Are Electric fireplaces safe?

[happycat]

My mother bought this electric fireplace to heat our house up:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/ChimneyF...ter-5-200-BTU-Black-Metal-CFI-470-02/54475556
Is it safe to have in the condo with my fids? I'm not sure what makes electric heaters safe or unsafe so if anyone more knowledgeable about the subject could answer this for me I'd appreciate it! Thanks! (P.S. it'd be in the living room and my birds are in the bedroom, so they wouldn't be in the same room)

 

[SailBoat]

I cannot find anything that defines its construction other than it does not weight very much and that the legs can be a bear to install without a mag tipped screwdriver.

Electric Space Heaters (more proper name) are all over the place regarding whether they are safe or not! All require that you first start them outside to burn-off any assembly /surface protection lub.

There are much better units on the market for about the same money that have a much better heat rating, long safety record and effectiveness rating. The Ceramic Electric Heats that use blocks of ceramic with heater coils mounted to them have been long rated as some of the best 'space heaters' on the market. No where close to as pretty to look at, but can heat a small to mid-size bedroom. Visit your local Hardware Store and ask a sales staff with gray hair to help you! Commonly, found heating offices, place near or under desks to keep feet warm!

If you like the looks and are not looking for much heat, it will likely meet basic needs.

 

[Kiwibird]

We've used a similar faux wood stove in the living room for years with no issues. I did run it outside for several hours first use to be on the safe side, as new things often put off odors residual from the manufacturing process. I also like to let it run outdoors for a while at the start of the season because it puts off a slight "burnt dust" smell after being out of use for several months (though I doubt that is particularly harmful to parrots).

We love ours. I am not the 'type' who'd ever build an actual fire in our wood fireplace. The "fire on fire off" at the touch of a button option of the faux units and the fact there is no real fire or mess to clean up is fantastic. We use ours for the ambiance of a fire, not as a primary source of heating our living room in the winter. That's what the wall units are for. I doubt this kind of unit would be very effective as a primary heat source and you'll still need to run your regular heater. These are more about ambiance and providing a little supplemental heat to a small area.

 

[bill_e]

I don't know for sure but it looks like the heat comes from the box under the main unit. This might be dangerous if your bird is walking on the floor.

We actually have a large pellet stove in our living room where the door gets very hot. To protect our bird we put a fireplace screen in front of it when Nike is out so that if she was to ever fly to it she wouldn't get burned. Since it's lower that all the things she likes to perch on it hasn't been a problem.