Corner Electric Fireplace Review | SEI Cartwright Convertible

Welcome to our comprehensive Corner Electric Fireplace Review | SEI Cartwright Convertible.

Spoiler Alert: This fireplace is a beautiful piece of furniture available in 4 finishes all with the same ‘fireplace works’ inside. Though we are featuring the Espresso finish, it is also available in ebony, mission oak, and oak.It fits extremely well into corners. It functions well as both a fireplace and heater.

NOTE: If you have arrived on our site and have decided to buy the SEI Cartwright electric fireplace then we recommend clicking through to discover the lowest price and the daily discount. You will get very fast delivery and it’s often free .

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In this SEI Cartwright Convertible Electric Fireplace Espresso review, you will learn about the different features that the product has, and whether it is a suitable addition to your home. It is called a convertible because it has a has a hinged flap that folds down can be set flat against a wall or with the flap up in a corner.

The SEI Cartwright Espresso will add ambience to any room in your home. It has an earth tone pattern of slate tiles and can be located on carpeted, tiled or wooden floors. Though the tiles are hard plastic virtually no owners could tell they were ‘fake’ without touching them. It is called “espresso” because of the finish of the panels, and it will fit with most home decors. It has some intricate molding that will really stand out and impress all that see it. The fireplace is certainly eye catching and is stylish in its design.

Flame Effects

The SEI Cartwright Espresso has realistic burning embers and flickering flames which are powered by light emitting diodes (LED’s). These LED’s are designed to last for a very long time and they are not replaceable. There is a downlight to enhance the illuminating effect and this is replaceable.

The flame effect is pretty realistic looking, and both the flames and the burning embers are adjustable. The Espresso comes with both a remote control and a manual control panel. There are separate controls for the embers and level of flames. The flames have high, medium, low, and no flames settings. The embers, log portion has 3 settings too and embers effect pulsates dimmer to brighter for an authentic look. The flames are an orange gold color and meant to be realistic. There are no special color effects like red or purple. The glass panel at the front never gets hot.

Heater Functions

I believe it is very important that everyone purchasing an electric fireplace heater be aware of the limitations of these units. With very rare exceptions and this electric fireplace heater is no exception, an electric fireplace heater is best thought of as a supplemental heat source. Or part of a comprehensive zone heating plan. Quite simply they will not heat your whole house.

There is a thermostat in the fireplace to control the heat output. This is adjustable using the remote or the control panel. Being an electric fireplace there is no burning of wood or fossil fuels, so there is no requirement for ventilation. The fireplace has a built in fan that directs the heat well out the front

It is possible to use the fireplace without the heat function. When the heater is on it has a range of 62°C to 82°C which is 17°C to 27°C. The temperature is adjustable. There is a temperature read out on the control panel and this can be set to either Fahrenheit or Celsius.

The heater fan is quiet in operation and the maximum heat output is 5000 BTU’s or 1500 Watts. The fireplace is designed to provide supplemental heat to a room of a maximum of 400 square feet in size.

So how much house will it heat? Well in reality, that depends. If you have a closed room such as a bedroom it will heat it pretty well. If it is mounted in an open concept living room with flow through kitchen or dining room the heat effects will be minimal. You may, however be able to lower your thermostat setting a few degrees which will help on overall heating costs. If you are looking primarily for a heater, you may be better served by an infrared space heater. Of course they will not be as cozy and are no fun to look at and cuddle in front of with that special someone.

Controls

The fireplace comes with a manual control panel which is situated on the front of the unit as well as a remote control. The control panel has a temperature display showing the current heat output.

The controls consist of an on/off button for the actual fireplace, an on/off button for the heater, a button to adjust the flame brightness (5 levels), a button to adjust the burning log brightness (5 levels) and an adjustable timer.

Once the fireplace is switched on, the heater can be adjusted to the temperature you desire. If the heater button is held for 5 seconds, then the temperature display will change from Fahrenheit to Celsius or vice versa.

The brightness of the flames and burning logs can be adjusted by pressing the appropriate buttons until the desired levels are achieved. The timer lets you control the time that the heater will be on, and this can be set from 30 minutes to 9 hours. There is an automatic shut off feature once the time has elapsed.

The remote control has the same functionality but uses up and down arrow buttons for precise control. The fireplace is supplied with a 6 feet black power cord and plug for a standard outlet.

Safety

Safety features include automatic shutoff. You may also want to consider an outlet protector listed in the accessory section below.

• Do not operate any unit with a damaged cord or plug
• Do not use outdoors.
• The electric heater is not intended for use in bathrooms, laundry areas and similar indoor locations. Never locate heater where it may fall into a bathtub or other water container.
• Do not run the cord under carpeting, furniture, or appliances. Do not cover cord with throw rugs, runners, or the like. Arrange cord away from high traffic areas, where it will not be tripped over.
• Always plug heaters directly into a wall outlet/ receptacle. Never use with an extension cord or re-locatable power tap (outlet/ power strip).

The firebox is UL approved, which means it meets industry standard safety regulations and guidelines. For more information see electric fireplace safety tips.

Cost Of Operation

The cost of operation is very comparable to other fireplaces in the same class. There is a big difference in cost between operating the fireplace with the flame and heat together and just the flame effect alone.

What does that mean? If you use your unit in high heat mode for 2 hours a day for a month it will bump up your electric bill by about $8.80 per month. In flame effect only mode, same conditions your bill would go up by $.60.

For a very detailed look at calculating the cost in your state and for more details on efficiency, Click this link: Electric Fireplace Cost of Operation and Efficiency

Setting Up

There is setup involved, but it requires no wiring or professional installation. The fireplace ships in 2 boxes – the heater/fireplace unit, the ‘guts’ are pre-assembled. The surrounding ‘furniture’ part needs assembly. Ideally it is a 2 person job, but really easy and the average assembly time is an hour or under.

Assembly Tip: We have put together a lot of furniture like this. If you have a hex tip for a ratchet socket wrench or drill , use that and it will save time.

Dimensions/Specifications

The fireplace is 45.5 inches wide, 15.5 inches deep and 40.2 inches high. The unit weighs 93 pounds. The fireplace is supplied with full installation instructions and a user manual. The mantel will support 85 lbs.

• Overall Height – Top to Bottom: 40.2 inches
• Overall Width – Side to Side: 45.5 inches
• Overall Depth – Front to Back: 26.5 inches (set flat)
• Overall Product Weight: 50.2 lbs
• Weight: 118.5lbs
• Electric: 120V/60Hz, 1500W, 12.5 Amps
• BTUs: 5000

Accessories

There are 3 accessories that will enhance your enjoyment of your fireplace; one will provide provide crackling fire sounds, another provides a low tech solution to hide the cord, and lastly and easy way to add program-ability to your fireplace.

1. Crackling fire sound machine. Take your enjoyment of your new electric fireplace up a notch and add the sounds of a crackling fire. For approximately $30 you can add this sound machine, The device is about 2 1/2 ” x 3″ and you can attach it out of site to the fireplace body. Click Here for: Fire Crackle Sound

2. Hide the cord with a paint-able wire channel. Paint to match the color of your walls. These are available at any hardware or big box store or just Click Here for: Wire Covers

3. Socket over heating protection. For an extra layer of protection you may want to consider the ‘Safer Socket’ Fire Prevention Plug, which comes in white. Protects you from overheating wall sockets or surge protectors.Easy to install – no wiring necessary, simply plug into your existing wall outlet and you’re done. Safe Socket

Pros and Cons

I believe the pros far outweigh the cons, but here is a bullet point presentation of the high and low notes:

Pros

A lot of customers were very satisfied with the appearance of the SEI Cartwright Espresso. There were comments such as “gorgeous”, “beautiful”, “a beautiful piece of furniture” and “very modern and stylish”. The elegant design of the fireplace was commented on a lot, and many people thought that it was very good value for money and looked a lot more expensive than it actually cost.There were several comments about how well made the fireplace was and how it should last for a long time.

Several customers were very happy at how easy it was to put together and install the SEI Cartwright Espresso fireplace. A lot said that the instructions were clear and it was all very simple. The many features of the SEI Cartwright Espresso were commented on by several people who loved the fact that it could be located almost anywhere, and that the controls provided a comprehensive range of features. Many thought that the heater produced a good volume of heat and that it was better than most other electric fireplaces. Some even said that the fireplace produced too much heat at times.

These benefits of owning the SEI Cartwright Fireplace Espresso were taken from real customer reviews of the product:

• “A really quality fireplace”
• “A very good looking fireplace”
• “It looks much more expensive than it is”
• “Very easy to put together and install”
• “The heater works very well”
• “It is so flexible”

Cons

One or two people commented on the build quality stating that is was cheap. This is in direct contrast to most users who thought that it was well made. There were a few comments about the fireplace being difficult to assemble. Again this went against the majority viewpoint that the SEI Cartwright was simple to assemble.  Some thought the color was different than advertised.

This was a strange one, and only one or two made this comment. These customers believed that their fireplace was darker than in the product images. The majority of the customers thought that the color scheme was good, and fitted in well with their decor. Since it does come in 4 colors make sure you are ordering the one you want.

The issues highlighted here come directly from real customer reviews:

• “The fireplace is cheaply made and not of good quality”
• “It is hard to assemble”
• “Doesn’t heat the room very well” l.
• “The color is different to that advertised”

Summary

The SEI Cartwright Fireplace Espresso is a fully functional heater and flame effect unit that will be the center piece of any room. It has good heat output that can be precisely controlled, and there are even five levels of brightness for the realistic looking flickering flames and burning logs.

The design of the fireplace is first class and the panels look really good. You can use it to support your flat screen TV and people will compliment you on your choice of fireplace. None of the issues raised in the “cons” sections should prevent you from purchasing this fine unit.

Highly recommended.

We hope you enjoyed our Corner Electric Fireplace Review | SEI Cartwright Convertible.

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