I have had my fireplace insert for about 4 months now and love it. It's been years since I have had a real fire due to the mess, plus I live in Florida and do not need a real one very often. I love the ambiance and calming effect of a flickering fire and now I have that. Everyone that comes into my home assumes it's the real thing. It's very realistic and beautiful. I do recommend a fire screen to help camouflage the fire panel. Without one, you can see the acrylic panel and it is noticeably fake.