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How to Convert Wood-Burning Fireplace to Electric

If you are like me, you will always have some amount of worry at the back of your mind when you operate a wood burning fireplace.

Not so much the risk of a fire breakout but more of the safety of the household, especially if you have children.

The smoke flames that are inhaled when sitting close to the fireplace may be dangerous to the health.

And children might get burnt or other accidents occur that is not preventable.

In the past, these are considered amenities and people don't have other choices than a traditional wood burning fireplace. With the emergence of electric fireplace, nothing should stop you from getting one if you can afford it. We have even reviewed all the best electric fires for you!

Quick Navigation
Making the Conversion
Measurement
​Refacing
Coverup
Conclusion
Recommended Reading

Making the Conversion

Before making the conversion, there are certain things you need to do first. We will cover these first.

Measurement

1. Use the proper oil

When you already have a wood burning fireplace and you want to keep that opening, you need to be accurate in your measurement so that you can get a fitting fireplace insert.

By making sure you have an accurate measurement, purchasing an insert that goes into position without leaving a gap or being too big is much easier.

In this case, you will most likely get the best fitting insert in a fireplace showroom instead of ordering for one on the internet. All you have to do is have a template with you.

Choosing the right oil for your deep fryer is half battle won. Once you know the type of oil you want to use, you will need to fill up the fryer with it, taking care not to over-fill or under-fill it.

If you have a model that have a minimum or maximum fill line, it becomes even easier as you have a ready gauge to guide your measurement.

​Refacing

2. Turn it on and start operating

If you would rather reface your existing fireplace, then want to look at resizing the existing opening to fit another firebox, although you may have some difficulties if you are trying to fit a larger opening to a wider insert.

When you go with this procedure, be aware that you will be a bit restricted to the design already in place.

To start using your device, you need to turn it on by plugging it in and using the switch button to power it up.

After that, set the temperature and time and ensure that you obtain the right level of temperature for the oil without going over that.

You also need to maintain a temperature between 350 degrees F and 375 degrees F which is the suitable range for most of the cooking you will be doing.

If your device comes with a thermostat, you don't have to bother too much about the temperature as it will automatically determine the correct temperature.

However, if it doesn't come with one, you may have to get yourself a thermometer to select the right temperature for the oil.

Coverup

3. Pat your food dry

If the above two procedures are not feasible, then you may have to cover up the existing fireplace to make way for a new one. You may have to build a new fireplace wall, in which case you have to block the existing one.

But you can just cover the opening and get a free standing electric fireplace.

In all these method, this seems to be the most efficient as it doesn’t restrict you to an existing design or location.

If you want, you can change the location and use a new area especially if you want to maintain the aesthetics of your room with the new installation.

Before drying any kind of food, make sure it is dried and doesn't have any traces of water. You can make use of a kitchen paper towel or cover the food in some dusting to remove any traces of water.

For example, freshly cut potatoes can be wiped with paper towel so that there is no water on it before throwing them into the fryer. Not doing this may cause some dangerous spilling of oil that may be injurious to you or children around.

Conclusion

4. Lower the food slowly into the fryer

Since this is a DIY project, there are bound to be more than one way to complete the project. Turning your old wood burning fireplace to a new electric fireplace is not only exciting but requires some creativity too.

This means you have to visualize and think carefully about how you want to carry out the task and accomplish the goal.

However you decide to carry out this task, you will definitely be left with a more efficient fireplace that you can make use of all year round without the mess of firewood burning in your home and inhaling toxic fumes.

Some fryers come with a basket that you can place the food you want to fry and carefully lower it into the fryer and once it's lowered it should lock in place.

However some models don't have this luxury and you may have to use a slotted spoon or your hands to get the food into the fryer. Whichever one you go with, you need to ensure you do it slowly to avoid any hazard.

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