THE “FAKE” FIREPLACE: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

12/23/2022

The "fake" fireplace is proving to be an increasingly popular element for furnishing and heating your home, giving an irresistible charm to the home atmosphere.

This alternative to the traditional fireplace is, in reality, defined as "fake", solely because it does not require a flue and, therefore, no building intervention of great importance. In fact, these particular fireplaces actually produce heat and are often evaluated as a real heating element.

These modern design elements have the possibility, in addition, of having free-standing or built-in installation, and of having an open or closed hearth, obviously depending on the type chosen.

So let's talk about types of fireplaces: there are various solutions on the market, all having the common characteristic of not producing ashes or fumes, including electric, gas and bioethanol.

The electric fireplace, ideal for an environment in a modern and essential key, is a completely automated system that uses electricity, but still being equipped with a flame, which is created thanks to the ignition of light bulbs or optical fibers, which allows the enchantment of fire to be "hands on". These solutions can be hung on the walls, just like paintings, or positioned in the traditional way, recessed or free, to the side or in the center of the room. Each electric fireplace, in addition, is equipped with a thermostat to regulate the temperature and intensity of the flame.

Otherwise, the gas fireplace is the one most similar to a real fireplace, so if you want to recreate a very realistic and suggestive effect, it could be the solution for you. Fueled by artificial logs of mineralized wood, the gas fireplace is equipped with gas nozzles and a catalyst, which make the flame appear real. This solution heats the room with hot humidified air, which allows, in some models, to add balsamic essences. Furthermore, it generally allows the rooms to be heated, in total safety, as it is equipped with a special system that automatically blocks the gas tap in the event of leaks.

Finally, the bioethanol fireplace, characterized by a strong design impact, such as the range proposed by Planika, IDW Italia partner, is the only eco-sustainable solution, which really yields renewable energy: they have a special tank containing a fuel, i.e. bioethanol, which is obtained from the natural fragmentation of plant biomass and is shown to be completely biodegradable. These solutions are not at all harmful or toxic to the environment, obviously based on the choice of fuel quality, unlike what one might think, since as a result of combustion, they burn oxygen and emit carbon dioxide.

Coming to the point, what are the pros and cons of these innovative fireplace solutions?

In favor, we certainly see their very simple installation, which, as already mentioned, does not require masonry interventions and absolutely does not require a flue. Furthermore, compared to the traditional one, the "fake" fireplaces do not produce residues or ashes, much less fumes, thus presenting themselves as an alternative with clean combustion and which requires minimal effort in terms of maintenance.

The main disadvantage of "fake" fireplaces is their need to be integrated with another heating system, since the heat production they give off is not sufficient to heat the entire apartment, but only the single room.

In conclusion, among all the types of "fake" fireplaces, the bioethanol one turns out to be the best since its autonomy can last even more than 4 consecutive hours, unlike all the other alternatives.