The heating and the flame are entirely separate. (In fact, if you don't want to look at flames, we recommend the Fishtank). We found the best way to produce heat and the best way to simulate flame and paired them together to create an amazing realistic electric fireplace.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIn a mechanical electric fireplace, a heating coil turns electricity into heat. Then a blower picks up that warm air and circulates it around the room. A convection current moves cool air out and brings in warmer air with a fan.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAn u003ca href=u0022https://magikflame.com/learning-center/cost-analysis/how-energy-efficient-are-infrared-electric-fireplaces/u0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noreferrer noopeneru0022u003einfrared electric fireplaceu003c/au003e uses quartz as a heating element to create infrared light and heat that you can feel immediately in the room. It does not need a fan or even moving parts. You do not hear a fan; you hear the crackling of flames. Heat travels across greater distances. This type of heating is the most energy-efficient and costs less than all methods (including central heating) other than gas heat. But the price of gas is very low and will rise and fluctuate.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBoth fireplaces create supplemental heat. u003ca href=u0022https://magikflame.com/product/small-electric-fireplace/u0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noreferrer noopeneru0022u003eMagikFlame small fireplacesu003c/au003e plug into a regular outlet, or you can have an electrician come to wire it straight into your house. The fireplaces heat a room or a smaller area (up to 1000 square feet). MagikFlame designed its fireplace to be part of a home-heating plan that includes multiple sources of heat. MagikFlame is not the only builder of infrared heaters. (Although we think we create the best electric fireplaces.) Dimplex creates good heaters as well.