Just ran across a two-page spread in the Sunday paper for the Heat Surge Roll ‘n Glow portable electric fireplace which set off a red flag alert in my blog-addled mind. The company HeatSurge, LLC has a website amishfireplaces.com where you can enter a code to presumably get 2 free heating units during this special offer by purchasing the accompanying Amish-made mantle, you just have to respond within a 1-800-ripmeoff-ish 48 hours.
The headline for the ad reads “Amish man’s new miracle idea helps home heat bills hit rock bottom” which would indicate that an Amish man (traditional Amish sects disavow the use of electricity, phones and mechanized stuff) invented this product. The small print states that the heating technology itself was actually invented by an “engineering genius” in China. The Amish are making the handcrafted wooden mantle. Some consumers have taken issue with the company’s claims, with the most comprehensive evaluation appearing on Yahoo! Answers here.
The other claim in the ads is that the unit consumes less electricity than an electric coffee-maker (I believe that is if they are on for the same amount of time) while producing over 5000 BTU’s of heat and that you can save amazing amounts of cash on your home heating bill by moving the unit from room to room. (The Paul Harvey endorsed, EdenPure, makes similar claims). In both cases, though, turning the heat down in the rooms you’re not currently in, is not normal home owner behavior. ConsumerReports.org has a post on space heaters and lower heating bills. The Heat Surge units do appear to create a nice fireplace-like appearance, don’t require a chimney or flue, and can be rolled around the home. Checkout ConsumerSearch.com or pick-up the October Consumer Reports for a closer look at space heater ratings.
A better way to conserve heat might be to add some insulation to your home and get programmable thermostats that can regulate your home heating by zone and time to enable you to turn the heat down when you’re not home or in a particular room. Do your research before jumping to throw money at a ‘miracle’ offer that appears to be too good to be true. Also consider safety issues concerning space heaters. Portable space heaters cause thousands of home fires each year.
Anyone who has purchased one of these units or done additional research on the Heat Surge product, please chime in.
Related: Space Heater Alternatives to Heat Surge and Heat Surge Update
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Follow up from previous post. After another call and wait for the customer service. i talked to some gal about getting it fixed(not heating). Turns out it was out of warranty by 45 days. They said to bad we would of covered if under 30 days. The thing sat of 8 months fo the year. Two weeks later I get a call on Sunday afternoon some guy from customer service offering to help. Said he could sell me a new insert for $299. I said you are joking right? After two weeks you finally call me just to try to sell another piece of crap. I started getting on him about not offering repair or technical assistance,the cheap construction of the cabinet and his only assistance was to try and get another $300, He hung up on me and I laughed about that. Coward!
Any how, if you have made the mistake and have bought one of these and it will not heat after a circuit breaker reset. Take the insert out of the cabinet. It is not hard it will take about 5 min with a phillips screwdriver. (While you are doing this note the quality construction. Ha!) Once out take the top panel off. You will find the teeny tiny not bigger than a hair dryer heating element. On top of the heating grid you will see a little thermal fuse. It looks like a little rocket soldered between two terminals. It is a MICROTEMP
G4A01 110C. It can be purchased from a company called Newark(on the net) for $.79 cents. Two minutes with a soldering iron and you can fix it yourself.. After taking this apart there is no more than the cheapest elctrical heater will have in side. Can you say Class Action Lawsuit.
A side note. If you order the thermal fuses get a few of them. It will probably happen again. Be careful when soldering them on because if you get the thermal fuse too hot with the soldering iron it can pop the the fuse again. At least that part works. Be sure to unplug it when ever you work on it.
We purchased 2 of these fireplaces around August 2008. We’ve had huge drops in our electric & gas bills. The house is warmer than it was last year during this time & the heaters have only used the $1.92 a day they stated in the advertisement. We have a 1400 sq ft tri-level home & they heat the house just fine, at times getting so warm in the house we have to turn on fans or turn off one of the fireplaces. The only time we turned up the furnace(which we set on 55 in the beginning)was during a recent snow storm with temps hovering around the 5 & 6 degrees at night. Then we only turned it up to 65. We have been very pleased with these fireplaces they work very well. I also have a friend with a 3500 sq ft home & they have an Amish Fireplace heater for each floor. They have yet to run their furnace this winter.
Sure glad I googled this product before buying.
Bottom line for me is: I don’t care about the Amish one way or another. Makes absolutely no difference. And whether or not the product works, I’ll never do business with a company that screws people over in the customer service department. Making it impossible to get through, putting you on hold forever, not giving timely refunds – why would anyone reward a company like that with more business? No company should be able to get away with that, and in this day and age when we have the internet to find out, we have the ability to know ahead of time what kind of company it is.
I say no to this kind of business. I’ll get my mother a space heater from home depot.
I think the main attraction of these units is the real wood mantle and the realistic look of a wood burning fireplace. Sure, you can buy much cheaper electric space heaters, but they won’t give you the nice look of the Heat Surge Fireplace! We’re thinking of buying one for our all electric Florida condo. We won’t need to use it much for heat but will enjoy the look of a wood burning fireplace at a very reasonable price.
i’m glad i read the cmments about these heaters . i was about to by an edan glow 2 nd hand. i will not be buying it.
thanks !
AMISH FIREPLACE: Sounds great only $0.08 per hour to run. Each unit $298.00 each, remotes $19.95, shipping & handling $98.00,. Everything totaled $730.00 for two. So far, so good. Went out side & found two large boxes on front porch, one box had a hole in the side. I called Heat Surge to report the box damage, I was told to check the unit, and I did – looked OK. Removed from box & set up, NO REMOTE, checked other box NO REMOTE. I once again called HEAT SURE, & told them, “they would send them out”, also no paper work in first box. – BOTH BOXES HAD STAPLES PULLED & TAPED SHUT, when received. (Paperwork was found down inside box with second unite.)
Turn unite on, gave off some heat. Turned it on high, a little more heat also dimmed my light, tuned off house lights. After running on high for an hour it, DID NOT HEAT THE FAMILY ROOM.
The fireplace was a lot smaller than pictured. If you wanted something that almost looks like fire & puts off some heat, & small, this would work for you. The wood may be Amish (Small plate on back, at bottom.); the fireplace metal has MADE IN CHINA stamped on the back.
30- DAY SATISFACTION GUARANTEE
Now the return: I called & asked about return. They do not send return postage & shipping stickers. I was told I had to pay for shipping & would be reimbursed. Each heater was 66 lbs & cast $112.78 shipping & $10.68 to be pick up from house.
I started receiving paper work for the heaters, so I called one more time. Told the repetitive they were shipped backed. Then I asked about the refund.
THIS IS WHEN IT GOT WORSE. I was told that a refund would be issued but shipping & handling; both ways would not be covered. THIS IS $221.46 TOTAL. I then asked to talk to her supervisor. I was then told by her supervisor that,” it is company policy not to refund & reimburse shipping & handling”. I then told her that I was told I would be reimbursed & refunded. With this she said she would check her computer. “It stated I was aware that I would not be refunded or reimbursed. Now think do I or anyone have $221.46 to through in the trash, or would I have kept the heaters & try to sell them. Was also told the person I talked to was standing there & never told me that. I asked to talk to her supervisor.
I now asked to talk to her supervisor. Once again told it was company policy not to reimburse & refund. After more than a half hour on the phone I was able to get the original shipping & handling, along with half my return shipping refunded. Which now leaves me $61.73 in the red?
I will now have all policies in writing, take names, & from now on tape conversation.
BOTTOM LINE I DO NOT RECOMMEND THE AMISH “HEAT SURGE”FIREPLACE…You shouldn’t be allowed outside without a keeper.
Paul Harvey endorses it…He also endorsed the over-priced Bose radio. Don’t take advice from anyone who is being compensated for their endorsement. They are just whores.
As has been stated over and over above, you can only get so much out of 1500 watts at 120 volts. Such was the rating of each of the heaters I tried. It’s the apparent design of the Vornado that causes the heat to feel like it was wrapping itself around me rather than just warming my legs. Finally, it was the only one I actually had to turn off because it became so warm inside the cabin! Yes, the temperature outside was still in the teens…I guess Vornado has figured out a way to repeal the laws of physics.
I operate a low cost UPS shipping outlet in WNY, and have been saddened too many times when telling the older person trying to return one of these screwy units how much it will cost them, their hearts just drop. Please don’t buy, as I have seen the cheap Amishless construction of mantle and heater(cheapcharliechina). They don’t put out more heat than a hairdryer, and all previous posts otherwise are a total LIE!!! Sales based on misleading verbiage are scams in my book.
A relative purchased one. It looks great…works great…she loves it! Its perfect for a winter in Nevada. Yes, it snows here but I sure wouldnt expect any space heater to warm me up back east! “RD” cant “bounce” anyone . He is all talk and no action.
I’ve found my long lost son. I guess it’s not sextuplets but it is a start. I do indeed ‘moderate’ this forum. (You’ll see that I’m the author of the original post.) People get bounced if they swear too much, submit 5 inane comments in row, (you know who you are), or get crazy with the caps lock and threaten society. That’s about it. Some agendas are pretty obvious, which only adds to the fun.
The amish heat surge fireplace is covered by THE GOOD HOUSEKEEPING SEAL.If you have never heard of it visit the web site. (For all you GOOGLE people that should be easy) In case you can’t find it here is what being covered by the GOOD HOUSEKEEPING SEAL means directly from the web site.If any product that bears our Seal proves to be defective within two years from the date it was first sold to a consumer by an authorized retailer, we, Good Housekeeping, will replace the product or refund the purchase price. This policy covers you, the consumer, whether you bought the product or it was given to you (by the buyer).Also last time I checked the Good Housekeeping Co. checks and reviews all products it endorses so do you think a company as old (100 years) and believed in as them would back a so called Scam.
I bought a “Heat Surge” in cherry to heat up an 8×10 room that is cold in the morning. It is more attractive than I expected it to be, and the “fake flame” is not tacky at all. You have to read the instructions to maximize the heat output. I did not buy it for “heat savings”, nor do I expect any. For the limited uses I put it to, I give it an “A”, and would recommend it.
Anything electric is expensive. Many are falling for this scam, which is too bad. People are out there still trying to prey on those who are taken in by this obvious trick marketing scam. First time I saw the commercials on TV I couldn’t stop laughing. They show some “Amish” craftsman with a plane, saw, etc. doing absolutely nothing. Then, you see a horse and buggy containing a single “fireplace” off to be delivered direct to someone’s doorstep. Also, you hear the heart wrenching story of how this space heater “saved my family’s life” in the middle of the night. Made in the heartland of America. Just another cheap marketing scam.
Someone gave me one of the HeatSurge fireplaces as a gift.
This fireplace is pretty, but NOT cost effective if you are looking to save money. Honeywell makes a real nice quartz space heater for $40 that uses the same amps to run and heats the room much better. I had my electrician check the amps when he was doing other work. Also check Home Depot…they sell real nice electric fire places with actual thermostats.
J asks:
Read the comments on the heat surge and it seems most people are happy with it…just wondering if anyone knows the dimensions of the entire unit with the mantel…i dont see it anywhere in the print ad or on their website…thanks!
Was going to order the Heat Surge today at amishfireplace.com. The cost for one of these units has gone up considerably. While I realize with the slumping economy prices are going up,the Cherry fireplace is now $587 and the Oak one is $547, available in only these two woods. For myself, these units do not reflect a value for the money and needless to say, I did not place an order.
My wife and I saw the advertisement for the Heat Surge Heaters as well as many others and discussed the idea of buying 1 or 2. We live in a ranch style home and our mian source of heat is an oil fired furnace and with the price of fuel oil we needed to do something to cut the cost. As a maintenance mechanic I looked at the techincal side of these heaters and considered the higher cost of electricity per month compared to the cost of fuel oil per month. Now granted the cost of fuel oil has dropped considerably, but still to have to pay for fuel and electric to heat our home is nonsense. We bought 2 of the Heat Surge Heaters and placed them at opposite ends of the house. We set the thermostat back to 62 degrees We run the Heat Surge Heaters when we are home and while we are at work have them off and let the furnace do it’s thing. Now we didn’t just buy the heaters primarily for heat, but for what they are. A mess free imitation fireplace that is relaxing to look at and you can adjust the brightness of the flame and heat in an instant when and where you want it. Bottom line is, it is a very attractive piece of furniture and it does what we expected it to do and if my electric bill increases $30.00 to $40.00 a month it is still cheaper than spending $200.00 a month on fuel oil. So, you do the math.
Someone asked the dimensions: 36.25″ wide; 30.25″ high; 16.75″ deep. Got this from one of their “chat” representatives. First learned from him also that the “oak” (which I have since learned from comments here is just a laminated piece over particle board!) is $298., while the cherry is $348., and the black or white ones are $348. Apparently the paint costs more than the laminated “fake” ones. Also, shipping cost $49. each — something else they conveniently didn’t mention on the TV infomercial. After hearing all the horror stories here about poor customer service, and cost to return, and slow refund, I’ve decided to steer clear of these people and save myself some money AND grief.
Oops, I erred on the cost of the cherry mantle: $338., not $348. But I don’t know if that one is “real” or laminated; though I would hope for $40. more that it’s the real thing.
We get up around 5 am and while the oil furnice warms up the house, the Amish heater has the livingroom nice and warm in no time flat. We like the looks of the heater. Cost is hard to estimate. This winter we paid up to $1.40Can/liter, our hydro is about to go up again. And if it is a scam, so be it. We have recommended the heater to quite a few friends and we dont hear any bitching.
I have never seen a print ad for the Heat Surge Fireplace, but have seen the tv ad which caught my attention. One of the first things I did was check their website for company information. They have only one location, which has a showroom, and it turns out is about 1/2 hour from me. It is also within a 1/2 hour of Holmes County, Ohio (largest Amish population). My guess is that the mantle is indeed made by Amish craftsmen (in Holmes, it can be synonamous with Mennonite), which is pretty much a guarantee of a sturdily built and beautiful product. (They don’t laminate.) It could be contracted out to them, not made on site. The heating unit itself is another story. The website explains clearly that the savings come from turning your thermostat down and using the fireplace as zone heating. I understand exactly what it is and how it works; my interest was asthetics. The point of all this is that I would never order something like this for $350 without having a clue, so tomorrow I am driving to the showroom to see for myself whether they are a) tacky looking, b)real wood, c) have plain people on site. If what I see is worth it, I’ll post my findings.
My husband and I went to the “showroom” yesterday. Our concerns about a gimicky place using reflective materials to create an illusion of product effectiveness were quickly alleviated. It was a very large barn-style room with a post and beam interior and 40 foot ceilings. It was filled with rows of stand-alone heating units and units in every finish. There were empty accessory (corner units, raised “hearths”) pieces to pair with the stand alone insterts. Living near Holmes County, what made sense to me beforehand rang true: Amish may make the cabinetry, but likely come no where near the electric units. It was too easy to insert them on the spot. As far as the wood goes, there was something unusual. The majority of the pieces were obvisously wood. There were, however, a small percentage (always cherry finish) that did feel like some sort of laminate on top. It’s possible that it was due to some sort of finishing product as the wood was obviously not cherry, only the finish. The perimeter of the room had a few units operating for demonstration purposes. Again, the vast size and openess of the building worked against the heaters. (If we were no where near an operating unit, it was chilly.) In that room, we could feel some warmth eight feet out from a unit. (BTUs may be BTUs, but fan, retention and dispersement properties make some difference. I own four small space heaters purchsased for plumbed areas one year when our furnace died. They all have the same BTUs, but don’t all “feel” the same.) We estimated the Heat Surge could warm a 15×15 room. We were pleasantly surprised by the look of the fireless flames. It was definately safer than the average space heater. It wheeled very easily. Without wheels, the electric unit alone is quite heavy and difficut to move even with built-in handles. Shipping costs may be explained by its weight of just under 70 pounds. Our conclusion on the product (we cannot speak on reliability) was that if one wanted a good room space heater that was safe and asthetically pleasing, and was willing to pay for it, it serves the purpose. It appeared pretty much as it does on television. We did not purchase one, but could have (oak with insert) for $198 plus tax, no shipping. (We’re fairly certain no one would have stopped us from buying five.) There were two young ladies manning the place whom I would guess to be new-order Mennonite employees. We learned inadvertantly that there was an English (the Amish/Mennonite word for anyone who is not) manager (hiding from solicitors) in a back room somewhere. It was a pleasant way to spend a little time after going out to breakfast. And I purchased some peanut butter spread…a Holmes county treat.
I am a registered professional mechanical engineer and have over 20 years experience with heating and cooling systems. These flameless fireplaces are nothing but an overpriced electric heater that some find pretty to look at. So if you want to pay $50- $150/month to look at the displayed “fire” go ahead and buy.
If you want more warmth for less cost keep reading…
If you are on a fixed income the first call you should make is to your utility who should have services to help you lower you bills and improve your comfort.
Except for heat pump type heaters, all electric heaters are 100% efficient, meaning you get the same amount of heat energy delivered as electric energy consumed. However different types vary in comfort. Most find radiant heaters the most comfortable because they warm the people and objects before warming the air. When used to heat one room they can be less costly than running a central furnace for the entire home.
If you want lower heating bills, you need to work to keep the heat inside! Increase your home insulation, get your furnace ducts sealed and replace equipment with Energy Star rated appliances.
Thanks to the February 2009 Stimulus bill, you can get a federal tax credit for many energy efficiency measures installed before 12/31/2010. See http://www.DSIREUSA.ORG for more info on the Federal tax credits and to see what other incentive programs are available in your area. Ask your utility too!
I’ve read all of this …. whew!So I’d like to recap (remind) all here by compiling the complaints that I can remember off hand…If what the CSR posted above (#510) is true that ALL complaints about mantles arriving damaged are because they are ’scratch and dent’, then I’ll give benefit of doubt and leave that complaint off this list.All these complaints appear here more than once:• Arrive with damaged/improperly attached rolling casters.• Not enough heat even for small areas.• Cheap/poor quality materials or appearance of mantle.(not the same as arriving damaged)• Noisy fan.• Fake flames stop working.• No thermostat. On all the time.• Horrendous Customer Service. (now supposedly fixed)• Missing remote.• Stops putting out heat.• Caused burnt electrical outlet.ANDOne complaint of poorly soldered connections.Mutliple ‘angles’ in the marketing ads are VERY questionable. These ‘angles’ include:• Use of Amish people to instill confidence in workmanship.• The buy-this-get-that-free angle.• Claims of substancial savings.• The limit of only 2 heaters.• Intentionally making print ads appear as if they are actual news articles in newspaper/magazine when they are in fact advertisments and thus require a ‘ADVERTISMENT’ disclaimer across the top of the ad.• In ads, potential buyer gets impression that actual size of heater is larger than it really is.Are all of the above ‘angles’ used together in combination intentionally meant to decieve anyone?I personally believe the answer lies somewhere between ‘probably’ and ‘absolutely’, and each individual must decided for his/herself wheather the answer is closer to probably or closer to absolutely… Either way if you think the answer to the above question is ‘no’… You are just the perfect customer for this product.A LOT of money for an item only used 2-4 months of each year.No, I don’t own one. I know no one who has owned one. Yes, I believe in free speech.I came here because my mother expressed interest in one.The parabolic dish heaters blow all the others away… I have several of the presto heat-dish ones… they say only 1000 watts not 1500, have thermostats and WILL MAKE YOU GET UP AND MOVE if you sit in front of one that’s fully lit-up for more than 30 seconds… Now that is cranking out heat!And only 1000 watts!Be very careful where you place it!Not for use around kids/pets/flammables!I’ve had mine for years… not sure if they still make them.My opinion… this is well-orchestrated manipulative marketing directed squarely at old folks… who have great belief and trust in the old days and the old ways… this explains the use of the older Amish guy… and explains the use of Paul Harvey (rip) for the Eden Pure… Without some kind, knowledgable elderly representitive in the ads, most old folks wouldn’t give this a second look… and if this opinion of mine is true…SHAME ON THE SELLERS OF THIS PRODUCT!
i bought 2 roll n glow fireplaces 2 yrs ago.this winter one would not heat.we called them ppl.but said they couldn’t help us.now something is wrong there and needs to be bashed
I was considering a purchase of one of these fireplaces, but didn’t.
Good thing I checked Better Business Bureau prior to making a huge mistake!!
Here is my honest opinion. I bought one of these this winter. Oil was over $3 a gallon and it was costing about $300 a month to heat our whole 3 bedroom apartment. We turned our thermostat down to 50. Put the heater in the living room where we spend almost all of our time. And our bedroom is off of the living room. So if it costs 12 cents per hour to run, if we use it for 10 hours a day, (which we don’t but just for easy math), it costs $1.20 a day and $36 per month to run. I think it costs more than that where I live, the electricity seems to be more here. But even if it costs $100 a month, we are saving over $100 a month. Closer to $150. Yes we have the rest of the house cold. No big deal. Here are my specific thoughts on the heater itself.
1. Yes the advertisement is misleading. Aren’t they all though?
2. The heat produced is good. Seems to work just fine for our living room. 1 hour on high in the morning to get things warmed up, then leave on low or off through the day.
3. The fan does make noise. Like all fans. But it isn’t too bad. We watch tv witht he heater very close to us and it’s fine.
4. The flames do not make any noise. So there is NO real fireplace sound. (this was the most dissapointing fact for me, as my mother has an electric fireplace and hers makes fireplace sounds which is very nice and relaxing.)
5. The buttons to turn it on/off high/low make a loud “beep” when you press them. This is very irritating. It’s not that big of a deal, just irritating and totally unnecassary.
6. The flame can be adjusted in brightness, which is nice.
So all in all, I’m happy with it. It can save you money if you lower your heat in the rest of the house and use this in only one room. You’ll have to do the math yourself with what you pay for heat and what it would cost with this heater. There are better electric fireplaces out there, but they can be very expensive. I only bought the heater, not the mantle, so it only cost about $250 or something like that. That’s the cheapest electric fireplace I could find.
Is it the best, no, but is it worth the money I paid for it, yes.
Would I rather have a nicer one, yes. If money was not and issue, I would have a much nicer and more expensive unit. But if money was no issue, I wouldn’t mind paying so much for oil heat.
Where to start? Try calling on a Saturday. We have called two weekends in a row and went straight through to a live person after a reasonable loop. For the rest of our story read on or maybe all of the above is quite enough. I just happen to have a ruler here in the office so before I start to go off I will try to help someone. The dimensions of the fireplace are 31 & 5/8″ wide X 25 & 5/8″ tall including the casters. After seeing the full page advertisements in our paper, misplacing it, then finally seeing the advertisement again–we fell victim. A scam, I don’t know. we really bought the fireplace for a alternative heat source. We have a fire place with gas logs, but felt this might fill the bill at a lesser cost and at the same time keep heat from going up the fireplace when burning our gas log system. Since we live in NC we do not experience extreme cold weather for extended periods of time. We purchased our NOT solid oak wood Heat Surge rolling fireplace in Dec. 2007. Delivery was received sometime in Jan 2008. (The warranty begins however, on your purchase date not the delivery date.) We enjoyed the heater and the flame during the winter season of 2008. We primarily used it on weekends in our den. The unit sat nicely on the hearth in front of our fireplace. It heated the area sufficiently although it was not the primary source of heat. We have a large den/kitchen great room with cathedral ceilings. The flame was very soothing. Many times I would play the fake fire, but not the heater. I’m sure the unit was on no more that 50 times total if that many. At the end of the season I rolled the unit in to the dining room to a corner where it sat all spring, summer,fall, and most of the winter. (It made a nice shelf for drinks and cartons of water all summer.) North Carolina had one of those almost spring snow storms last week. I rolled the fake fire Heat Surge to its place of honor on the hearth for the first time this winter. I didn’t try the heat element. I only wanted the fake fire. It worked for several days. One evening I flipped the switch and no fake flame rotation, only the glow. My husband called the customer service dept. He was given instructions of how to put Vaseline on the foil spindle that rotates to make the fake fire. We were told the spindle did not rotate, but vibrates left and right. The Vaseline by the way in case you want to try this should be applied to the right side of the spindle where you feel the rubber cup. We were told to call back if this did not work. We should have. My husband, who is very handy, spent the next two hours taking the heater apart. Finally he did get it to ROTATE which is the correct method of operation with the help of a heafty spraying of W-D 40. It flickered then stopped. Another spraying, it rotated a while and we turned it off to go to bed. Several times during the week we tried our fake fire and the heater. Finally after a week of tries we felt it might be fixed. It was a BEAR to take apart. It had sooooo many screws that had to be removed in order to properly spray and re-adjust the foil spindle. (We could not get the quick Vaseline fix to work for our fake fire.) After spending about an hour to rebuild the Heat Surge, my husband said to go call and see if we could get the motor part sent to us that rotates the spindle in case the same thing happens after Heat Surge retires to the dining room for another season. I call, once again I get right to a human after a few press “ones” so I guess if you can call on Saturday they seem to have fixed the long wait thing. However, the pleasant clerk stated that the warranty was for one year from Dec. 2007, and that they did not sell replacement parts. When I told my story and mentioned how many times our unit had been used, she was sorry but could not help. I even mentioned that my aunt had seen our heater last year, and had since then bought one for herself. She got the deal! She bought only the heater. Of course, they were having a big sale on just the free heaters (Ha) without the Not solid wood case & wheels. She has a friend who makes real solid wood cabinetry she said she did not need the Amish cabinet. I came to this web site because I called them a second time to find out where I might buy the part. The clerk suggested that I google Andong Electric Replacement parts. SO here I am looking to see if I can get that spindle motor. Any suggestions?
The reason there are two opposing views is obvious.
These are glorified electric space heaters. Pretty. The heater part is made in China. They are used just like any space heater.
They are good to use if you have an extra unheated room like a closed garage or sunroom…..or you want extra heat in only one room…..or you live in a mild winter state like Florida and just need heat in the one room you are in.
Depending on how you use it, you can spend less or more electricity than usual.
They ARE pretty, but you can pick up space heaters from $12 to $50 that do the same job of heating for the same money.
My husband and I are retired and live on Long Island. Lipa bills are killing us as are National Grid for heat..We are in a big old house, and we do NOT need to heat the whole house. This fit the bill for us perfectly.we bought it in February. We have it in our bedroom. Put it on for a few hours at night and an hour or town in the AM.and turned down teh rest of the house to 60.
The bills came.. My BILL went UP but my usage went down!!..The increase was do to higher rates not the fireplace..and the heat bill is less because it hasnt been on since February.
Quality.. It is an amazing piece of furniture.. no press board here..IS the advertising enticing? OF course! THAT IS THE ADVERTISING BUSINESS!Read the ad carefully..it says the heater portion is made in china.Do you know how many people still think there really is a BETTY CROCKER..?
Read, measure carefully, and read some more.. I just got a the base and mirror.gorgeous.My daughter in law paid 600 dollars for a press board one from home depot.. now she wishes she got one like mine..Yes it does the same job but it looks cheap.. This looks like a quality piece of furniture.I am more than happy with it..
I love my amish fireplace i am not sure it saves on my heating bill. did anyone experience any reaction from the heat like maybe any fumes? Please email or place a comment to let me know.
Hey, I’m impressed that so many people have seen fit to debate the merits of a space heater in a presswood box for more than a year (I came across this site by accident, but I recently saw the full-page ad)! I figure this site may actually be good advertising for the company. I simply feel badly for people who have to heat with electricity — kind of expensive. Where I work, I have colleagues who like to use 1500 watt units in their 9 x 9 offices — but they’re now banned due to fires related to cord overheating. I was working late one evening and a physical plant worker knocked on my door–told me he’d been sent to turn off my neighbor’s heater and, in his words, “I’ll be checkin’ and If I find it on again, I’ll come cut the cord off!!” Curses! The heater police!! We decided we’ll just install wood stoves instead!
Have fun!
I have two of thees heaters and love them, well like them,it is what it is they don’t clam to heat your house only one room at a time. i have oil heat and only needed 200gal this past heating season were normally i would have needed 800 + or -, we only run the furnace at night and the heater during the day, and it only heats one room OK not hot, maybe between 66 and 72 it all depends on the weather, but we suck it up and live with it. i also kick the furnace on to get some heat in the bathroom for my shower, i don’t like a cold bathroom, as a kid growing up all we had was a space heater in the living room so this is bring back some memories.
I AM AMISH AND I TELL YOU THIS IS A BIG RIP OFF DEAL. AFTER SALES HAD DECREASED ON THESE HEATERS THEY PUT A LIMITED 2 PER HOUSEHOLD LIMIT ON THEM, THAN PEOPLE THOUGHT THEY ARE VERY SCARCE AND HARD TO GET, SO THAT SPIKE THEIR SALES AGAIN….PEOPLE JUST DON’T SEE WHAT’S IN THE BACK OF ALL OFF THIS.. NOTICE HOW THEY ADVERTISE THE AMISH NAME , IF IT WOULDN’T BE IN THERE THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO SELL MANY OF THESE….PEOPLE NEED TO REALIZE THAT THE AMISH ARE JUST PEOPLE AND JUST ONE OF GODS CHILDREN AND MAKE MISTAKES AS WELL
I bought one of these heaters last November and I love it! I have had many compliments on it, and how it puts out much more heat than a space heater. I also like the flame ambiance, it is mesmerizing and soothing to watch. The heater doesn’t get too hot to touch even if on for 2 hours. My husband and I looked at a much larger heater at Home Depot with a larger mantle, it looked cheap and did not heat as well as the Heat Surge. The cost of the Home Depot unit was a little cheaper (not much), but definitely not the same as the Heat Surge unit. As far as electricity, we didn’t see that big of a difference in the electric bill. If you are buying it to just reduce your heating bill, I would say don’t buy it. If you are looking for fast heat, a little ambiance of a fireplace (without fumes and mess)it is worth it.
This company, and their affiliates (which sell “Cool Surge” and a coin program that will give you a “nest egg” that consists of $12.40 worth of currency and coins)is a total scam.
Try calling them and ask for a copy of their tests results that support the claim in their ads. You will be told that they are “proprietary” which, as far as I’m concerned, means they don’t have any.
I own a hearth retail shop, selling and installing appliances such as gas fireplaces, woodstoves, pellet stoves and the like. Due to a huge advertising budget, the Heat Surge electric fireplaces have been successful in direct marketing to homeowners. Now, summer 2009, Heat Surge is planning the retail launch of their electric fireplaces. The company hopes to entice retail specialty dealers like me to buy these units a dozen at a time for resale to consumers. The problem I foresee is that their large ad budget will shrink, the warranty problems of all those units in the field will become the problem of the local dealers, and the factory-direct sales will be competing with the local dealers.
Liam I believe you are a wise, wise man. I presume Heat Surge feels there’s an untapped reservoir of consumers who won’t buy anything over the internet. It sounds like potential mess for retailers.
I used to be a Heat Surge telephone operator. For starters, everyone with gripes about their Heat Surge fireplace needs to actually read the advertisement in full AND listen carefully to everything that’s said during the sales pitch on the telephone – if you have questions, ask them BEFORE you buy. The ad says the mantle is SOLID WOOD, not solid oak, not solid cherry, solid wood… and it is. It’s actually made of poplar, so it’s a bit lightweight for those who are going into this with unrealistic expectations. Yes, it’s also assembled using pretty modern means – the joints are Kregg drilled and fastened with wood screws. Authentically Amish? Perhaps not – but it’s a nice, strong joint that’s quick to assemble, and that’s a big concern for mass-produced items.
As for its efficiency as a heat source, let’s face it kids – the thing’s an electric space heater. You’re going to have to pay a few extra bucks to run it – and your gas/propane/whatever furnace is probably cheaper in the long run. But there’s something to be said for having an attractive, functional unit that can provide a certain ambience and pump out a little extra heat to take the chill off if (like me) you’re a cheapskate about running the central heating in the wintertime.
My father-in-law bought was taken and bought one of these extremely overpriced boxes. He was not impressed with the alleged Amish workmanship and used the electric insert in another better quality shell. If you take the furnace out and inspect the wood, you can see it is no better,(in my opinion)worse than any IKEA product. Buyer beware. The Heat Surge is an overpriced scam. Handmade??? My A$$ it is.
SCAM & JUNK !!! From seeing some of the above reviews with good ratings they must be from the company itself doing the reviews. I live in a Amish community & friends with many Amish people. First of all they DO USE Electric in their sawmills!!! BUT it must be produced by generators using gas power..they are not allowed to used incoming AC current electric that is feed through incoming wires from poles & they are not allowed to have their house wired. According to their faith they are allowed to use inventions or discoveries up till the day their faith started. which at that time electric was produced by engines. therefore it is just not possible a faithful Amish could invent a device like this.
2nd of all the ad claims it uses about 9 cents of electric per hour..that is Only true if the device is NOT running the heating elements!!
Overall it uses the SAME electric as a typical 1,500 watt heat and produced about the same heat!!! you can purchase one at a store like wal-mart for about $40
What a SCAM !!!!!!!!!!!!!
We first looked at these last year. The company has a very aggressive sales technique and the photos in the adverts and the web site are amusing to say the least, some of the best ones have been taken down. It does really insult our intelligence to show them been polished when switched on in the factory, sorry barn. We opted for the Arrowflame electric fireplace logs instead and have been very happy with them.
The bottom line is that you can buy small, room-sized electric convection heaters that will do the same job for about $35.00. These are likely to be more effective in heating the room since no energy is wasted in presenting the image of the flame. But if you want to buy the wooden mantle, be my guest. But what are you going to do with it when the heater craps out?
You can also buy window units that will double as an air conditioner and heater for about $300, maybe less. I don’t know whether the heaters of these dual units are simple resistance units or whether they run as heat pumps. But they are worth looking into. If you do go that route, shop around and look at the energy efficiency ratings of each model.
HSN is selling them for $399 I was going to buy one but, my friends parents are giving me one. Cant pass it up free.
Hello,
I’m an electrical engineer I haven’t seen or used the Heat Surge so I cannot offer an opinion one way or the other, however I do have a response to a couple of the comments that I read:
(assuming that the heater is in working condition)
To the poster who said that the unit caused the lights to dim: This is not a fault of the heater but is a fault in your home’s wiring. This heater pulls a considerable current- around 13 amps. If you are connecting to a 15-amp circuit, you are at the maximum limit with nothing else on this circuit. If there is a bad connection in your wiring, the heater cannot get the 13 amps it needs and therefore the voltage will drop- causing dimmed lights. You should get this checked as it could lead to a fire down the road.
To the poster that complained the the heater burned their electrical outlet: This, too, is a fault with you wiring devices, not with the heater itself. Your receptacle is simply worn out and is not making a good-enough connection with the power cord of the heater. You’ll find that low-current devices like lamps or radios work ok but when you connect a high-current device, such as this heater, the poor connection results in a high electrical resistance in the outlet and thus causes a high temperature, arcing, or even fire. Again, you should get this checked by an electrician.
We purchased a heat surge back in 2007 after our daughter was born and it still runs. Matter of fact i turned it on yesterday to heat the livingroom(which is a 26 x 20 space)and only needed it on for about 2 hours, after that it got to warm and i shut it off. Now i live in Indiana so we do get very cold winters as i live closer to michigan state. It IS made of REAL WOOD and it does state on the back Mantle is made in USA and heating unit is made in CHINA. I think those that had a bad experience with it, is like anything you buy anymore, you might get a bad one. I dont feel its right for the company not to be a little more helpful if the unit breaks or needs repaired, but i myself have’nt come to that. i do have a few comments to some of the OP…The one that says he is AMISH…Ummmm why are you on the internet? Amish dont use electric, therefore would’nt have a modern convienence like a computer with internet access….get a clue. And to Johnny….their are soooo many marketing tachs out there, your commenting on how they make it look like an Amish man in a buggy with a horse is going to deliver the unit for you, well what the beer commerical that shows the horses trompping through town or if you take a bite of a certain candy a big wave water will refresh you. I mean c’mon ALL companies pay big to advertising corps to make this commercials for them, to grab the buyers attention and there just doing the same, no Different.
My boyfriend purchased 2 units last year. When we were in his bedroom at night, it got so hot during the night with the heater on, we actually had to turn it down each night. They take a little while to start up and get “going” but for the most part they are very quiet, convenient and him or I have never had any issues. I think you need to find the mantle quality made for the unit to last. Great posts by everybody.
PAUL HARVEY ENDORSED EDENPURE, not HEATSURGE. TWO DIFFERENT COMPANIES. GET IT STRAIGHT PPL.
a cousin of mine bought 2 edenpures for her home & office. said they worked fabulously, efficiently, and didn’t bother her sinuses. now i’m not sure about the Amish HeatSurge fireplaces. may stick with my propane furnace for another year.