While there are lots of surface-mounted electric fireplaces on the market, our most popular units are designed to be recessed into the wall or into a cabinet. A recessed electric fireplace gives a custom and professional appearance to your fireplace wall. When your goal is to replicate the realism of a gas or wood-burning fireplace, you must have the fireplace in the wall. After all, those other fireplaces would not be hanging on the wall or sitting on a table. Recessed electric fireplaces include linear styles as well as more traditional inserts. When you are ready to install a recessed electric fireplace, there are 5 major considerations before you buy, which we’re outlining below.

Let’s talk about installation. Looking at a fully-recessed electric fireplace, it’s not easy to see if it’s a built-in or a slide-in unit. They can often look very similar after the wall is finished. However, the installation and finishing processes are very different, so it’s important to understand which is which.  

Recessed electric fireplaces that are built-in

We define built-in as any fireplace that may not be removed from the finished wall without breaking that wall. These recessed electric fireplaces are put into the wall during the framing stage. Then the wall coverings are put on the wall surface, and will be partially over the fireplace itself. This allows you to have a frameless finish on the fireplace, where your wall materials go right up to a flange around the viewing window. However, it also means that you can’t later remove the fireplace from the wall. For that reason, the fireplace must be hard-wired, rather than having a plug. It’s a possible safety hazard to have an open electrical receptacle hidden behind a wall without access. Many built-in electric fireplaces do come with plugs, but those must be removed before the wall is sealed up. Built-in electric fireplaces include those with 3-sided glass, as well as most of the deeper single-sided units.

Pro tip: When planning for a built-in electric fireplace, remember that the flange around the viewing window is only deep enough to connect with a single layer of wall material. If you are planning to put up plywood or drywall and then add stone or tile on top of that, the first material must stop above and below the fireplace, flush with the front of the firebox. This will allow the finish material to be applied to the drywall/plywood, right over the firebox and up to the flange around the viewing window.

Recessed electric fireplaces that are slide-in

We define slide-in as any fireplace that slips into the wall opening after the wall coverings are installed. It may also be slipped out again without removing any wall coverings. These recessed electric fireplaces usually come with a plug, but may be hard-wired as well. Most of the slim 4-inch or 6-inch-deep recessed electric fireplaces are slide-in, as are most of the more traditional fireplace inserts. These are the simplest electric fireplaces to install, which makes them very popular. Some slide-in linear electric fireplaces may also be installed on the wall surface, if the manufacturer has provided a wall-mount bracket.  

How deep are recessed electric fireplaces?

There are a huge number of different recessed electric fireplace models, ranging in depth from 4-inches to 21-inches. Generally speaking, most of our clients agree that the deeper models look more realistic than the slimmer models. However, the better manufacturers are working hard to create natural-looking flames even in their slimmest electric fireplaces.

Clearance requirements for recessed electric fireplaces

Electric fireplaces are considered zero-clearance, so the wall materials may be flammable or non-flammable, because there is no combustion inside the fireplace, and the wall materials may be next to the fireplace. This means that you can build the fireplace wall with wood and drywall, rather than metal studs and cement board. As well, your wall coverings can include flammable materials like wood planks or slats. You can choose stone if that’s your preference, but you don’t have to have such non-flammable finishing materials if you don’t want to. Occasionally, the fireplace manufacturer may include a heat chart in the owner’s manual, showing the temperature of the wall around the fireplace, so that you can decide whether your nearby electronics are at risk. Some manufacturers also list a ‘safe’ distance for the TV to be mounted above the fireplace.   

Service & Maintenance for recessed electric fireplaces

We occasionally hear from a homeowner or contractor who is concerned about servicing a built-in electric fireplace, because it can’t be removed from the wall. Built-in electric fireplaces are designed to be serviced through the front, by removing the front glass. The most important consideration for built-in fireplaces in ensuring that the electrical connection is working, before closing the wall. It is usually not possible to access the electrical wiring from the front of the fireplace, so be sure to test this while the wall is still open. If the electrical wiring is done incorrectly, it will not be possible to get the fireplace working again.

Summary

Recessed electric fireplaces are the most popular models we carry. They come in a range of shapes and sizes and are safe and easy to install.