How to make an electric fireplace with your own hands

A purchaseable electric fireplace costs about the same as a large flat-screen TV. Without the heating function, such a fireplace is actually just a “TV”, showing one 3D image of an animated flame and making sounds that mimic the crackling of burning wood. This is an expensive pleasure, representing only aesthetic value. You can make such an electric fireplace yourself, saving an impressive amount of money. We consider the manufacturing technology of the device with the function of heating.

Features of electrocenter

So, we need a device that will not only please the eye and warm the soul, but also perform the function of a heater. Such electrofireplaces are equipped with tubular electric heater (TENG), which, when connected to the mains, can heat up to 900 degrees Celsius and produce near heat, similar to what comes from a real fire.

Electrofireplaces with heating function are usually equipped with reflectors that are installed on top and can collect, accumulate and reflect heat.

Electrofireplace consists of two main parts:

1. Hearthwhich imitates the firebox of a real wood fireplace and burning a flame.
2. Portalacting as decoration for electrofireplace decoration.

We will not consider manufacturing technology portal for electric fireplace do it yourself - This topic is worth a separate article. And it is best to do this during the repair of the room where you plan to install a stationary fireplace.

We are more interested in the device and the manufacture of the hearth, which can be done by hand with the necessary elements and tools.

Device device

The electric center with heating function consists of two parts: heating and decorative elements. The first one generates heat, the other simulates a fire in the hearth

As a heating element, you can use the usual room heater, if you do not want to do it from scratch (which may be unsafe). Therefore, here we will not consider in detail the technology of its manufacture. We can only say that for this you will need another screen (reflector) to reflect the generated heat and the fan - to ensure better circulation of warm air in the right direction.

Decorative part of electrofireplace It consists of stone or brick hearth decorations, imitations of fire and glowing logs. For the manufacture of all this will fit any available material available in the house.

Heater manufacturing

As already mentioned above, it is better to use some ready-made factory heater, made in compliance with all safety requirements. But if you are well versed in what is written further, then go for it!

In all types of electric fireplaces for heating are used heating elements of various kinds. It may be:

• spiral quartz tube;
• biospiral on ceramic bases;
• nichrome spiral elements.

That is, even a spiral from an iron in a ceramic shell will be suitable for our purposes. Only such spirals may need some, so that the total generated power is 1-2 KW.

Naturally, all this must be properly mounted on any frame, insulated, grounded and take care of wiring that could withstand the intended load. For the best distribution and preservation of heat, it is necessary to equip the entire structure with a reflector in the form of a cooker hood, for the manufacture of which you will need a frame made of galvanized steel corners and stainless steel sheet.

The heater made in this way can additionally be supplied with a temperature controller and even with sensors that switch on the device automatically. They can always be found in the store.

Fireplace decoration

Here is where to turn! It all depends on the rampant of your imagination, the flight of which can be stopped only by the lack of necessary materials. To imitate fire, we will need “logs”, lights, and something very similar to live fire.

Logs can be made from ordinary cardboard, twisting it into rolls and holding tape together, then wrapped with paper and painted in the desired colors.Also, nothing prevents to use for this real dry logs, if you have, where to get them.

As a backlight "flame" is best to use LED light bulbsiridescent in red and yellow colors. They can be placed behind the decoration of the flame or "glowing" coals made of transparent fabric or other material.

Here is the step-by-step process of making the simplest flame decoration in the hearth:

1. We take the most common branches of a tree of average thickness (8-10 mm).
2. We wrap them with foil, on which we glue strips of tulle or lace.
3. After the glue dries, the branches are pulled out of the foil (if they are not pulled out, you can cut the foil along, and then glue the laces back into the tubes).
4. Put pebbles in a semicircle at the bottom of the fireplace.
5. In the center of the circle of stones put a folded garland.
6. Over the garland "tent" set the logs of lace and fasten them at the top of the remnants of fabric or thread.

To achieve the best effect, a garland is needed such that alternately flashes yellow and red. But even the usual light bulb, burning only yellow, will do.

For more advanced flame imitations, various tricks are used: mirrors,rotating light sources behind a panel with a fire or transparent fabric, which can be rigidly fixed to the frame, or cut into flaps and a fan is installed under them, the air flow from which will make them “dance”.

Flame imitation

In modern electric fireplaces, a completely different kind of tricks is used to simulate burning. In them, a realistic fire is born with the help of an ultrasonic steam generator on a quartz plate! Jets of steam from it, rising up, fall into the rays of the backlight and become visible to the eye. At the same time, the effect is so realistic that it’s terrible to touch the “tongues” of this flame. Although it is just steamformed at room temperature by oscillations of a quartz plate under the action of an electric current.

It is quite possible to make a similar steam generator at home using our own resources and means, which is proved by the following video.

It is very difficult to make such a thing and this will require some knowledge or qualified assistance from an electrician.

To make your version of a realistic electric fire, we need:

• Fan (cooler from the computer).
• Ultrasonic steam generators.
• DMX converter.
• LED lights.
• Waterproof box.
• Distilled water.

Attach ultrasonic steam generators to the bottom of the waterproof box (preferably several). They will contribute to the evaporation of water, and the fan located at the side will drive the vapors upward, preventing them from cooling, spinning and falling prematurely.

Lamps are needed to illuminate the rising steam, which, in their rays, will create the effect of "burning" decorative firewood, which should reliably cover all this clever design.

Conclusion

I hope you have no questions left about how to make an electric fireplace with your own hands. Nothing is impossible for a person who ignited an idea. You just need to clearly define the ultimate goal. If you need electric fire in the apartment or at the cottage only for aesthetic pleasure, you can even make it out of cardboard. But a more functional model will require much more time, labor and financial costs.