A wall-mounted electric fireplace is the most popular style we sell at Stylish Fireplaces. Our clients love that they can mount an electric fireplace anywhere they like, without worrying about venting or finding an exterior wall. A wall-mounted electric fireplace offers a lot of freedom to design your space however you like, without restrictions on the placement of the fireplace. A wall-mounted electric fireplace may be set up to complement furnishings; for example, you may want to add a fireplace above a dining room credenza. Or, you can create an entirely new feature wall for the fireplace, possibly pairing it with a TV.
The design possibilities are endless, because the range of sizes is huge. You can get wall-mounted electric fireplaces in widths ranging from 34 to 100 inches. Wall-mounted electric fireplaces also come in a variety of depths, from just under 4-inches up to 18-inches. In addition to linear styles, which are short and wide, there are wall-mounted electric fireplaces designed with their own cabinets, as well as vertical styles that are tall and slim. There’s literally a wall-mounted electric fireplace for every situation.
Before you get started designing a feature around a wall-mounted electric fireplace, there are a few things you need to know.
On-wall Mounted vs. In-wall Mounted Electric Fireplaces
Everyone defines wall-mounted a little differently. With so many sizes and styles available, it stands to reason that there are different installation options for wall-mounted electric fireplaces. We divide them into on-wall and in-wall, because these are pretty self-explanatory categories.
An on-wall mounted electric fireplace may be hung on the wall surface. This means that the manufacturer has provided some sort of mounting bracket that allows for the fireplace to be hung up. In this case, no wall cavity is required, which makes installation ‘plug-and-play’, with no construction required. Some on-wall mounted electric fireplaces may also be installed in the wall, but not always. Never install an on-wall mounted electric fireplace in the wall unless such an installation is specified in the owner’s manual.
An in-wall mounted electric fireplace is set into a wall cavity; it may be partially or completely recessed. Creating a wall cavity will require some construction skills. Within this category are built-in and slide-in electric fireplaces. A built-in fireplace has part of the firebox covered by the wall materials; the wall opening is created, then the fireplace is set into the opening, and the wall materials are brought up to the viewing window on the fireplace. A slide-in fireplace is put in the wall after the wall is finished. Some in-wall mounted electric fireplaces may also be installed on the wall surface, but only if the manufacturer has allowed for this type of installation.
How can I hide the cord on a wall-mounted electric fireplace?
If you are installing an in-wall mounted electric fireplace, the electrical cables will be hidden in the wall cavity. Slide-in models may be kept on a plug or hard-wired; built-in models must be hard-wired, as open receptacles may not be hidden behind the wall without easy access in case of an electrical fault.
If you are installing an on-wall mounted electric fireplace, the electrical cord will be visible, unless you hardwire the fireplace and bring the electrical cable out directly behind the fireplace. If you plan to plug into a nearby receptacle, you will need to hide the cord, possibly with a paintable cord cover. Some manufacturers even supply these!
Where should the heat be vented on a wall-mounted electric fireplace?
If a wall-mounted electric fireplace is to be installed in the wall, the heat must be vented from the front of the glass. Any electric fireplace with the heat venting out the top of the firebox must not be installed inside the wall. Having said that, even if the heat vents out the front, the installation instructions must state that installation inside the wall is possible. If the manufacturer has not designed and tested the fireplace for in-wall mounting, then it is not safe to do so.
Can you install a TV above a wall-mounted electric fireplace?
One of the reasons that wall-mounted electric fireplaces have grown in popularity is that many people want to hang their TV above the fireplace. This is absolutely possible and safe, as long as you follow the manufacturer’s installation instructions and owners’ manual. For instance, if the heat is vented out the top of the fireplace, you will need to have a lot of distance between the fireplace and the TV, to ensure that the heat doesn’t damage the electronics. Or, you can choose not to mount the TV above a top-heating fireplace.
Even when the heat vents out the front of the fireplace, some manufacturers include heat charts in their owners’ manuals, outlining the wall temperatures at various distances above the fireplace. These heat charts need to be compared to the specifications for your TV, to ensure that the heat is within acceptable parameters. Most of the wall temperatures cited will not be more than the temperature of a typical room on a hot Summer day. However, it is up to you to confirm what is acceptable for your particular electronics.
What is the right size for a wall-mounted electric fireplace?
A wall-mounted electric fireplace needs to look balanced with the size of the wall and the size of the room. If you have a large room, but the wall for the fireplace is small, think about finding another location, so you can choose a fireplace that is in proportion to the size of the room. On the flip side, if you have a large wall in a not-so-big room, don’t be afraid to ‘go big or go home’. It’s fun to play with proportions and have an oversize fireplace in a small space, to really make a statement – when wall space allows! The viewing area on a wall-mounted electric fireplace is not like a TV – there is no minimum distance required to avoid eye strain. In over 20 years of working with electric fireplaces, we have never had someone wish their fireplace was smaller, but we have often known clients to say that they wish they had gone bigger.
If there is a TV above the fireplace, the TV size will dictate the minimum fireplace size. If the TV and fireplace form an imaginary pyramid on your wall, the top of the pyramid should be smaller than the base. This will look and feel balanced. To do this, your TV needs to be smaller than your wall-mounted electric fireplace. When deciding on the best size fireplace for your TV, remember that TV’s are measured on the diagonal; this means that the actual width of a TV is less than the diagonal size. It’s the actual TV width that needs to be compared to the size of the fireplace, because wall-mounted electric fireplaces are measured across the actual width. For example, a 65-inch TV is actually 56 to 58 inches wide; the minimum fireplace width below this TV is 60-inches, but 74-inches would look even more balanced. Fortunately, the heat output on an electric fireplace is not determined by the size of the fireplace, so you can go as big as you like without worrying about excess heat.
Stylish Fireplaces knows that adding a fireplace to your home can be challenging. With an electric fireplace and their NFI Certified Hearth Design Specialists, it’s easy to create a space you’ll love to share with family and friends. Check out all the options and connect with their experts for help to find the perfect electric fireplace for you. You’ll live stylishly ever after.