Heating can take up a significant amount of your energy bills, especially in the cold months. With that said, it is necessary to take measures aimed at maximizing efficiency to ensure that energy bills do not go out of control.
One sure way of ensuring that you don’t spend too much on heating is by zone heating. Zone heating only heats the parts of your home that you will be staying in and leaves the rest. This way, you don’t end up spending energy as you heat unnecessary rooms like the guest bedroom when you don’t have guests.
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The Lifesmart Large Room infrared quartz fireplace is one very effective device that can help you in achieving lower heating costs. In this article, we are going to take a closer look at this infrared heater to try and establish if it will be a good value for money.
Let’s jump in.
Design
Before we go into the heating capabilities of this device, let’s start with taking a look at the design. This heater has been made to look like a conventional wood fireplace complete with burning wood and flames.
The heater comes with an oak mantel that also makes it look very close to the traditional wood-burning fireplaces without having to worry about expensive installation costs. This fireplace can be a functional part of your heating system while at the same time being a part of your home’s interior décor.
The fireplace also comes with realistic dancing flames with glowing pieces of ‘burning’ wood to make it look as realistic as possible. These flames can be operated separately so you can keep them on to maintain this visual appeal even during the warmer months.
Heating Capacity
Let’s take a look at how well it heats your home. This infrared fireplace has been rated to heat 1,000-square foot rooms with its 5,100 BTU thermal conductivity. It makes use of three quartz heating elements that produce a cozy, combustion-free heat that needs no ventilation. This also means that no toxins will be released in your home. Hence you can enjoy the warm, soft heat without worrying about smoke or unpleasant smells.
When it comes to power consumption, this large fireplace does incredibly. Depending on the heat setting that you have, it will consume a maximum of 1,500 watts. Since it comes with a 12-hour timer, you can add an element of automation and conveniently set it up to heat your home only when you need the warmth.
The digital controls and remote control make this fireplace very easy to use. Owing to the use of infrared to heat your home, only people and objects will be heated instead of heating the air. This way, humidity levels are maintained in the room, so you don’t need to worry about drying out the air in the process of heating.
Maneuverability
We have mentioned earlier in this review that the Lifesmart Large Room Infrared Quartz Fireplace is ideal for zone heating so let’s find out if it is easy to move around. The fireplace weighs 40 pounds and as a result, it is by no means a lightweight device. However, it has been built with casters that make it easy to roll to whichever room that needs heating without having to lift it off the ground.
You can also buy multiple units for different rooms so that you can only heat the parts of your home that need heating without having to keep moving the fireplace. This way, you’ll be able to significantly reduce your energy costs.
Let’s now compare this fireplace with some of its close competitors.
Lifesmart vs. Ameriwood Home Chicago Fireplace
The Ameriwood Home Chicago fireplace is a fireplace that tries to blend in and become a part of your home’s furniture. It comes with extra shelf space and the top panel can serve as a TV stand to ensure that you get much more than an electric fireplace.
When it comes to heating capacity, this fireplace is not as powerful as the Lifesmart because it can only heat up to 400-square foot rooms. With a power consumption rating of 1,400 watts and thermal conductivity of 4,600 BTUs, this electric fireplace appears to fall short when it comes to the size of the room that can be heated. However, if you don’t have very large rooms, it should be able to work.
The Ameriwood fireplace also comes with dancing flames that can be operated separately from the heating elements so you can enjoy the aesthetic visual effect in warm months without worrying about unnecessary heating.
The Lifesmart outshines the Ameriwood when it comes to maneuverability because the Ameriwood lacks casters so if you ever need to move it, you will have to find several people to lift and move it.
Verdict: Although the Ameriwood is more practical because it can serve as a TV stand and the fact that it comes with extra shelf space, it does not perform the most effective heating job in large rooms. It also lacks a timer and there is no remote, so controlling it will not be very convenient. Unless you need the extra storage space, the Lifesmart is the clear winner here.
Lifesmart vs. Lifesmart Easy Fireplace
Let’s now compare the Lifesmart Large Room infrared fireplace with the Lifesmart Easy Fireplace. With a nice wooden finish, the Lifesmart Easy also comes with a premium look that will complement your home’s décor.
When it comes to room coverage, the Lifesmart Easy gets easily outshined by the Lifesmart Large Room Fireplace. This is because the Lifesmart Easy will only heat 150-square foot rooms, which is nothing when compared to the 1,000-square foot capacity in its larger sibling.
The digital controls above the dancing flames are easy to use and will tell you from a glance the current temperature. You also get a remote that you can use to make adjustments without having to leave the comfort of your couch.
With a power consumption rating of 1,500 watts, this electric fireplace’s room coverage is simply unimpressive.
Verdict: The Lifesmart Large Room Infrared Fireplace is again the clear winner here. Despite having the same power consumption rating, the Lifesmart Easy only covers rooms up to 150 square feet.
Lifesmart vs. Southern Enterprises Calvert Fireplace
The Southern Enterprises Calvert Fireplace speaks to the homeowner whose interior décor leans towards brightly colored elements with an elegant touch of class. This ivory-colored electric fireplace comes with a premium look that is complemented by the elegant floral trim and the classic silhouette.
It comes with a power rating of 1,500 watts and can heat small and medium rooms with a maximum of 400 square feet. When compared to the Lifesmart in this regard, the Lifesmart does better because it comes with the same power rating but it can heat larger rooms.
The firebox also has an illusion of dancing flames with an interior brick design to finish off the classic, elegant lifelike design. These dancing flames are also operated separately so you can leave them on even if you don’t need the heat.
This electric fireplace comes with a timer and thermostat to give you an easy time controlling the warmth in the room and a remote that puts the power in your palm.
When it comes to maneuverability, the Lifesmart fireplace does better because of the casters. The Southern Enterprises fireplace will need assembly and it does not come with wheels or casters; hence moving it is going to require more effort.
Verdict: Owing to higher room coverage, the Lifesmart fireplace wins again. However, if you don’t have large rooms and you prefer the bright ivory-colored mantel, then the Southern Enterprises fireplace could still suffice.
Lifesmart vs. Duraflame Fireplace
Let’s finish by comparing the Lifesmart fireplace to the Duraflame Electric fireplace. The Duraflame fireplace looks slightly different from the Lifesmart one. Rather than looking like a part of the room, the Duraflame looks like an elegant standalone addition to any room.
The Duraflame also comes with virtual dancing flames, but they are slightly different than what is in the Lifesmart. It comes with the 3D flame effect that looks realistic regardless of the angle from which you are viewing. These flames can be operated separately so you can have the visual effect even in the warm summer months when you don’t need heating.
When it comes to heating performance, this electric fireplace has a thermal conductivity of 5,200 BTUs and is capable of heating rooms as large as 1,000 square feet. With a power rating of 1,500 watts, this electric fireplace is just as effective as the Lifesmart.
The heating technology used in the Duraflame is the same infrared quartz technology used in the Lifesmart so you will be able to heat the room without drying out the air in the room thus ensuring that everyone is comfortable.
Controlling the heat and the dancing flames is easy using the buttons on the front of the unit or the included remote control.
Verdict: When it comes to heating performance, it is a tie between these two fireplaces because they can heat rooms of the same size and control options are quite close. The difference in thermal conductivity is also not very significant. To distinguish between these two electric fireplaces, everything boils down to the design. Depending on your home and the interior décor, you might want to choose the model that works best for your setting.
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