovation and it could cost as much as $10K more to put in a fireplace.  There's some really fancy electric ones now that even crackle and pop like a real fire.  Is this an acceptable substitute, or are electric fireplaces considered hopelessly faux and cheesy?

Account Closed · Answer

We have both electric and gas in Sevier County. I personally do not want firewood in a rental as I grew up in backwoods Mississippi and know what my crazy friends would do with fire. Men acting like boys = dumb crazy things.

As for the propane we constantly deal with guests blowing out the pilot light because they didn't know it needed to stay lit.  Also some try to roast marshmallows over them. The pro is additional heat source in the once every two year snowed in with electricity out situation.  As for electric fireplaces we really haven't had complaints, but we do have outdoor propane firepits at these locations.

If you are already vented and can do a sealed propane fireplace (glass doesn't open) I recommend it.  If not, put in electric and have less maintenance calls and lower propane bill.

James Hamling · Answer

@Collin Hays for me I measure the weight of the Pro's and Con's.

With an electric unit, will some say they miss or prefer the nostalgia, look, feel of real vs electric? Sure, but to what weight?

Is it so much that they wouldn't book again? That they'd say the experience is negative or give a negative review? I don't think so.

Now real wood; dirty aspects from the soot, troubles getting it going, over feeding and it being too hot, all issues I have heard people stating.

Not to mention insurance impact, risks of persons doing dumb things with fire.

I think the weight of Pro's/Con's firmly put's electric units as the best unit to go with as the con's are of minimal weight vs con's of wood/gas log's being of significant weight.

All the pro's of wood can be meet via an outdoor firepit and with the features electric units now have.

Collin Hays · Answer

This discussion is certainly heating up!   haha

Collin Hays · Answer

They keep building bigger and better idiots.

Collin Hays · Answer

The thing about the electric fireplace is, yeah, they look pretty cool, but there's a fair amount of technology and moving parts in these things - think video game with a heater - that can go kaput on you. Then what?  Certainly no one is going to repair it for you.  Pull it out and put another in?

And what about the remote for the thing?  Remote gets lost, no fire.

There's some benefits, but I'm leaning toward gas logs and the timer switch.

Leora Merrell · Answer

Same. Haven't lost a remote for 5 cabins times 5 years and there are manual switches on all of them.

Jon Martin · Answer

I've bought this one and it actually looks pretty good with the trim kit

https://www.modernflames.com/fireplaces/redstone-series/

Jon Martin · Answer

The one I posted I've had for 3 years, no issues. Also has buttons directly on the device that are blended into the design.

That said, yeah, like anything electronic you won't be fixing it now that the Maytag Man has been put out to pasture

Andrew Steffens · Answer

As a Floridian who takes an annual mountain cabin trip, I would be ok with electric but would prefer a real fire.

Christina B. · Answer

Great choice! Now I'm curious. Is that pretty idiot-proof? Or could a guest move over the logs (not sure about how it connects to the propane) and use real wood?

What's the consensus on electric fireplaces in a mountain cabin?

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