Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

We bought this after returning another brand that was DOA. We've had a working wood fireplace for over 30 years, but only used the fireplace a few times during the winter. We've considered gas logs, but costs of installation and the cost of gas, decided not to. As our second electric insert, we were a bit concerned. This insert, however, for half of what we paid for the other works great. The remote also works well, using a CR2023 battery. If controls both the light effect and the heater. The light effect can be either low, medium, or high; the heater has 5 heat settings, including off! We've closed our flue and don't use the heater, just use this for ambience. The unit remembers the last setting, so if the light effect was high, heat at setting three, that is how it would turn on. The remote controls unit on/off, lighting effect (3) and heating (5 plus off). Our fireplace walls have darkened over the years, so the lighting effect works well and looks realistic. The front of the unit by the grate changes patterns resembling burning logs, the lighting effect actually projects an image towards the back, looking like flames. We use the highest flame effect setting, keeping the unit about 3 inches from the back wall. The lowest setting appears as burning ember logs. Our fireplace opening is about 31"'wide and almost 20" deep. We've turned the heating unit on inside our fireplace with our glass doors open. At high, it definitely gives off heat, but the heat get "lost" set back inside. If your fireplace wasn't as deep, or if you just used as a floor heater outside a fireplace, would probably do as well as any small heater. With lighting effect, there is a slight humming noise, but has not a problem. There are manual buttons on the device if desired. 3 small LEDs for light effect, 5 LEDs for heat setting. These are "visible" on front. In our case, our fireplace doors have a lower panel about 6 inches from the stoop, so we don't see the lights. If there was one change to this unit, these lights should "go out" after a minute or two after making a setting selection. The electrical cord is about 4-5 feet long with 3 prong plug, coming off of the right side. Was long enough for us, to exit the side of our fireplace screen, go along our stoop, and plug into an outlet about 2 1/2 feet to the side.