Fireplace Services

Electric fireplace installation from box to handover

Any electrician's work is scheduled in the right order and listed on its own line.

Reading the rating label

The rating label lists the model, the voltage and the power the unit draws. On one linear model the label sits on top of the unit, which is why it should be read before the unit disappears into the wall. Those numbers decide the outlet, the circuit and whether the model suits the supply you have.

We copy the label details into the estimate and into the written record of the installation. If a question comes up later about the circuit or a replacement part, the numbers are already on paper and nobody has to pull the unit out to find them.

120-volt and 240-volt models

Household outlets supply 120 volts, and many plug-in fireplaces are built for them. Some built-in models also come in 240-volt versions that produce more heat, and those need a circuit made for them. The model number, never the size of the unit, tells you which version you have.

If you are still choosing, we point out which versions of your preferred model suit the power already at the wall. That helps you avoid ordering a 240-volt unit for a room where only a 120-volt supply is available, or the other way around.

An opening that carries no weight

The built-in manual we reference says the fireplace is not load-bearing and that the framing should keep building materials from pressing on the top of the unit. A header above the opening takes the weight of the wall and of anything mounted on it.

When we frame a recess, the header and the side studs carry the wall, and the unit sits free inside the opening. That keeps the case straight, the glass unstressed and the unit removable if it ever needs service.

The warm trim around the heater

An electric fireplace has no open flame, but the trim around the heater outlet can get hot enough to matter. The built-in manual we follow says so and asks that young children be supervised near the unit.

We show you where the warm areas are during the handover and suggest spots for rugs, toys and pet beds away from the heater outlet. That conversation takes a few minutes and saves surprises on the first cool evening. The same goes for curtains and furniture that could drift toward the front of the unit.