It's hard to find a review that spells out the important details so here you go - it's whisper quiet with just flames while the heat is off, it's really not that loud when the heat comes on, the heat definitely won't warm up a room unless it's a small room, no menu lights while it's operating, the flames are an excellent replica for an electric fireplace, even so the price seems pretty high for what you get here. I wanted to add it to an old media cabinet to get some year round ambiance in my hearth room so a serious heat source wasn't as important to me. There are also a handful of reviews that suggest it's loud or it makes a clicking sound and I believe this is what happens if something is wrong with the unit or there's dust in the motor, etc. If you hear a sound while it's just flames, or the heat is ridiculously loud you should contact Dimplex.