I enjoy a good fireplace as much as the next person. And what's not to like? Traditional fireplaces provide warmth, comfort, and fond memories. But what if I told you that an electric fireplace provides all of that, but also limits pollution, minimizes dangerous fire hazards, facilitates installation, costs less money in the long run, and requires no real maintenance whatsoever? So you see, I have nothing against traditional fireplaces. I just think that they will, someday, be totally replaced by superior artificial fireplaces.

First of all, articial fireplaces should not be confused with those infamously tacky "video fireplaces". Unlike video fireplaces, these modern appliances actually emit real warmth. An electrically powered fire scene serves as a secondary heater, or even a primary heater in average sized rooms. Essentially, an artificial firebox is capable of emanating just as much heat as a normal fireplace. And while it doesn't look quite real from up close, from a fair distance (perhaps five yards away) it looks just like a real, roaring fire.

Artifical fireplaces, unlike their traditional smoke-spewing counterparts, are quite friendly towards the environment. Because an artificial firebox runs solely on electric power, it releases absolutely no carbon emissions, as opposed to the substantial carbon imprint of real fireplaces. It does not smoke, so you won't have to inhale those burning fumes, and your electric firebox won't release smoke into the atmosphere via a chimney. An electric fire scene also protects our natural resources, because it does not burn wood or coal as fuel.

These fireplaces are also significantly more convenient than their traditional wood-burning predecessors. They require a very simple installation, and after that, you have very little to worry about. You don't need to clean it, though of course it is recommended that you wipe the screen for dust every now and then, just as you would clean a television or computer monitor. Additionally, with an electric fire scene, you don't need to worry about the prior preparation a normal fireplace entails. Imagine coming home one evening, sitting down on the couch, perhaps sipping a soothing beverage, and enjoying the warmth and visual stimulation of a roaring fire after a simple flip of the switch. Perhaps my favorite part is this: with an artificial fireplace, you won't need to clean up that ashy mess the following day!

An electrically powered fireplace is also remarkably convenient for people who live in apartments or homes that don't have chimneys. Now you can enjoy the warmth and appeal of a roaring fire without having to worry about whether or not your home has a way to vent out the fumes. And these fireplaces save you money in the long run: once you buy the unit, you'll never have to worry about paying for expensive firewood, coal, or other fuels ever again. Once your artificial fireplace is properly installed, the only fee you need to worry about is your electric bill. You don't even have to worry about paying for the gas that normal fireplaces require. And once again, because you don't need to clean an electric fire scene, you won't have to fork over the cash to pay for cleaning supplies.

But perhaps the most important facet of an artificial fireplace is safety. Because there is no "real" fire, there is no real danger. You won't have to watch your fireplace to ensure the fire doesn't get out of control. And you won't have to worry about what kind of decorations you place around your firebox: The worst thing that can happen to any item you set near the fireplace is that the item will become "toasty warm". No fire, no burning, no problem!

In short: there's really nothing a traditional fireplace can do that an electric fireplace can't do, but there's a lot of invaluable things an electric fire scene can do that a traditional fire simply cannot replicate.