The fireplace has long been the preferred place to meet in the American home. However, the chief negative of having a fireplace has to be its inefficiency, because of spiraling energy costs. The fireplace that is designed to warm your house may in fact be doing the opposite and costing you hundreds of dollars in energy cost ? your home's dirty little secret.

The easiest fireplaces to install and maintain are those that run on electricity. All you need is to plug them into a standard electrical outlet. These appliances can go practically anywhere, and electricity is relatively cheap. Another option is gel fuel, which comes in small canisters that burn for two or three hours. The specially designed freestanding ?fireplaces? that use this type of fuel require no vent, so they can go virtually anywhere except bedrooms.

The electric fireplace has evolved over the fifty years since it was first launched in North America, particularly over the last decade, when it moved from a fluttering paper set against the backdrop of a glowing light bulb to a classy and contemporary domestic device that in fact supplies a real ?fire.?

The electric fireplace is the ideal solution for builders and homeowners in all-electric neighborhoods, multi-family circumstances, manufactured homes, professional offices, reconstruction projects and anywhere else a traditional gas or wood fireplace is not an option.

Electric fireplaces offer the ultimate in convenience and flexibility. You can benefit from a fire at the touch of a switch in any room you'd like. Just plug it in ? there's no need for a chimney, venting or gas line. Minimal installation also means instant gratification. Take it home and enjoy the warming glow of an electric fireplace the same day.

Ventless fireplace gel fuel is comprised chiefly of alcohol, which causes the substance to burn. The reddish-orange color of the flames is one of the attractions of gel fuel fireplaces. However, the true achievement of gel fuel fireplace engineers is that they have done well in producing a fuel with no damaging impact on air quality, or on the environment as a whole.

A gel fuel fireplace is easy to install and use. You can install your fireplace in just a couple of hours with only a screwdriver, with the help of the manual it came with. Gel fuel is plentiful in supply and one can burns for about three hours and provides up to 3000 BTU's per hour making it the most cost effective energy source for any model of ventless or portable fireplace.

Gel fuel is safe and totally smokeless and even gives you the romance and traditional sound of ?pop and crackle? found in a wood fire ? without the mess. The air quality of the product in a room where the fuel is burning falls within the standards established by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Adam O'Connor is the owner of www.eventceilingdecor.com, which provides excellent free information on ventless fireplaces and other interior decor . Adam O'Connor is an expert in this industry and his website helps people find answers to questions such as, which types of portable fireplaces are recommended commercial buildings, i.e. inside hotel lobbies