Electric fireplaces need no gas line, no flue and no chimney. They plug into a standard outlet, which often makes them the only workable option in a condo, a bedroom or a finished basement where venting is impossible.Heat output is modest by design — an electric unit takes the chill off a room, it does not replace a furnace — and the flame effect runs with or without heat, so it looks right in July as well as January. Thirteen models from Dimplex and Modern Flames.
