PuraFlame Alice 50 Electric Fireplace - Review and installation tips

[@jordanmichaelhamlin]

Mike! Thanks! This really helps in deciding which fireplace to purchase

[@mrags99]

You're welcome Jordan. We really enjoy it. You get all the ambiance of a fireplace, but none of the hassles (or expense)

[@pamelaward2947]

Mike thanks your video helped only problem is don't think I can get the fire shipped to ireland 😂🙈

[@mrags99]

Why wouldn't they ship to Ireland? I bought mine from Amazon.

[@pamelaward2947]

@@mrags99 I'm not quite sure I looked on Amazon also thanks

[@abhishekmanoharan6938]

0⁰ĺpplp P

[@guadalupesandoval712]

Hi mike I order my electric chimney 2 wicks ago it is working well and it’s very good I like it I’m from Mexico 🇲🇽

[@mrags99]

Nice! You probably don't need to use the heat in Mexico. LOL

[@acw2582]

Solid work man. Those floating shelves on the side are a great touch too. I couldn’t decide between this one and the Touchstone Sideline 50 inch but this video sold me on the PuraFlame. I also think the flames look much better than the Touchstone. Thanks for the great review.

[@mrags99]

Thanks. I looked at a video of the other fireplace. From what I saw in the video, I think the Puraflame looks better. You'll like it. We have ours on every night. It completely changes the atmosphere in the room. I got the shelves at Lowes, but they we're a little bit of work to get them perfectly level. They have a bunch of floating shelves on Amazon too. I might go that way and spend a little more money on the floating shelves and get better ones. These are good, but someone with no patience might have thrown them out the window.

[@acw2582]

@@mrags99 so I ended up ordering it and it was delivered today. Unfortunately I’m months away from installing it, but I did take it out and plug it in to see how it looks. I have to say it looks even better in person and I didn’t even put the logs or crystals in! I can’t wait to get done with my basement reno and see how amazing it looks under the tv.

[@mrags99]

Nice. I like the small crystals better than the big ones. And you don't need to use all the logs. Leave some space to allow the flames to show thru underneath the logs.

[@southengirl1]

That looks so nice, great job. Thanks for sharing!

[@gemini022]

Just ordered this Friday I can’t wait for it to arrive

[@mrags99]

Just saw your comment. Did you install it yet?

[@gemini022]

No we didn’t install it yet need to get some tools first

[@gemini022]

Just installed it we love it . The logs have a glow when you prop the logs up according to the instructions and have the light element on and it’s bright which I love- The flame is bright too. Thanks for your review

[@addiewelch6753]

@@gemini022 can you share where you bought this? Thanks

[@gemini022]

@@addiewelch6753 Amazon, price has increased drastically

[@ms.c3977]

I love this review

[@mrags99]

Thanks, glad it was helpful.

[@TheBrewQ]

This is one of the better electric fireplaces I’ve seen. I ordered it and will be building around it as well. How does the heater perform? Decent?

[@bamnjphoto]

Thanks, this is helpful in me installing my fireplace

[@mrags99]

Glad it was helpful. I can send you a pdf that may be helpful. Send me you email if you would like it.

[@bamnjphoto]

@@mrags99 When I'm completed I will definitely shout you out

[@bamnjphoto]

@@mrags99 [e-mail]

[@bamnjphoto]

@@mrags99 I done framing and throwing up backer board on mine got it plugged in, I'm going to be adding airstone to it this week when I'm done I will make a video and shout you out. Your plans and video was very helpful especially actually seeing how you framed out the fireplace portion. I added a mantle to mine that sits atop made from butcher block. I should have a video in a few weeks after I get the TV and everything mounted.

[@mrags99]

Sounds like it's going to look great. It's so rewarding to finish a project like this. Then, you get to enjoy it every day (and impress your friends and family)

[@mikecarney5050]

Greetings Mike, thanks for your great presentation, Mike, my immediate observation makes me think that either there should be more wood or larger diameter of wood for the volume of flame it’s producing. You feelings on that Sir ? We have a member of our Family who suffers from serious depression and I have decided to install it in her bedroom in hopes it will calm her fears and isolation. Also gonna use our $600 stimulus ( hope it comes ) to purchase it. I’m hoping she realizes she is so important that all the stimulus went to her and for me, I want it as a reminder of that’s how We spent it instead of on gas, rent, car payment, hair cuts, utilities, things that $600 will not put a Dent in. Best wishes and a safe day. Go Air Force !

[@mrags99]

Hi Mike. The electric fireplaces are modeled after the linear gas fireplaces. Many of them don't have any wood at all. Just a flame display. You can do that with this one too by omitting the wood pieces and using just crystals. But it looks best with the wood pieces. In my opinion, it looks best by leaving some open space to allow kind of a see through effect under and around the wood. I think the person you give it to will love it. My wife and I love ours and turn it on just about everyday. I can't imagine the room without it. Merry Christmas to ya!

[@apsvend]

Nice. You should show how you framed the "TV" & FIRE Place " 🙏🏿

[@mrags99]

Send me your email address and I can send you some additional details

[@cesarpereira6678]

Does the firebox get hot on the outside where you need to worry about fireproofing the framing, maybe like adding cement board to framing?

[@mrags99]

No. You won't need any cement board. Just standard framing. Make sure you give it some room to breathe. The heat is expelled out the front vents. Just make sure you are at least 8 inches away from the TV. (it says that in the instructions)

[@LaurenRyan-s8g]

Just installed this and the flames aren't flickering, any thoughts why this is?

[@qorton]

Mike, great video. Thanks for posting. I am looking to install one soon. My question is, how does it look at night when all of the lights are off? Does it give you that cozy vibe with the flickering of the flames that cast those shadows on the wall? Could you post a video of the walls at night with the fireplace on? Thanks in advance!

[@mrags99]

There is a glow that comes out and lights the floor in front of the fireplace, but not like a real fire illuminates the room. But trust me, you'll love this fire place. We use it nearly every night from October to April. It makes the room super cozy.

[@qorton]

@@mrags99 Thanks Mike! I appreciate the quick response

[@alang8243]

Looks great! How high did you mount the bottom of the fireplace off the ground? The gaps on either side of the fireplace look good too. How much space did you allow for on either side of the fireplace?

[@mrags99]

I put links to documents that give all the details. Look below the video where the description is.

[@SashaLiz]

I love it it looks really good. Do you have any sketched plans on that bump out you built?

[@mrags99]

Yes. Send me your email and I'll send you a basic dimensional drawing with a couple photos.

[@SashaLiz]

@@mrags99 awesome thank you I really appreciate it. [e-mail]

[@sajero2]

@@mrags99 Would you mind sending it to me as well? It would be so helpful! Thank you!! [e-mail]

[@valerie5575]

I would like a copy as well, [e-mail]. Thank you! 😊

[@mrags99]

I added some links in the description to my documents for measuring and misc

[@addiewelch6753]

Hi, can you tell me if you hard wired the fireplace or just plug it in? My install would be tough to remove if the plug ever came loose so am thinking about hardwiring it. Thanks!

[@mrags99]

You can hardwire it if you want. But you should not install it in a way that would make it tough to remove in the future. First, I can't imagine the plug ever coming out. Plugs only come out in areas where people all fooling with wires for some reason. If nobody is touching the wires, it will stay plugged in forever. Also, the way this unit goes in is a slide in installation with 4 screws on each side. Then a front glass panel covers everything and trims it out. You want to make sure your glass trim panel is the outer most part. It's electronic, so it could stop working for any reason at anytime. That's unlikely, but it happens. You'll want to be able to remove it should there be a problem.

[@addiewelch6753]

@@mrags99 Thanks! Install is just about done and it looks great.

[@mrags99]

@@addiewelch6753 Nice! We use ours all the time. We love it. The heater is nice too. On evenings when it’s a little cool, we use the heater to just add a little warmth to the room. It’s a fun project to work on too.

[@joserodriguezjr1]

Hey Mike Great Job, do you have the actual video of the frame work you did ? this is exactly what were looking to do.

[@mrags99]

Hi Jose. The only video I have of the framing is in the youtube video. We didn't shoot the actual construction process. This fireplace is the "Puraflame Alice 50"

[@joserodriguezjr1]

@@mrags99 ok great i think i can manage building the frame , thanks again

[@mrags99]

Send me your email address and I can send you a drawing and some other info.

[@mrags99]

I added some links in the description to my documents for measuring and misc

[@adelinahathcock1717]

Hey Mike! Saw your review and I think you did a great job. Do you know the exact measurements for the 2x6 frame opening? Thanks before hand. :)

[@adelinahathcock1717]

Another thing... can I put White rocks mixed with the crystals too if I want a different look or does it have to be what it comes with? Logs etc

[@mrags99]

If you send me your email, I’ll send you some framing details that I have.

[@mrags99]

@@adelinahathcock1717 You can add anything you want, but I think the clear and dark crystals look really good because they also reflect light from the flames.

[@adelinahathcock1717]

@@mrags99 great. Thanks :)

[@adelinahathcock1717]

Is there any way to send a message that does not show everyone and their mama my email lol

[@joshuahaney1135]

How do you actually screw the 2 x 4 wall into the studs of the original wall and how do you screw the 2 x 6 wall into the 2 x 4 wall especially with the boards being the long ways

[@mrags99]

Josh, look at point 1:20 of the video. It shows the bare framing. If you look at the top and the bottom on both the left and right sides, I have 4 horizontal boards in the stud pockets. Those are screwed into the back 2x4 wall. I screw though those to attach the 2x4 wall to the original wall. If you look close, you can see 2 screw holes in each. Also, look at the very top and bottom, you’ll see I have short 2x4 pieces that attach the 2 walls together. This entire project was done with 3 1/2 inch screws. I didn’t use any nails.

[@EminezArtus]

Does this unit only work with the remote control?

[@mrags99]

There are buttons on the front that let you operate the unit that way as well

[@hugocervantes26]

Wow your tv & fireplace looks awesome! Thks for this cool video review. I’m currently thinking about it too. How big is your tv, it looks like a 65”. Anyhow would you be able to send me your built up framing measurements.

[@mrags99]

Yes. Send me your email address. The TV is a 65".

[@mrags99]

I added some links in the description to my documents for measuring and misc

[@mitchkramez]

Hey Mike, when you turn the heat on in this fireplace, it shows two red dots in the firebox - do those dots stay on forever, or do they fade out after a few seconds? You still liking it?

[@mrags99]

The dots turn off after a few seconds. They just let you know you turned on the heat. I think 1 dot is low and 2 dots are high. We are very happy with it. We have turned in on almost every night since I installed it. We don't really use the heat. We have good heat in the living room so I never turn that on. Maybe I will on days that are 20 below zero. We get those in the winter in Chicago. It really changed the whole room. Very modern looking.

[@drunkentravelers9669]

How big of an area can you heat with one of these? 🤔

[@mrags99]

It can take the chill out of a room. I have it in a big room with high ceilings so it's hard to really tell what it can do. In a smaller room I think it would heat the area nicely.

[@sanjregmi]

Hi Mike, Should we be concerned the fireplace is just below tv and that it cause tv to overheat? I am looking to put same design so would be glad to know your experience

[@mrags99]

I set them 8 inches apart which is the minimum per what the directions say. I also have the media wall vented on top. But the heat is expelled out the front of the fireplace and the TV has plenty of ventilation around it too. I like this set up best. Most people put their fireplace too high and have to mount the TV much higher. You really want to look straight at the TV and not have to look up very much at all. That causes neck strain over time. The TV shouldn't be mounted at picture frame height (but many people do that) Good luck.

[@patwhiting5852]

Hi Mike, we just received our new Puraflame fireplace and we pugged it in prior to installing it to make sure everything worked ok. When we turned on the heat, we noticed that there was a bit of smoke coming out of the vents and the top of the heater was super hot. Is this normal? did a bit of smoke come out of your fireplace the first time you used it? any issues with heat at the top?

[@mrags99]

I'm not an expert, but I think the smoke is just the oils burning off of the parts in the heater. When they put stuff like this together, they have to lubricate it. I would expect it to get hot. The heater part of electric fireplaces and all electric heaters are kind of like a large toaster oven and like a toaster oven, the outside gets very hot. But if you feel unsure, check with Puraflame to see if that's normal.

[@patwhiting5852]

@@mrags99 thanks Mike, much appreciated! i contacted the Puraflame guys, it turns out the fan was defective. they sent us a new one. thanks for your response and the great video. cheers

[@mrags99]

Wow, good thing you called. Starting to get cold here around Chicago, we'll be using it every night!

[@patwhiting5852]

@@mrags99 We just installed the replacement heater they sent us and the thing works like a charm. we can now start to install the whole thing. thanks for your help. We are in Vancouver Canada and it is still pretty warm, but in the next few weeks it will start to rain and wont stop till May. enjoy your cozy fireplace in Chicago. cheers

[@seanjones7112]

80lbs is heavy for a fireplace huh?

[@mrags99]

Actually, I think it's more like 60 lbs. (I said 80 in the video, but I think it's 60)

[@rmgeorgen]

Do you have your framing specs available?

[@mrags99]

send me your email and I'll send you a pdf

[@rmgeorgen]

Mike, it's [e-mail]

[@todddavidson6440]

@@mrags99 Hi Mike. If it is not to much trouble, could you send me a pdf as well. I appreciate your interaction and all the help you are giving in your responses to everyone. I was planning on a R.W. Flame 50" but your video sold me on the Puraflame Alice. Looks fantastic. My email is [e-mail]

[@dtunes77]

@@mrags99 Hi Mike, I hope this isn't overkill but may have the pdf too? [e-mail].

[@mrags99]

Hi Darnell. I just sent it to you.