A smart fire is only worth having if the app does something the remote cannot. Here it does: schedules, scenes and a timer that survives a power cut.
Smart Electric Fireplace at a Glance
- App with schedules and scenes
- Voice control support
- Physical remote included
- 5,200 BTU heater with thermostat
- Fits 50 and 60 inch spans
- Flame runs without heat
Who it suits: a household that already runs lights and heating from a phone and wants the fire in the same place.
What the app actually adds
Schedules. The fire can come on at six and go off at eleven without anyone touching it, which is the whole point of connecting a heater to a network.
Scenes, tied to a room rather than a device, so one command sets the flame colour and brightness for an evening without cycling through menus.
Voice control through the major assistants, and a physical remote that works when the network does not, because a fire should not depend on the router.
Heating performance and room coverage
Heat comes from a 1,500W element rated at 5,200 BTU, on a standard 15 amp circuit. Outdoors, placement matters more than output: a unit aimed at the seating beats a bigger unit aimed at the sky.
In practice a smart electric fireplace holds 400 to 600 square feet comfortably, and helps in a room up to about 1,000 square feet when the doors are shut and the walls are insulated. Placement matters less than most buyers expect, provided the outlet is not blocked, and the thermostat does the rest of the work.
The flame runs independently of the heater. Turn the heat off and the fire becomes lighting, which is how most people use it for eight months of the year.
The most common mistake with a smart electric fireplace is buying it for the whole floor plan rather than the room you sit in. Match the unit to the room and the thermostat will cycle calmly instead of running flat out all evening.
Specifications and delivery
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Model | EP-WALL-BEACON |
| Type | Smart wall fire |
| Widths | 50 and 60 inch |
| Depth | 4 inch |
| Heat output | 5,200 BTU / 1,500W |
| Control | App, voice, remote, panel |
| Schedules | Yes, with power-cut memory |
| Media | Crystal bed |
| Cord | 72-inch, 120V plug |
| Warranty | 12 months |
| Price | From $899 |
| 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.
Where it goes outdoors
Under a roof, facing the seating. That is the rule that decides whether an outdoor fire gets used or gets ruined. A pergola, a porch ceiling, a balcony above or a carport all count. Open sky does not.
Wind matters more than temperature. Place the unit so its outlet runs across the seating rather than into the prevailing breeze, and put a screen, a planter or a wall on the windward side if you can. A 5,200 BTU fire in a breeze loses most of its output.
Keep 20cm above and 30cm below the unit, and keep anything flammable clear. A __KW__ near a stack of cushions or a folded parasol is asking for trouble, and outdoors people store things in exactly those places.
Finally, site it near a weatherproof socket with an RCD or GFCI on the circuit. An extension lead across wet paving is the one genuine hazard in this category, and an outdoor socket costs less than the fire.
Running costs outdoors
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 an hour.
Compare that with a gas patio heater, where a 15kg cylinder lasts around ten hours and heats a radius whether or not anyone is sitting in it. Running one electric fire over one seating group is cheaper as well as more targeted.
Flame-only mode draws a few watts, so a summer evening of light costs pennies. Most owners run it that way from May to September and use the heat for the shoulder months only.
The Department of Energy explains how resistance heating is priced per kilowatt hour. Ten minutes there will save you guessing at running costs.
Installation without a trade
There is no flue, no gas and no vent, so a standard install needs no qualified fitter and no inspection afterwards.
- Measure both corner returns and check the unit clears every skirting board and window return before you unpack it.
- Move it into position with two people. Corner units are awkward rather than heavy, and one person will inevitably twist the frame trying to lift it alone.
- Level the feet against both walls. A corner out of square is normal; adjustable feet take up 12mm, which covers almost every room.
- Route the cord to the nearest outlet, keeping it behind the base rather than across the floor where it collects dust and gets kicked.
- Run the flame for ten minutes, then heat on low for five, then full output. If anything rattles at full heat, stop and call us.
The whole job takes about thirty minutes. If you are wall-mounting rather than placing a freestanding unit, add twenty minutes for the brackets.
Choosing the right size
We stock this smart electric fireplace in 50 inch, 60 inch. All options share the same body height, so the decision is about width rather than height.
Start from the wall. If the usable span is under 45 inches, choose a smaller body; a wide unit in a short wall crowds the doorway and looks wedged in rather than fitted.
Then look at the room. A 400 square foot room suits any size, while a 600 square foot open-plan space benefits from the wider option, because heat leaves a wider outlet and the flame fills more of the corner.
If you are between sizes, go up. Buyers who regret a corner fireplace almost always regret buying small.
Care and safety
Wipe the glass with a non-ammonia cleaner and a microfibre cloth, only when the unit is cool. Hot glass and cold cleaner is how crazing starts, and no polish fixes it afterwards. It is the only maintenance a __KW__ really needs.
Dust the frame monthly. Matte finishes show dust in side light, and gloss finishes show fingerprints; both are handled by the same dry cloth.
Vacuum the intake grille every few weeks and keep fabric clear of it. The overheat cut-off protects the unit, not your evening. On a __KW__, the intake sits at the top of the body, where a curtain or a shelf can block it without anyone noticing.
Check the plug and cable once a year. A wall fire is often plugged in behind furniture, where a loose plug goes unnoticed for a decade.
What ownership looks like in year three
No fuel, no ash, no flue and no sweeping. The running cost is electricity and the maintenance is glass and dust.
The LED flame is rated for tens of thousands of hours, which is 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. That applies to every __KW__ we sell, whatever the size.
The finish is what ages. Matte black keeps its colour; pale and gloss finishes show the years. Cleaning with warm soapy water rather than abrasives is the whole secret, and it takes about a minute a month to keep a __KW__ looking new.
Returns run 30 days on unopened units. Keep the carton for a week after delivery and photograph the glass before you recycle the packaging.
Three mistakes to avoid
Buying for the room, not the wall. A __KW__ heats 400 to 600 square feet. Buy it for a bigger space and you will spend the winter disappointed by arithmetic rather than by the product.
Mounting it too high. Forty-eight inches to the centre is the height that works. Anything much above eye level turns a fire into a picture and puts the glow over people’s heads.
Sharing the circuit. At full heat these draw 12.5 amps. A kettle or a second heater on the same circuit will trip the breaker, and the fire will get the blame.
Wifi and privacy
The unit connects to 2.4GHz only, so keep the guest network or a 5GHz-only router in mind during setup. Nothing about the fire needs an account beyond the manufacturer app.
When the network fails
The remote and the panel both work independently. Buy a smart fire for convenience, not because you want the fire to depend on the internet.
Scenes worth setting
One for evenings, one for guests, one for flame-only in summer. Beyond three scenes nobody remembers which is which.
Living with a smart electric fireplace
A smart electric fireplace earns its price through schedules, not novelty. Set a smart electric fireplace to come on at six and off at eleven and you stop thinking about it entirely.
The remote still works. A smart electric fireplace that depends on wifi is a bad idea, which is why every function is also on a physical control.
Setting up a smart electric fireplace
Connect on 2.4GHz. A smart electric fireplace on a 5GHz-only network will not pair, which is the most common support call in this category.
Delivery, returns and the two things people ask about
Everything ships from our own yard, tracked, in 2 to 5 business days. Shipping is a flat $50 under $1,000 and free over $1,000, with a $150 minimum order. We will not promise a delivery window we cannot hold, and if a carrier loses a unit we replace it rather than sending you to a claims form.
Returns run 30 days on unopened units. Keep the carton for a week after delivery, because a transit scuff is far easier to resolve while the packaging still exists. Photograph the glass in daylight before you recycle anything.
Two questions come up on almost every order. The first is whether the heater can run without the flame, and it cannot: the flame is the light source for the fire and it stays on whenever heat is on. The second is whether the flame can run without the heater, and it can, all year, which is how most owners use these units from spring onwards.
How it compares to the rest of the range
If you only want a remote, the Dalton does that for less. For control by phone plus a mantel, the Galloway is the next step up.
The Ember Peak standard
Every fire 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 fireplace 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 wall better.
Compare the full range on the wall mounted electric fireplaces page, or read our sizing guide before you commit.
Common questions
Does it need wifi?
For app and voice features, yes; the remote works regardless.
Which assistants?
The major voice assistants are supported.
Can I schedule it?
Yes, with memory across a power cut.
Does it heat the room?
5,200 BTU, 400 to 600 square feet.
Does it need a flue?
No.
What sizes does it come in?
We stock it in 50 inch, 60 inch. All sizes share the same body height, so choosing one is a decision about width.
Does it include a remote and timer?
Yes. The box includes a remote, an adjustable thermostat, a 1–9 hour timer and the fixings.
If you are replacing an open fire or a gas fire that no longer works, this smart electric 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.
Every unit ships from our own yard rather than a third-party warehouse, which is why we can tell you honestly what fits your corner and what does not. We would rather talk you out of the wrong size than sell you one and post you a returns label.
Order the Beacon Smart Electric Fireplace today. It ships in 2 to 5 business days with tracking, and orders over $1,000 ship free.
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