Water Vapor Fireplaces With Heaters

Water vapor fireplaces with heaters do two jobs that are usually separate. The flame is made from ultrasonic mist lit by LEDs, which gives it real three-dimensional volume rather than a flat projected image, and a distinct electric heating element supplies actual warmth. The two run independently, so the fireplace works in July as well as January.

How the flame is made

A transducer under a shallow water reservoir vibrates fast enough to break the surface into a fine, cool mist. LEDs light that mist from beneath, and because the mist occupies real space the flame reads correctly from the side and from above, not just head on. It is the closest thing to a real flame you can put your hand through.

That is also the limitation worth knowing. The effect depends on water, so these units need a reservoir kept full and, in hard-water areas, distilled or filtered water to keep mineral scale off the transducer. For the wider comparison against LED and LCD flame technologies, read our water vapor fireplace buying guide.

What the heater adds, and what it does not

Most water vapor fireplaces sold anywhere produce no heat at all. The models here are the subset that include a real heating element, which is why this collection exists as a separate page.

Expect supplemental heat rather than primary heat. A heater on a standard 120V circuit is capped near 1,500 watts, or roughly 5,100 BTU, which takes the chill off the room you are sitting in. Larger and hardwired units go further, and the figure for each is on its product page. If heat is the main requirement rather than the flame, a ventless gas fireplace produces several times more.

Refill or plumb in

Smaller units use a removable tank you top up by hand, and run time between refills depends on tank size and flame setting. Larger models accept a direct water connection with automatic fill, which is what commercial installations and long-run-time fireplaces use. Decide this before you choose a location, because a plumbed unit needs a supply line where a tank-fill unit does not.

Where these get installed

Because there is no combustion, no flue, and no clearance-to-flame requirement, placement is far freer than with gas. These units go into built-in openings, into islands and see-through walls, and into apartments and commercial spaces where a vented appliance would not be permitted. For installation ideas, see creative water vapor fireplace installations.

Comparing flame technologies before you commit? Start with the most realistic electric fireplaces, which puts water vapor, LCD virtual flame and premium LED side by side, or browse everything in water vapor fireplaces and inserts.