Electric fireplaces
Electric fireplaces in Montgomery County, MD — no venting, no gas line
Electric is the answer when the room has no flue, no gas, and no practical way to get either: a condo, a bedroom, a basement office, a wall that backs onto another room. It plugs in, it needs no permit in most cases, and the flame runs with the heater off — which makes it the one fireplace that’s pleasant in July.
Get a free electric fireplace consultation
Send a photo of the wall and its depth
Depth decides more than anything else here. Tell us what the wall is and we’ll tell you what fits in it.
Honest about electric
What it’s,
and what it’s not
An electric fireplace is a flame effect plus a resistance heater. On a standard 120-volt outlet that heater is around 5,000 BTU — real supplemental warmth for a bedroom or an office, and nowhere near enough to heat a great room. Several series can be wired at 240 volts for roughly double that, which is an electrician’s job and worth deciding before the wall closes. What you get in exchange is everything the other fuels make complicated: no venting, no combustion, no clearance to a flue, no chimney to maintain, and a unit that can go on an interior wall in the middle of a building. Comparing all three fuels first? Gas vs wood vs electric.
Four ways it goes in
Start with the wall, not the model
Electric units are sorted by how they mount and how deep they are, and the depth of the wall you have decides most of the catalog for you. A standard framed 2×4 wall gives about three and a half inches — shallow linear models are built for exactly that constraint, and everything else needs a build-out.
- Measure the depth you can give it before you look at a single photo. Four inches and twelve inches are different catalogs.
- A recessed unit wants its own circuit and the outlet inside the opening — easy while the wall is open, awkward after.
- Flame effect and heater run independently on every line we carry. The fireplace works in summer.
| Install | What it needs | Depth, roughly | Where it suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recessed into a framed wall | An opening framed to the manufacturer’s dimensions and an outlet inside it. | From about 4-3/8″ for the slim linear models. | New walls, media walls, basement finishes. |
| Wall-mounted | A stud to hang from and an outlet. No framing work at all. | Sits proud of the wall. | Rentals, offices, rooms where nothing can be opened up. |
| Insert into an existing fireplace | A masonry opening and an outlet. No liner, no flue work. | Around 8–11″ into the firebox. | A chimney that’s beyond economic repair. |
| Outdoor, under cover | A covered, weather-protected space and a protected circuit. | About 8″. | Porches and covered patios with no gas run. |
Electric is also the usual answer when a building simply doesn’t permit combustion appliances. If that’s your situation, say so in the first message and we’ll skip straight to what is allowed.
Know the wall, not the model? Tell us the width you want and the depth you can give it — that narrows the catalog immediately.
Send us the wallThe electric lines we carry
Two brands, different jobs
Both are current, both are quoted the same way. We publish specifications only where we have the manufacturer’s own data in hand — which today means SimpliFire.
SimpliFire
The deepest line: linear models from 36 to 100 inches, traditional built-ins, electric inserts in four sizes, and an outdoor series.
Modern Flames
The second line we carry. Ask us for current models and sizes and we’ll send them with the quote.
Electric inserts
A drop-in firebox for a masonry fireplace with no gas and no usable flue. 25 to 35 inches.
Outdoor electric
The Forum series, 43 and 55 inches, for a covered porch where no gas line runs.
SimpliFire
SimpliFire — the full range, by depth and size
SimpliFire is part of Hearth & Home Technologies, which is why its specifications are published properly for every model — useful when a builder needs to frame an opening months before the unit arrives. The table below is the practical version of their catalog: the series, the sizes they come in, how deep the wall has to be, and what the heater actually puts out.
- Allusion Slim is the one to know about: 4-3/8″ deep, so it fits a wall nobody wants to build out.
- Allusion Edge reaches 100 inches — over eight feet of flame for a long media wall.
- Heritage and Built-In keep traditional firebox proportions instead of the linear band.
| Series | Sizes | Depth | Heat output | What it’s |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allusion Slim | 40, 50, 60, 72″ | 4-3/8″ | 5,000 BTU (120 V) | The shallowest linear — fits where nothing else will. |
| Allusion Edge | 50, 60, 78, 100″ | 5-5/8″ | 5,000 BTU (120 V) | Long linear, up to eight feet of flame. |
| Allusion Platinum | 50, 60, 72″ | 5-5/8″ | Up to 10,000 BTU (240 V) | Linear with the higher-output heater option. |
| Allusion Heritage | 36, 42″ | 11-1/2″ – 13-1/4″ | 4,800 / 10,000 BTU | Traditional proportions rather than a band of flame. |
| Triton | 50, 65, 78″ | 12-7/16″ | 5,000 / 10,000 BTU | Deeper box, 20-inch tall fire picture. |
| Scion | 43, 55″ | 7-1/2″ | 5,000 / 10,000 BTU | Mid-size linear for a standard build-out. |
| Built-In | 30, 36″ | 11-3/4″ | 4,800 / 10,000 BTU | Classic firebox shape for a mantel. |
| Electric Insert | 25, 30, 32, 35″ | About 11″ | 5,000 BTU (120 V) | Drops into an existing masonry opening. |
| Forum (outdoor) | 43, 55″ | 8-1/4″ | — | For covered outdoor spaces. |
Sizes are the nominal model size; the viewing glass and the framing opening are both different numbers, and we send the framing dimensions to your builder before the wall closes. Heat output on a 240-volt hookup needs its own circuit.
Found a size that fits? Ask for the framing dimensions before the wall closes: the rough opening isn’t the model size.
Ask about SimpliFireModern Flames
Modern Flames — the second line
Modern Flames is the other electric brand we carry, and we quote it the same way as everything else on this site: current models, current sizes, in writing. What we don’t do is publish a specification table assembled from somebody else’s web page — a wrong framing dimension on a dealer page costs a builder a wall. Tell us the opening and we’ll send the models that fit it.
- Ask with the wall depth and the width you have in mind; that narrows it immediately.
- If the room is a new build, ask before framing rather than after.
Want the Modern Flames options? Send the opening and we’ll come back with current models and sizes.
Ask about Modern FlamesWhat we check before recommending electric
No flue, no gas line, no problem. Send us a photo of the wall.
Good to know
Electric fireplace questions we hear every week
Will an electric fireplace heat the room?
It will take the chill off a bedroom, an office or a finished basement — about 5,000 BTU on a standard outlet, roughly what a good space heater does. It won’t heat a great room, and nobody should sell you one as if it would.
Do I need a permit?
In most cases no, because there’s no combustion and no venting. If an electrician adds a circuit, that work follows the usual electrical rules. Compare that with what gas and wood require.
How deep does the wall have to be?
From about 4-3/8 inches for the shallowest linear models, which is why they exist — a standard framed wall gives roughly three and a half. Deeper models want eight to twelve inches and a build-out.
Can it go in a condo or an apartment?
Usually yes, and that’s often the only option — many buildings don’t permit combustion appliances at all. Check the building’s rules on wall alterations before ordering anything recessed.
Does it work without the heat in summer?
Yes. The flame effect and the heater are independent on every line we carry, so the fireplace is just light for most of the year.
Can I put one in my old masonry fireplace?
Yes — an electric insert drops into the opening and plugs in, with no liner and no flue work. It’s the usual answer when the chimney would cost more to repair than the fireplace is worth. See fireplace inserts.
Which areas do you serve?
We sell and specify electric fireplaces across Montgomery County, Maryland — Potomac, North Potomac, Bethesda, Rockville, Gaithersburg, Germantown, Clarksburg, Poolesville, and Darnestown, and nearby communities. We’re based in Boyds, work by appointment, and don’t have a showroom: we come to the house, or work from your photos and plans. Not sure you’re in range? Ask and we’ll tell you straight.
Free consultation
Tell us about the wall
The width you want, the depth you can give it, and whether the wall is open or finished. That’s enough for us to come back with models that fit and the framing dimensions your builder will ask for.
Prefer to talk? Call 240-988-9177 · Serving Montgomery County, MD · By appointment