If you are searching for an electric log set for existing fireplace, the question is almost always fit. Will it go in the opening I already have, and will it look like it belongs there?
The Hearthstone is designed around that. It sits in a cast-look iron basket, so the arrangement reads like a real fire laid in a grate.
Electric Log Set For Existing Fireplace at a Glance
- Designed to sit inside an existing opening
- Cast-look iron basket with bark-covered logs
- 5,200 BTU / 1,500W heater
- Leaves visible brick margin either side
- Three widths from 20 to 30 inches
- No flue, no liner, no sweep
Who it suits: Anyone replacing an open fire that no longer works, period homes with tapered openings, and rentals where nothing can be altered.
Fitting an existing opening
Three measurements decide it: front width, back width and depth. Most failures come from the back, because period openings taper.
The basket styling helps because it occupies the middle of the opening and leaves visible brick around it. That margin is what makes it look original.
Then there is the cord. Plan the route before delivery, because a log set with no nearby socket is a log set with a visible cable.
Heating performance and coverage
Heat comes from a 1,500W element behind the glass, rated at 5,200 BTU. It is deliberately the same unit across the range, because 1,500W is what a normal circuit will carry without complaint.
In practice a electric log set for existing fireplace holds a 400 to 600 square foot room comfortably. It helps in rooms up to about 1,000 square feet when the doors are shut and the insulation is reasonable. Open-plan spaces will always need more than one heat source.
The flame runs independently of the heater. Press the flame button and leave the heat off, and the unit works as lighting rather than heating. That is how most owners use it from spring to autumn.
Sizing is the single most common mistake with a electric log set for existing fireplace. Buy for the room you sit in, not the whole floor plan, and the unit will cycle comfortably instead of running flat out all evening.
If your walls are uninsulated or the room sits over a garage, treat the rated coverage as a maximum rather than a promise. The thermostat will still hold the room, but it will run closer to full output for longer.
Specifications and delivery
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Model | EP-LS-HEARTH |
| Sizes | 20, 24, 30 inch |
| Heat output | 5,200 BTU/hr (1,500W) |
| Coverage | 400 sq ft realistic |
| Power | 120V / 12.5A |
| Basket | Cast-look iron with four legs |
| Flame | LED with ember bed, 3 brightness levels |
| Controls | Remote, thermostat, 9-hour timer |
| Safety | Overheat cut-off |
| Price | From $299.00 |
| Delivery | 2–5 business days, flat $50 under $1,000, free over $1,000 |
We check the flame, thermostat, cord and plug before dispatch, then ship it tracked.
Placement and clearances
Measure the opening three ways before ordering: front width, back width and depth. Tapered period openings catch most buyers out, because the back is narrower than the front.
Leave 5cm behind the set for the cord and the heater intake. If the opening is shallower than 25cm, choose a smaller set rather than forcing a larger one.
Arrange the logs slightly off-centre and leave a gap between the top log and the ones below. The flame needs somewhere to read through, and a perfectly stacked pile looks like a pile rather than a fire.
Running costs
Full heat draws 1.5 kWh an hour. At the US average of about 15 cents per kWh, that is roughly 22 to 23 cents.
The thermostat cycles the element, so a typical evening lands nearer 15 to 17 cents an hour. Flame-only mode draws a few watts and costs pennies.
The Department of Energy explains how resistance heating is priced per kilowatt hour. It is worth ten minutes if you want to compare running costs properly rather than guess.
Installation in five steps
Installation here means fitting, not building. There is no flue, no gas and no vent, so nobody needs a trade for a standard install.
- Unbox and check the glass in daylight before you discard the carton. Every EP-LS-HEARTH leaves us bench-tested, but transit is the one thing nobody controls.
- Fix the wall bracket or base, using studs or masonry anchors. Electric Log Set For Existing Fireplace units are heavier than they look, and plasterboard alone will not hold one.
- Lift the unit into place with a second pair of hands, then check it sits level before tightening anything fully.
- Connect the power. Most buyers use the supplied cord into a standard outlet; an electrician can hardwire the unit if you want a cable-free result.
- Run the flame for ten minutes before switching on the heater, then bring the heat on low, wait five minutes, and only then go to full output.
The whole job takes about thirty minutes for one person and twenty for two. Nothing needs plastering, cutting or inspecting afterwards.
Choosing the right size
Start with the wall, not the catalogue. Measure the usable width between two fixed points, then subtract 20cm so the unit does not crowd the edge. That figure narrows the range quickly.
We stock this electric log set for existing fireplace in 20, 24, 30 inch. All options share the same body height, so the choice is horizontal rather than vertical, and a wider unit reads as more of a feature while a narrower one reads as an accent.
The second measure is the room. A 400 square foot room suits any size. A 600 square foot open-plan space is better served by the wider options, because heat spreads from a wider outlet and the fire itself fills more of the wall.
If you are between two sizes, go up. Buyers who regret size almost always regret buying small, and a unit that is slightly too wide simply looks generous.
Care and safety
Wipe the glass with a non-ammonia cleaner and a microfibre cloth when the unit is cool. Hot glass and cold cleaner is how crazing starts, and no polish will fix it afterwards.
Dust the surround monthly. A matte black finish hides dust well, though it shows pale scuffs under side light. A dry cloth handles both.
Vacuum the intake grille every few weeks. Keep the heater clear of fabric, and never run it with the intake blocked by a curtain or a cushion. The overheat cut-off will protect the unit, but it cannot protect your evening.
What ownership looks like in year three
There is no fuel to buy, no ash to carry out and no flue to sweep. The only running cost is electricity, and the only maintenance is dust and glass.
The LED flame is rated for tens of thousands of hours, which is several years of daily evening use. If an element fails inside the 12 month warranty we replace the unit rather than sending you a part and a diagram.
The finish is the part that needs attention over time. Clean it with warm soapy water rather than abrasives, and it will look the same in year three as it does today.
That is the honest case for a electric log set for existing fireplace over a solid fuel fire. It asks nothing of you except a socket and a cloth, and it gives back a room that feels finished rather than half-furnished.
Returns run 30 days on unopened units and every unit carries 12 months of cover on the element and control board. Keep the carton for a week after delivery so we can resolve a transit issue without an argument, and photograph the glass before you recycle the packaging.
Three mistakes to avoid
Buying for the wrong room. A electric log set for existing fireplace heats 400 to 600 square feet in practice. Buy it for a bigger space and you will spend the winter disappointed by arithmetic rather than by the product.
Sharing the circuit. At full heat these units draw 12.5 amps. A kettle, a microwave or a second heater on the same outlet will trip the breaker and the fireplace will get blamed.
Blocking the airflow. Twenty centimetres above and below, plus ninety in front. Everybody thinks their room has that space until the furniture goes back in.
None of those are complicated. They are simply the three things that separate a good install from a frustrating one.
The cord question, solved
Four options, in order of tidiness: a floor socket inside the fireplace, a fused spur chased into the chimney breast, a cable clipped along the skirting, or a cable under a rug.
Only the first two look deliberate. The third is acceptable. The fourth will trip someone eventually.
An electrician can fit a floor socket in about an hour if you have access under the floor. It is the best money you will spend on the installation.
Making an old opening work again
Have the chimney swept before you put anything in the opening. It costs little, and it means a future owner can still use the flue if they choose.
Cap the terminal at the top to keep rain and birds out, and fit a blanking plate behind the log set to stop cold air tracking down.
Do all of that once, and the fireplace stops being a draught and starts being a feature.
Replacing a gas fire with an electric log set for existing fireplace
If a gas point is already in the opening, cap it and leave it in place. Fitting an electric log set for existing fireplace use takes minutes once the gas is isolated, and a qualified plumber can cap the supply the same day. The chimney then stays dry and ventilated, which is what you want from an electric log set for existing fireplace setup.
How it compares to the rest of the range
The Oakridge Electric Log Set is the simplest drop-in option.
The Chimney 30 Inch Electric Log Set suits wider masonry openings.
The Emberline Electric Fireplace Insert gives a finished glazed result.
The Ember Peak standard
Every log set we ship is bench-tested before it leaves the yard. We inspect the flame with the heater off, check the thermostat, and test the cord and plug, because a fire that arrives with a rattle is one you resent for years.
Delivery arrives tracked within 2 to 5 business days. Shipping is a flat $50 under $1,000 and free over $1,000, with a $150 minimum order. Anything unclear before or after the sale reaches a human on the contact page, and we will tell you when a different model suits your cabin better.
Compare all of them on the electric log sets page, or read our sizing guide before you commit. Popular alternatives right now: Oakridge Electric Log Set, Birchwood Electric Fireplace Logs, Crackle Electric Fireplace Logs with Sound.
Common questions
Will it fit my existing fireplace?
Measure front width, back width and depth. You need about 25cm of depth.
Do I need to alter the fireplace?
No. It drops in. A blanking plate is optional but recommended.
Should I have the chimney swept first?
Yes, once, even though you will not burn wood again.
Can I leave the original grate?
No. Remove it and stand the basket on the hearth.
Is the cord visible?
It can be. Plan a socket before you order.
If you are replacing an open fire that no longer works, this electric log set for existing fireplace is the least disruptive route back to a working hearth. Nothing structural changes, nothing needs sweeping, and the whole job takes under an hour including the trip to find an extension lead you will not need.
Returns run 30 days on unopened units and every electric log set for existing fireplace carries 12 months of cover on the element and control board. Keep the carton for a week after delivery so we can resolve a transit issue without an argument, and photograph the logs and glass in daylight before you recycle the packaging.
Every one of these ships from our own yard rather than a third-party warehouse, which is why we can tell you honestly what fits your opening and what does not. That is also why we would rather talk you out of the wrong size than sell you one and post you a returns label.
Order the Hearthstone Rustic Electric Log Set today. It ships in 2 to 5 business days with tracking, and orders over $1,000 ship free.
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