A water vapor fireplace is an artificial electric fireplace that uses water mist and LEDs to create a realistic flame illusion. This is a new technology of artificial fireplaces that only use water and therefore are totally safe, do not generate carbon monoxide and are a green alternative to conventional wood burning fireplaces. Of course, you can’t use a water vapor fireplace for heating. But on the positive side you can use it all summer long!
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How does a water vapor fireplace work?
These artificial fireplaces use an ultrasonic mist maker to generate cool mist. The mist maker module consists of a ceramic disk vibrating at ultrasonic frequencies. These vibrations create water droplets that reflect the light produced by the LEDs. As a result, they create an unbelievably realistic artificial flame illusion.
Check this Dimplex DLGM29 Opti-Myst Water Vapor Fireplace Insert on Amazon
What are the advantages of artificial water vapor fireplaces?
These fireplaces don’t require fuel and are also totally green. Since only water mist is produced, there is no toxic emissions of carbon dioxide nor does it produce soot. Because of that, they don’t require a lot of maintenance and are easy to install. In addition, the water vapor fireplaces don’t produce any heat and can be used even when it’s hot outside. The only downside is that you can’t use them to roast marshmallows!
Which fake vapor fireplace you should choose?
Even though their general principle remains the same, there are many types of water vapor artificial fireplaces. Entry level models are affordable and are a good value. If you are willing to pay a little more, of course, you can get better overall quality and improved design and realism. You can find different models of water vapor fireplaces online on Amazon, eBay and AliExpress. One of the major brands available is Dimplex Opti-Myst fireplaces. I have to admit that I really like their design and the realistic look of the artificial flames and logs.
DIY water vapor fireplace: Worth it or not?
An Opti-Myst fireplace cost close to 1 000$. Depending on your budget, you might consider a DIY water vapor fireplace as a cheaper alternative. Is it really worth it in the end? Let’s first have a closer look at the ultrasonic technology used in Opti-Myst fireplaces:
How to use an ultrasonic mist module to make your own opti-myst fireplace
As you can see, this Dimlex water vapor fireplace has a really neat design. Despite their fancy name, ultrasonic fireplaces are not that complex. The technology rely on a simple mist maker module. In addition, these mist makers are easy to use. The ultrasonic module replacement part for Dimplex models can be relatively expansive. Therefore, I would instead suggest you to buy cheaper mist makers that could easily get the job done for a fraction of the price. Please have a look at my previous post to learn more about these ultrasonic mist makers.
Check this Realistic Water Vapor Fireplace on AliExpress
Next, you need to make a reservoir to accommodate the mist maker. The design could be similar to the Dimplex fireplace video shown above. The next video by Old Ben is another example of a good configuration that you could use for this DIY water vapor fireplace. In this one, a small computer fan is also used to push the mist towards the LED lights to create the fake flame illusion.
How to build the vapor fireplace insert
To make the fireplace insert, you could simply use commercial ones already available on the market. The model shown in the following ad is a great value. I have to admit that it is slightly less appealing that the original model, but it cost 10 times less than a regular Dimplex inserts. Therefore, using a similar insert will decrease significantly the overall cost of your DIY water vapor fireplace. In addition, these realistically looking fake logs include a small speaker emitting fire sounds for a more realistic experience. Same thing for lighting the fake fireplace. Dimplex uses halogen LED lights, which could be replaced by a cheaper flame effect LED light bulb.
Check these LED Flame Light Bulbs on Amazon
As you can see, it is not that hard to build your own water vapor fireplace. Sure, you will spend more time to install everything. So, is it really worth it in the end? Well, that all depends on your crafting skills and your budget. A DIY water vapor fireplace could save you hundreds of dollars, so it might be a good alternative to commercial models. If you enjoy DIY projects such as this water vapor fireplace, you might be interested to know that these ultrasonic mist makers can also be used to build a homemade ultrasonic humidifier or an ultrasonic essential oil diffuser.
General conclusions
Water vapor artificial fireplaces are cool gadgets that will certainly entertain your guests! You can now also impress them by explaining the science behind these fake fireplaces! I hope that you enjoyed this review. Please feel free to share your thoughts or ask questions down below.
Check out my previous post to see how to build a homemade Peltier mini-fridge!
Great Article and useful information! I wish I was better with DIYs. My wife and I have been looking for a safe alternative to the gas fireplace and this just seems perfect! But, unfortunately, we will need to buy one (or atleast pieces of it) Do you know good retailers for water vapor fireplaces. We’ve been looking at similar ones but are still uncertain because they seem very expensive. Hope you have some tips what to look out for!
Cheers,
Kyle
Thanks for your comment! I would say it all depends what you are really looking for. These water vapor fireplaces have a neat design and a realistic flame illusion, but as you said they are quite expensive. If you want heating as well, you may instead opt for a LED electric fireplace such as this one: https://amzn.to/2RVi2EV. They are also safe and cheaper.
If you are hesitating to buy a water vapor fireplace, I would suggest to first try to find a local retailer where you could see these products on display.
I hope it helped!
Cheers,