I bought this product in an attempt to replace a fireplace. The fireplace was worn out and the replacement cost was 10k which I wasn't going to pay. this product appeared to be a decent replacement for the wall and would throw a little heat. But product flaws resulted in a product return.
Pros: The flame looks really good. It has that fire mesmerizing effect. You can stare at it a long time and it keeps your attention. It isn't burning wood but I think it's better looking than gas.
Cons: In my opinion, in order to look good you need to mount it IN the wall at least partially as it is shown in the Yosemite videos on Youtube and that's where the trouble starts. If you mount it ON the wall as the skimpy manual describes, the front just hangs in space 6 inches from the wall and looks kinda weird. I didn't like that look. Maybe it would be ok on a far wall or a recessed wall area but in my room the fireplace is on an exterior wall that also contains the entrance door. I don't want to be able to see the ugly metal box behind the front every time I enter the house.
But mounting it IN the wall appears dangerous to me because the heat is sourced from vents in the bottom. I can't figure out how to mount it in the wall in a safe way to allow the hot air to circulate through the unit. I suppose you could mount it in a sheet rock lined enclosure bigger than the box and mostly covered by the face plate but without any guidance in the manual on this, I'm worried that I would be creating a fire hazard.
The bottom vent is open, the heating element appears to be accessible, and seems that a young child could stick their hand up and burn themselves pretty easily if you mounted it on the wall as required 50cm off the floor.
The controls on the box are on the side which is another problem if you want to attempt a flush mount. The remote worked 50% of the time and I couldn't figure out where the receptor was to get it to work more consistently.
If you are tempted to put it in just for looks and flush mount it, beware, because the controls are on the side you are only going to have the remote to control it, and since you can't disable the heater, you might press the wrong button on the remote and turn on the heater while it is embedded in the wall. There is no visual indication of the heater setting except on the side mounted control so the first indication that you made a mistake might be smoke from your house burning down.
Bottom line(s): Look at the photos that show it mounted on the wall and decide if you can tolerate that look before you buy. Do not be confused by the "insert" Yosemite fireplaces shown in the video. If you have young children I wouldn't purchase this unit due to the bottom vent design.
