DIY options for electric/fake wood burning stove?

ChasingtheWelshdream

This may seem a strange thing to ask, but as googling isn't pulling up much, I'm wondering if anyone has heard of such a thing?

I'd hoped to install a woodburner but the chimney is too far gone to cost-effectively open up again. However, as it's a period house, I want to put something in the opening, just to be a focal point and give a bit of ambience. The room is centrally heated so no need for additional heat, just something to make seem cosier in the winter.

The easiest option is an electric woodburner, but the cheaper ones can look 'plasticky' and the nicer cast iron ones run into the hundreds. Which got me thinking about some kind of DIY option. I can get hold of a very cheap cast iron stove which would look authentic in the opening, but wondered if there was anything I could do with it to give a glow or flame effect? I could just put candles or fairy lights in, but wondered if there is a way to add an electric element or insert for a slightly more realistic flame effect? I can find plenty of electric inserts for open fireplaces but am drawing a blank for something suitable for stoves.

Any ideas or inspiration would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance :-)

suki1964

we put an electric open fire in our last house, one with a grate where you had to buy the coals to fill it and then the orange/red lightbulbs gave them a glow ( that was over 20 years ago, they look a lot better now )

ChasingtheWelshdream

Thank you, this is the kind of thing but I'm struggling to find ones suitable for inside a stove.

Mutton_Geoff

Even the cheap ones from Dimplex don't look bad. I have one in an old fireplace in my grade 2 listed house. It creates a good illusion and is a fan heater as well.

https://www.dimplex.co.uk/electric-stoves

I wouldn't waste time trying to home make something when these products work straight out the box.

Heedtheadvice

A search for 'fire effect led' comes up with many an idea such as from https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=fire+effect+led&adgrpid=51985544103&gclid=CjwKCAjwk6P2BRAIEiwAfVJ0rJAd7tH582a903hrpkf9peFY_5GVSHilmOOV6OCxIUXoOXp00CQ7zhoCDgwQAvD_BwE&hvadid=259040991358&hvdev=t&hvlocphy=9046992&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=7058883149938808949&hvtargid=kwd-297433139655&hydadcr=21779_1759319&tag=googhydr-21&ref=pd_sl_un0nrlwhy_e

Oooo what a long link!

Jonesya

If it's just light you need and not heat, depending on your DIY skills, either install some light bulb sockets inside the stove but you need to know what you are doing and be sure to earth the metal stove body. The simpler and safer option could be to purchase a pre-wired light-bulb cord set, if there's suitable openings in the stove to run a cable in but make sure the cable isn't going to get damaged passing through any openings/holes in the stove body.

Something like this, for example, stood inside the stove?
https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/skallran-table-lamp-base-dark-grey-metal-30421527/

Fit a fire glow bulbs, now in LED form for a steady glow (check the base matches the fitting)
https://www.wilko.com/en-uk/wilko-1-pack-bayonet-b22bc-led-130-lumens-fireglo-w-light-bulb/p/0465968

Electronic, LED flame effect bulbs for moving glow:
Google 'led fire bulb' there's lots of different ones available and typically they have videos showing the effects.

avoidtheupsidedownbottles

I've got one of the big cylindrical LED flame effect bulbs and it is quite convincing.  Actually, thinking about it, the effect might get a bit wearing over time because it is quite active.  The little old-fashioned neon bulbs might be better in that regard; five or six twinkling away in the grate would be more relaxing.

ChasingtheWelshdream

Wow, thank you all! See, I've spent hours googling fire baskets, coal baskets, log effects etc and didn't once stumble across those LEDs! That's given a few ideas :-) Unfortunately the ridiculously cheap woodburner is now not available (blast), but I'll keep an eye out for something similar. 

Out of interest Mutton_Geoff - which dimplex have you got?

Thanks all. :-)

FreeBear

Some of the modern electric stoves even come with "wispy flame" effects, and you'd be hard pushed to tell the difference from a real fire just by looking. Yes, they do cost a few pounds more, but then a real stove, once fitting is included, is pretty expensive.

Mutton_Geoff

ChasingtheWelshdream said:

Out of interest Mutton_Geoff - which dimplex have you got?

The Dimplex Brayford in black. Very pleased with it for the money. Got a real logburner in the sitting room, a Charnwood C-Four that was about £2,000 inc offset flue, liner, install etc. For 8% of that price, the Dimplex is good value!

ChasingtheWelshdream

Thank you all. Much food for thought. :-)