The Amish Fireplace

The Amish Fireplace has been the craze lately in home decorating. The heater itself is actually marketed by Heat Surge, a company based in Ohio – the Amish make the mantels – they are known for their incredible wood craftsmanship. It’s been on the news, in the newspapers, and in magazines. We have received several calls from customers that purchased these fireplaces and we wanted to address one concern that has come to our attention due to the popularity of these in our area. They are NOT as easy as plug and go. These units are rated for 1500-watts, which means that it requires a dedicated 20AMP circuit. Most living rooms are only 15AMP rated – So add a TV, a lamp, and you have a major problem on your hands… If you have purchased The Amish Fireplace, check with us first before plugging it in to make sure that your electrical system can handle it.

By the way, any 1500-watt heater will provide the same amount of heat energy – so there isn’t really anything so amazing about this product. Heat Surge claims that the heater can drastically lower your heating bills – but according to the U.S. Department of Energy, space heaters only cut your bills if you heat one room and them move the heater to another room – heating just one room at a time. Also, the amount of money you can potentially save depends a lot on how well your home is insulated, the rates from your electric company, and where you live. And here we go back to our initial concern… If you plan on moving your heater from room to room – give us a call first so that we can make sure your electrical system can handle it.

As a final thought about this Amish fireplace… Before you purchase this, just know that you are basically buying a space heater with a nice wooden mantel. If all you’re looking for is heat, you’re better off going to Target and purchasing a 1500-watt space heater for $69.99. (Aloha 1,500-Watt). If you like the look and want the fake fire with the wooden mantle – just understand you’re paying almost $300.00 for the look – not the heat. OR - even better - call us and get your $79.99 heating tune-up!

(Some of our information about this product was taken from the consumer affairs website.)