Dimplex DFI2309 Electric Fireplace Insert

by Dimplex

Product Features

• 1500-watt electric fireplace insert with patented flame technology and remote control
• Easy to install into existing fireplace opening; plugs into standard household outlet
• Built-in fan-forced heater distributes heat evenly and quietly
• Full heat, half heat, or flame only for 4-season enjoyment; user manual included
• Measures 10-4/5 by 23-1/5 by 19-4/5 inches; 1-year limited warranty

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 25 x 21 x 13 inches
• Shipping Weight: 33.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B000GLIZXW
• Item model number: DFI2309
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (71 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #12,288 in Home & Kitchen (See Top 100 in Home & Kitchen)
  • #78 in Home & Kitchen > Heating, Cooling & Air Quality > Space Heaters

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

BRING THE WARMTH AND BEAUTY BACK TO YOUR HOME

Reclaim the charm and warmth of your old useless fireplace, without the mess or hassles of wood or smoke, with this elegant and functional electric insert. Offering meticulously handcrafted logs along with gently glowing embers that mimic the real thing, this electric fireplace insert is a beautiful solution to a difficult problem. Specifically designed to easily fit into many existing wood fireplace openings, this sophisticated electric insert brings new life to any room without the dangers of open flames, wood or propane.

NO HASSLE INSTALLATION

With its ventless and pipe-free simplicity along with its durable steel inset, you can easily transform an ugly standard fireplace opening into a charming focal point with the added benefit of gentle heat upon request. An adjustable self-leveling base ensures a close fit and an on/off remote provides the utmost in convenience.

WHY CHOOSE DIMPLEX ELECTRIC FIREPLACE INSERT?

Realistic Flame
> Dimplex invented the modern electric fireplace and continues to innovate exclusive technologies that dazzle the eye.

> Only Dimplex delivers the look of a real wood fire with its world-leading 3D flame

> The electric fireplace insert provides a soothing atmosphere with or without heat for year-round ambiance.

Superior Quality
> This electric insert’s premium steel construction and durable finishes ensures long product life while protecting your investment.

> Hand crafted log set for natural-looking authenticity.

North American Design and Engineering Excellence
> The Dimplex in-house engineering staff ensures all products meet customer expectations by being well made, easy to assemble, simple to operate, and a pleasure to own.

> Quality is designed into Dimplex products at every stage of the development process further ensured by detailed inspections throughout the production cycle.

Easy Set-Up
> No assembly or tools required.

> No venting or piping required, plugs into any 120 Volt outlet.

> Four leveling base feet to ensure a level fit in many 23” standard openings.

Operates for Pennies a Day
> Costs only 2 cents per hour with flame only, 8 cents per hour with both flame and heat (based on average national residential electricity rates).


> 100% efficient and produces no carbon monoxide or other emissions.

An Economical and Time Saving Alternative to Wood, Gas And Gel Fireplaces
> Unlike wood and gel fireplaces, there’s no mess with this electric inset and no worries about running out of fuel or having to buy expensive wood or gel.

> Gas and wood fireplaces both require disruptive venting and expensive installation.

Dedicated Customer Support
> The friendly and knowledgeable Dimplex support staff is trained in diagnostics and available to help should you ever require assistance.

Packaged for Shipping
> All Dimplex products undergo simulated shipping tests to determine the optimum combination of packaging and shipping methods to ensure your fireplace insert is received in excellent condition.

Reliable Safety
> Tempered front glass always stays cool to the touch - enjoy the fireplace ambiance without risk of children or pets getting burned.

> No dangerous combustion or harmful carbon monoxide.

> UL approved for use in Canada and the U.S.

FIREBOX FEATURES:

• Fits into many standard fireplace openings
• 120 Volts 1,375 watts/4,695 BTU
• Can be used for cost-effective zone heating – save energy costs by turning down your central thermostat and heating your room
• Can operate with flame only, flame and heat
• Includes On/Off remote control
• 23” standard firebox insert with wide-screen viewing area

• Handcrafted realistic log set for true-to-life ambiance
• Dimplex patented flame technology, the most authentic electric flame on the market
• No assembly required
• Self leveling feet for even fit
• Improved fan design for more efficient heat circulation and quiet functioning
• Offers a comprehensive one-year warranty on parts.

Product Description

This Electric Fireplace Insert instantly brings your existing fireplace to life. It installs in minutes and plugs into any standard household outlet. You can turn the insert on or off with the included remote control from anywhere in the room. Insert size is 10.8" x 23.2" x 19.8" and weighs 34 lbs. The built-in heater distributes heat evenly and quietly.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

90 of 92 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Really Looks like a Fire!, December 16, 2006

By 

John J. Malone (omaha, ne United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dimplex DFI2309 Electric Fireplace Insert (Kitchen)

I was surprised how realistic the fire looked when I first turned this on.

This is a solution to a thorny problem I faced. I have a rental property with what is either a faux or unfinished fireplace: depneds on your viewpoint. I didn't want to remove it,and i sure didn't want someone lighting a fire in it!

I had available electricity and available gas, but unvented logs, though heat-efficient, can oxygen deficit a room if one is not careful. (And who wants to be careful when sleeping!)

So, I took a chance on this baby at net $175 after using my prime and offered Amazon discounts.

The two speed heater and blower is just about right for a small room.

This loses its fifth star because the designers placed the remote receiver on the wall plg instead of the unit. It belongs n the unit, so you can simply point the remote at your fireplace, and it works.

In my case, the wall outlet is not reachable by line of sight, and so the circumstances rendered the remote control - an otherwise nice feature - unusable, and turn thisinto a manually switched fireplace.

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Save some dough!, September 23, 2011

By 

P. Kelley "Jake Kelley" (Quincy, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dimplex DFI2309 Electric Fireplace Insert (Kitchen)

Length:: 0:25 Mins

The following is the manufacturers instruction manual in .pdf format.

[...]

I did a little research on the Dimplex DFI2309 Electric Fireplace Insert and here's what I came up with: The manufacturer is Dimplex North America Limited a world leader in electric heating. The company has invested heavily in product R & D and has come up with some pretty innovative and interesting products. Dimplex North America Limited is a member of the Glen Dimplex Group of companies of Dublin, Ireland and employs over 8,500 people worldwide with sales in excess of $3.0 billion.

The fireplace insert distributes an even heat over a wide area by means of a silent fan-forced heater. It will produce approx 4692 BTU's of heat. The flames and heater operate independently of each other so you can have just flames or flames and heat. The fireplace is 100% efficient (like any electric heater). All of the energy supplied to the unit is converted into heat, which stays in the room to keep you warm. Many gas fireplaces advertise 70-80% efficiency. This means that 20-30% of the energy supplied to the unit is vented outside. The fireplace insert operates for pennies a day. The flames use slightly under 120 Watts of power with flames only. With an average electricity rate, the unit operates for a remarkable 2¢/hr. When you choose to activate the heat feature along with the flame, the unit uses approximately 1500 Watts. The total cost to operate the flame and heater is approximately 8¢/hr* (gas fireplace manufacturers regularly advertise running costs of 17¢/hr or more)! *Electricity rates vary. 8¢/hr based on the heater cycling at 50%. Unlike gas fireplaces, which require venting, fuel pipelines, the Dimplex fireplace just needs to be plugged in. When you need a change, you can move it to a different room and when you move to a new home you can take your investment with you.
The fireplace insert distributes a warm, gentle, even heat over a wide area by means of a silent fan-forced heater. Since it will produce about 4692 BTU's of total heat, when working in conjunction with the home's primary heating system, the fireplace is capable of taking the chill off just about any size room, when required. Most gas fireplaces produce over 20,000 BTU's of heat in a single room while the average size home requires only 90,000 BTU to heat the entire house. So there's a good chance you will be heated right out of the room your in with a new gas unit even when it's set to low heat. And what about conventional wood-burning fireplaces? As most of us already know, most wood fireplaces are difficult to start, smoke, create unpleasant cold drafts, and cause a number of other unseen problems. In most homes, they are between -10% and +10% efficient. They supply little if any heat to the house, particularly with cold outside temperatures. Bottom line: Conventional wood-burning fireplaces are extremely inefficient. They can lead to indoor air quality problems, and can result in life-threatening situations. Hence they are incompatible with modern housing, or with housing which has undergone energy retrofit/renovation
The fireplace insert plugs into any standard 120-volt outlet and does not require a dedicated circuit. It is as easy to install as plugging in a lamp! In addition, the fireplace does not require any venting pipelines for fuel or expensive professional reconstruction to your home. The fireplace has full electrical certification throughout North America and no combustible energy sources are used to produce the flame. This means that you never need to worry about oxygen depletion or carbon monoxide poisoning in your home and the unit employs an over-heat safety cut out with reset control as a back up safety feature. The only maintenance involved is done every 2 to 3 years by changing a couple of light bulbs, readily available at any hardware store and you can do this easily yourself. Most gas fireplaces require ongoing, costly maintenance, which must be performed by a qualified service technician on an annual basis. Figure on paying up to $300. dollars a year for this required service.

My personal experience with the Dimplex DFI2309 Electric Fireplace Insert came about some time after my wife and I moved to our new house. Soon after, she decided she had to have a gas fire log like we had in the old house. So, in order to keep the boss happy, I decided to go all out and buy one of the new efficient models that not only looked great, but also give off tons of heat, the only problem, the price. They wanted more than $6,000. for the log set including instillation. Ouch! I then stumbled on to the Dimplex DFI2309 Electric Fireplace Insert. For a price of under $200., I was a little skeptical that this thing could even come close to the expensive gas one, but after reading so many rave reviews on Amazon, I decided to go for it. I figured if it ever turned out to be a mistake, I could always return it anyways. Since I was saving a ton of money, I also splurged on the optional trim kit (Dimplex DFI23TRIMX Expandable Trim Kit for Electric Fireplace Insert) for an additional $160. bucks.

My next job was getting the existing fireplace cleaned out and prepared. I stuffed fiberglass insulation up against the flue door and cut a piece of Styrofoam board to fit the damper opening slanting to the rear of the firebox underneath the insulation so any possible water entering down the chimney would flow away from the unit. At the time, I was surprised at how poorly the damper closed and actually had been designed with a few open holes in it. I had to be losing all kinds of heat right up the flue before the fix. In less then a couple of days the unit arrived and within minutes I had it out of the box and set up in the center of the fireplace. I measure the cord of the unit to be almost seven feet and just made it to my electrical outlet, but a little elevated off the floor, so I purchased a heavy duty six foot 14 gauge extension cord to give it a little more length. The directions only call for a 16 gauge cord, so I'm way ahead of the game. Be advised, the cord runs from the right side of the unit (as you face it). Now the trim package is a little different story and took a little more than a few minutes to put together. It's kind of a one size fits all type thing. There are 15 pieces and a whole bunch of screws involved, but the finished product was very much worth it, for me. It frames off the insert and I think makes it look more realistic and complete. My fireplace opening is surrounded by a one of a kind type tile and I did not care to cover it, but the trim unit framed it exactly without any blockage. My only gripe, the screen is not designed to completely close and leaves a 3 inch gap or so in the middle. {as far as I can figure out}. I got around this by only closing the screen quarter way or so on either side which kind of looks pretty good and makes it symmetrical and frames it very nicely. Update: After studying the mechanics of the closing mechanism for a couple of weeks, I finnally solved the problem and I can now close both screens completely in the middle. I intend on leaving the screens fully closed as it really does look more realistic this way. Says something about the terrible directions that come with the trim package. If you already have a fireplace screen or glass doors, though, I'd probably stick with them as this unit is pretty pricey and time consuming to put together. By the way, the boss loves her new electric fire log and thinks it looks just like the real thing!

Update: Yes, I still love my electric fireplace insert and the longer I own it the more realistic it seems to get.

I have read in a few other reviews, some were disappointed with the mirrored half moon shape at the rear of their insert unit. Well, I finally figured out what it is designed to do. It reflects the back of the front logs with their reflective embers with the flames between the two sets of logs giving a pretty good holographic 3d effect and the grayed out portion of the mirror simulates smoke. Altogether, it makes for a pretty realistic looking fire. I guess you could call it the use of "smoke and mirrors" to get the desired effect.
Update: I have found that this 3d/holographic effect can be increased by placing ambient light near the front of the fireplace insert. I have two lamps, a table and a floor lamp, with one placed on one side and one on the other side of my fireplace about four feet away from the center of my fireplace opening. This extra ambient light helps illuminate the rear reflected log that creates the 3d effect. Though one light is sufficient, I have found that two low watt lamps works even better. (one a 40 watt bulb and the other a 3-way 60 on low)

I would like to address some reviewer complaints regarding the remote control. The first being that the remote has something to do with the plug. Readers are lead to believe that if the plug is blocked by something (furniture) the remote will not operate. Not so. The remote will turn the unit on and off from anywhere in the room regardless of whether the plug receptacle is blocked. For what it's worth, the remote turns the insert unit on and off from anywhere in the house-the remote reception is that powerful. I suppose you could always turn it on while in the bedroom in the morning and get up to a warm living room when you finally decide to get out of bed?

Which leads me to complaints regarding the remote not controlling the heat function. This is only partially true. Once a heat setting is chosen with the switch (high or low) on the insert unit, the remote will turn that heat setting on or off along with the fire display. Yes, it would be nice to make all the heat changes with the remote, but this is not a problem for me... Read more ›

54 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Dimplex DF12309 Electric Fireplace Insert, January 8, 2008

By 

Zorro (Phoenix) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dimplex DFI2309 Electric Fireplace Insert (Kitchen)

This unit looks nice but is way over priced for what it is. If you are planning on getting good heat from the unit, forget it. It produces a small amount of heat only about one foot in front of your fireplace. I get better heat from a $12.00 heater with the same wattage and btu output. At the high setting the fan is to low, probably for sound reduction, and it may as well not even have the low speed setting. If you want something to look pretty in your empty fireplace then this will work. Sitting in there by itself looks bad unless you purchase (separately) the fireplace trim and screen kit that all looks good when completed. The problem? Thats right, the cost. Another $200.00 plus. And when it comes time to change the 2 bulbs that create the simulated look of fire, you have to take it all apart. Half the price for the combined package would be a fair value.