Choosing and Installing Wall Hanging Electric Fireplaces

Recommendations for the best wall-hanging fireplaces plus pro installation tips

If you want an electric fireplace with minimal construction, a wall-hanging model may be the answer. There are several challenging situations that could be addressed with a wall-mounted electric fireplace:

• You live in a condo where your walls are not deep enough to hold even a slim electric fireplace.
• You need a fireplace in the basement and you can’t cut into the concrete walls.
• You’re in a rental apartment, and you can’t add anything permanent.

If you can hang artwork or a mirror on your wall, you can also hang an electric fireplace. You just need to find the right model, one that’s made for wall hanging. With our professional installation tips, it’s easier than you think.

Which electric fireplaces are made for wall hanging?

Not all electric fireplaces may be mounted on the wall surface. To facilitate this, the manufacturer must supply a wall-mounting bracket to support the fireplace. The best way to see if your preferred fireplace fits the bill is to take a look at the owner’s manual, and review the installation instructions. Do they mention hardware and instructions for hanging the fireplace on the wall surface? If yes, you’re good to go.

What to look for in the best wall hanging electric fireplaces

Ideally, if an electric fireplace is made to be hung up, it will have a few important features that will ensure that it looks good from every angle:

• Slim profile. You don’t want to see anything too bulky sticking out from the wall.
• Finished sides. Are there end caps that hide the screws and labels on the sides of the fireplace?
• Glass sides. Even better than seeing an end cap is seeing glass on the sides of the fireplace, so it looks less bulky.

There are several examples of wall-mounted electric fireplaces that tick these boxes. Here are a few of our clients’ favourites.

Napoleon Entice

Models: NEFL36CFH-1, NEFL42CFH-1, NEFL50CFH-1, NEFL60CFH-1, NEFL72CFH-1

Entice is a linear electric fireplace that has flexible installation options. It may be installed fully flush into a 6-inch wall, semi-flush into a 4-inch wall (with the included trim) or surface-mounted on the wall with the included wall bracket. When mounting on the wall, there are sleek end caps that may be installed to cover the screws and labels on the sides of the fireplace. Because it’s only 6-inches deep, it doesn’t protrude into the room by a lot when hanging on the wall. There are 10 flame and ember colours, as well as a 5000 BTU thermostatically controlled heater with blower. It comes standard with clear crystals and there are optional log sets available. Napoleon Entice is a great option when you want a feature-packed fireplace that is also wall hanging.

Napoleon Astound Flexmount

Models: NEFL50AB, NEFL62AB, NEFL74AB

Astound Flexmount also has flexible installation options, as the name suggests. It’s slightly deeper than the Entice, which allows for a little bit of side glass on the ends. It may be installed fully flush into a 7.5-inch wall, semi-flush into a 4-inch wall, or it can hang on the wall surface with the included wall bracket. When it’s set up as a wall hanging fireplace, the end view is softened by the appearance of glass sides. Napoleon has provided logs that appear to be full-size, along with amber glass embers and rocks, for a very natural flame effect. Flame colours are yellow, orange and red, and the accent lights change colours above the logs and below the embers. Flexmount is also dual-voltage, and may be connected to 240 volts if you need more heat output than 5000 BTUs. This is not the case with most wall hanging electric fireplaces.

Modern Flames SPS Spectrum Slimline

Models: SPS-50B, SPS-60B, SPS-74B, SPS-100B

Spectrum Slimline is the slimmest of the linear electric fireplaces that may be wall hanging. It projects out from the wall just 4.625-inches, so it is the least obtrusive of all the wall-mounted electric fireplaces. In spite of its slim build, it has many of the same features as Entice, with 12 flame colours and 11 ember colours. It also comes standard with tinted glass embers and canyon driftwood logs. Spectrum Slimline connects to 120 volts, which will produce up to 5000 BTUs of heat when needed.

Amantii Cube

Model: Cube 2025-WM

The Cube is part of Amantii’s TruView family of multi-sided electric fireplaces. It was designed to be exclusively wall hanging, and may not be built into a wall. What really makes is stand out from the other wall-mounted fireplaces is its shape – it has a vertical orientation rather than a linear profile. It is also considerably deeper than other wall-mounted fireplaces, at 11.75 inches. This extra depth accommodates glass sides, which softens the overall appearance. The Cube may be mounted indoors or outdoors, and will provide up to 400 square feet of heating on its 120-volt connection.

Is it safe to mount TVs above wall-mounted electric fireplaces?

All of the models we’ve mentioned above have blowers that push heat out the front of the fireplace. That means that it’s perfectly safe to mount a TV above the fireplace. However, you may come across wall hanging fireplaces that have the heat pushing out the top of the fireplace, directly up the wall. It is not safe to hang your TV above this type of electric fireplace.

Installation tips for wall hanging electric fireplaces

Hardwiring vs. Plug-in

Any 120-volt wall hanging electric fireplace may be plugged into a regular outlet. However, you will have a power cord hanging down from the bottom of the fireplace. To get rid of this, you can remove the cord and wire the fireplace directly to the electrical cable in the wall. This will require a licensed electrician to bring the wire to where you want to hang the fireplace. Note: If the fireplace is being connected to 240 volts, then it must be hardwired, as the plug will only work with 120 volts.

Position of electrical receptacle

In order to minimize the appearance of the power cord, you want to mount the electric fireplace as close to the outlet as possible. This will generally determine the height at which you hang the fireplace.  Note:  You cannot have the outlet directly behind the fireplace, because the plug will prevent the fireplace from resting against the wall.

How high should you mount the fireplace?

If you have the flexibility to put the electrical exactly where you want it, then you can follow our room-by-room tips for fireplace mounting height:

Summary: Wall hanging electric fireplaces

• Wall-mounted electric fireplaces are virtually renovation-free and are great for areas where you don’t want to break into the wall.
• The best wall hanging electric fireplaces are slim and have finished end caps or glass sides.
• It’s safe to hang your TV above a wall hanging fireplace that blows heat out the front.
• Position a wall-mounted fireplace as close to the electrical outlet as possible but not over the receptacle.
• If possible, hardwire the fireplace so you can eliminate the cord.