Interesting assessment of the heater. It seems to have gotten mixed reviews, just taking the product on its merits. The marketing approach and especially the Amish attachment is what has raised the most eyebrows. Calling a product 'miraculous', of course, is old hat by now. But it has a nice ring when you've got a bearded, suspendered, rustic looking-fellow in the ad photo.

'Made by the Amish' is a controversial concept that can have multiple meanings. Regarding the producers of the mantles, the question is: it really an Amish-owned business, do Amish simply work there, carry product out to the truck, or just breathe that magic 'Amish breath' on it at some point?

One Amishman, writing on the topic, offered ' the example of a turkey-processing plant which used the Amish name, writing, 'to qualify for such a label all that was needed was that someone Amish carried buckets of commercial feed to them or an Amish person worked in the processing plant!'

'Amishness' is an attractive, elusive quality that Heat Surge is latching on to, justifiably or not, and promoting full-bore. Most Amish businesses would not be caught dead on the other end of a promo like this. But that does not mean all.

From what I hear from an informed Amish source there is very likely a mix of situations here in terms of who is producing the mantles. For more analysis on marketing the Amish check: http://amishamerica.typepad.com/amish_america/2008/09/marketing-the-amish.html

Interesting assessment of the heater. It seems to have gotten mixed reviews, just taking the product on its merits. The marketing approach and especially the Amish attachment is what has raised the most eyebrows. Calling a product 'miraculous', of course, is old hat by now. But it has a nice ring when you've got a bearded, suspendered, rustic looking-fellow in the ad photo.

'Made by the Amish' is a controversial concept that can have multiple meanings. Regarding the producers of the mantles, the question is: it really an Amish-owned business, do Amish simply work there, carry product out to the truck, or just breathe that magic 'Amish breath' on it at some point?

One Amishman, writing on the topic, offered ' the example of a turkey-processing plant which used the Amish name, writing, 'to qualify for such a label all that was needed was that someone Amish carried buckets of commercial feed to them or an Amish person worked in the processing plant!'

'Amishness' is an attractive, elusive quality that Heat Surge is latching on to, justifiably or not, and promoting full-bore. Most Amish businesses would not be caught dead on the other end of a promo like this. But that does not mean all.

From what I hear from an informed Amish source there is very likely a mix of situations here in terms of who is producing the mantles. For more analysis on marketing the Amish check: http://amishamerica.typepad.com/amish_america/2008/09/marketing-the-amish.html

Any engineer will tell you that all electrical heaters have the same efficiency of 100%. All will convert all the electrical energy input into heat. Some will produce different forms of heat, e.g., radiant or convective, but all will have the same efficiency. There are no miracles here, Amish or otherwise.

Personally, I think the ads are very deceptive as if you are getting a heater for free. There is no way to get it without paying money for it and a mantle.
The ad also draws away from the (apparent) fact that the heater is made in China.

I've read reports that when someone tries to file a warranty claim, the company will only back the mantle. They say that the heater is 'free' and therefore not covered.

Has anyone at CU checked this out?

Why are there so few ratings of appliances and other items on your website now. I have subscribed to your website but it's difficult to get a rating on anything, now, only a general article. What amI paying for?

To me, the idea that you can reduce overall household heating costs by using small electric heaters in one or more rooms is deceptive.

As soon as you turn off the whole-house heating system, the house starts to cool off. Pretty soon only the space around the local heater is comfortable (or close to it), and the rest of the house continues getting colder and colder, all winter long.

We got one of these "Amish" heaters without the mantle, and were hugely underwhelmed by the quality and design. It seemed to be a common cheap space heater with a really cheesy fake fire system, and it had loose screws and something rattling inside it when we unpacked it. We didn't get the mantle with it, so I cannot speak as to its merits, but I can say that the heater portion of the unit is the kind you can get for about $25 at most stores. NOT WORTH THE MONEY, unless you consider the heater portion of the units as being "free" and count the price as being for the mantle. Seeing how poor the quality of the heater was, I have doubts about the company itself and their claims of amish craftsmanship. their ads dont read with a lot of credibility to me. I will say that they did make the return and refund process pretty painless. I say just get a cheap space heater and skip the fake fire part, and you'll be richer and smarter in the end!

I just want to thank CU for doing this. I put in a request and I am pleased with CU's response and review. Thanks from a satisfied subscriber of the magazine and the website.

Thank you all for this info,I will not buy one. I was about to buy one. My wife wanted me to buy one , but when she reads this I won't have toget one. Thank You again , it sounds like junk to me. lectricman

I'm glad to have read this review. We were ready to buy one of these heaters. In fact, a friend had purchased one and raved about it. After reading these reviews we have opted out of buying one for our home

I got 2 of the Amish Heaters last Oct. My electric bill didn't change much. Also everytime I run them on high it throws the switch box. And they are in 2 different rooms. It cuts off about a 1 or 2 minutes after you turn it on high. I called them about it throwing the switch box & they acted like it was my fault. They were rude. All they want is the sale no help. The mantal on 1 started coming a part. To me it was money that I threw away. It doesn't heat the room like it says it would. You still have to run your heat in the house or freeze.

I have been trying to understand what CR recommendations were on 4 different larger ticket items I wanted to purchase this year, including a similar infrared Comfort Furnace which wasn't reviewed at all. A Samsung LED TV was the only item I was able to confidently purchase based on CR testing. The Canon camera model said it was currently in testing as did the laptop we wanted to purchase. Your website is not very consumer friendly and we consumers really need updated product info for purchasing the latest gadgets and appliances. Sorry, but I expect more from you.

I am trying to find a propane space heater for my minivan. I have carpet cleaning equipment that can not freeze. I want to leave it going all night. Any suggestions? Thanks.

We purchased a Quadra-Fire, Mount Vernon SE, pellet stove, fireplace insert in the fall of 2007. It's paid for itself already. I don't understand your findings on payback. I did the install myself so that cost was reduced but still.

This model is the highest output available for an insert, 60,000 BTU. The company is owned by Harmond. It's a great product, solid cast iron and looks very nice in our living room. We have heated our 1900sq. ft. northern VT house with it for two years. Last years fuel cost was 1k.

The most important benifit of the switch from oil is that I now burn a locally available fuel. Secondly, that fuel is considered zero emmission.

I am considering buying the Amish fireplace. I don't want to heat my house. What I need to do is turn my heat down in the evening a couple of hours before I go upstairs to bed. If I leave the heat turned up, the upstairs gets too warm for sleeping. However, if i turn the heat down in order for the top floor to be cool at bedtime, it gets too cold downstairs while I am trying to relax. Watching TV, etc. requires lots of blankets!

I first saw this heater at a local restaurant. It was finished in cherry. The fake fire was pleasant to see and when the fire was aglow, the heat setting could be turned on or off. It was cool to the touch even though the heat had been on for quite a while when I first saw it.

I have 2 small dogs and 1 large kitty who enjoy being on the floor in front of my Lakewood quartz heater. The heater works well---750/1500 watts. However, I have to keep a CAREFUL watch because I am always afraid that it might tip over if accidentally knocked by one of the pets. Also the grille on the front becomes very hot when the unit is on. I believe that the Amish fireplace would be much safer.

Again, I am not looking for any miracle heat savings. The unit I saw is lovely and I am considering buying the white or maybe the black finish. Has anyone purchased one of these units, especially one in black or white, and is happy with it? The restaurant owner is very pleased with the one she purchased for her restaurant.

Just wondering---does anyone have anything to say about the Edenpure heating unit? Consumer Reports gave the 2007 model a poor review...24 points out of 100. I cannot find an updated review of there new models.

My husband and I purchased this heater around two years ago.We have had nothing but sucess.It is heating up to 3 rooms and our home is over 1800 square feet.Usually by now our main house heater would be kicking on. We are pleased with this,

Thank you so much on th amish heater!!!! I was told by a friend that this was a great thing.. My husband wasn't sold and said we need to do our homework!!! As always for years and years CR provided the information we need it... THANK YOU AND KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK...

I am thinking of buying the heat surge unit to use in my fireplace do you think it would look ok, is it free standing or do you need the stand?

i have to say first of all i live in new york 10 minutes from canada and it gets cold up here. I live in a 2 story house with 10 rooms in all and to heat this house with oil it costs me $400.00 dollars. so i have to say buying a few of these heaters that wont raise my electric bill that much is a good idea. so why not just buy a few space heater for $30.00? for me its because i like my house to look nice and i wouldnt want ugly space heaters laying around my house. this heater has an attractive appeal to it. I buy 4 of these heaters and put them through my house turn the one on in the room i'm going to be in and i save a lot of money in the long run. the fireplace heaters are $350.00 a piece so i spend $1400.00. with oil what i pay for the cold season which starts in early october here is about $3200.00. So is this a good investment for me? you bet it is even if it raised my electric bill to $400.00 a month i and still cutting my heat bill in half. So say what you will about the product at hand for a lot of people this will save them money. I really dont care if the amish built my mantle or just "breathed on it". when you get down to it that doesnt matter does it. what matters is money that can be saved. the firplace heaters for me paid for themselves.

on my earlier post i forgot to put i pay $400.00 every 2 weeks. post doesnt really make sense without that piece of information.

I find it troublesome that the manufacturer makes no mention of the fact that the larger 1500 watt heater would require almost the entire 15 amps in a typicle household circut so for safety sake you would need a dedicated 15 amp breaker to run this appliance.Many older homes wouldnt even have a large enough entrance to make that available.

Wish I had read the reviews on the Heat Surge Electric Heater before purchasing the one I ordered.
It was made well enough, out of oak like it said, but even though the mantle was made well and the flames looked real enough and very soothing to look at, the thing wanted to fall forward to the point of concern, so sent it back.
After seeing it here in my room the light oak wood I realized did not go well with what I had so asked if the replacement could be of different wood. Was told they could replace it with a "cherry" one and that it would be $40.00 more. When I objected to that, as the one they had originally sent was faulty, they talked to a couple of managers and agreed to send a cherry one at no further cost to me.
Upon receiving it, I discovered it was made of not cherry wood, but cherry stained Pine and the workmanship was not near as good as the one I had previously received.
My cost was over $300. and this replacement one just did not put that much heat out. I had it just a few feet from my chair and had it on high on a pretty chilly day and was pretty disapointed at its performance so had it sent back for a refund except of course for the $40.00 shipping and handling.
It was a decision I hated to make as the fire did look so realistic and soothing, but I did think better of it and am glad I didn't keep it as know I would have regretted it.
countrygl

Dont believe and buy everything you see on TV. Consider it as everything else on the tube, just a normal fiction t.v. show. Thats what all these electronic and appliance stores are for so you can see with your own eyes. ;-)

The best thing about the ads is how the Amish "craftsman" is working on the mantle with the fire going in the heater! AND the picture of them hauling the heater ONE at a time in a wagon to....somewhere! No wonder they are backordered :)

I bought the amish fireplace and it is a nice piece but, I didn't know that when you ran it you can't watch tv or have anything else running with it . My breaker when off . I was very disappointed . So I am sending it back.

Just letting consumers know that Vermont Castings makes a beautiful electric wood stove. It is the same "Shell" that you would purchase if you bought a gas or wood model, but it has a child and pet safe realistic looking electric fire. You can switch a gentle,quiet,warm heater on or off with the flame. We put one in our small (16 X 16)breakfast room mostly for ambiance, but found it takes the chill off the room nicely. Our grandsons love to play in front of it on the floor while we have coffee in the morning. It is a Quality product we have enjoyed for 3 years with no problems. I would HIGHLY Recommend it. It is heavy though-get help bringing it in.

i just bought the so call THE MIRACLE HEAT SURGE ROLL-N-GLOW ELECTRIC(AMISH HEATER)it arrived dec 15 2009, we removed the box it came in plug it in it is very noisy ,we found loose screws ,the heater is made in china cheaply made very disapointed at the amish craftsmanship .I personally was disgusted with cheap made heater sold on nathional tv by h s n the quality is very poor. not worth the money and when tried to contact the company the wait is one hour an fifteen min.

If it was really built by the Amish I would have bought one but the heater is made in China and only the wood work is done here in America, makes me wonder about the product ....

Its funny how the amish dont have electricity, lol but they sure are using electricity on the tv ad lol That cracks me up.

We purchased the Amish Heater received it on Dec. 30 and were immediately disappointed. We did not even make any adjustments to our thermostat in anticipation of our newly arrived heat source - good thing or we would have froze. It took 2 hours for the heat to eminate a few feet from the unit to our bed. The light display was pleasant and the case was more attractive than any other heater I have seen; however, these sensory perceptions were masked by the loud rolling metal trash can sounds bellowing from the heater. If you want actual heat - this is probably not for you. If you want a decorative night light - it should be perfect. Who knew there were Amish living in China???

Why would anyone pay hundreds of dollars for an electric heater without any review or experience with it? I spent $40 at Walmart for a small ceramic heater for the upstairs of our bungalow and it keeps the whole area toasty. The unit is cool to the touch and turns off if knocked over. No problem with kids or dogs! Why arent they all made like this? craziness! you get what you pay for??? no, you get what you deserve if you don't do the research and buy because an ad looks charming!

I hate the heat surge commercials. The amish guys are totally misusing every simple hand tool in existance. Chisels are used as scrapers and an amish boy is seen making a circular scrubbing motion with a wood plane as though he was using it to wax a car. The Heater is made in china. The amish build a rectangle of wood around it. Americans will by anything even now.

I was looking for information on Amish Heaters and I found a website advertising Amish Nuclear Heaters that you don't even need to plug in. It looks like the ads you see in the paper but I don't know if it's a scam or what because it says it runs on nuclear fuel and that sounds dangerous. Just do a search for Amish Nuclear Heaters and you'll see it. I'd love to get heat without paying for electricity but I don't want to get ripped off.

Stop heating after 13 months, Conveniently the warranty lasted 12 months. When it did work it was great, but now very disappointed!

Let's see, what to wrap around a device producing intense heat?
How about wood? Yes, definitely a combustable material!

Why, let's have the Amish design the next generation of tiles
for the Space Shuttle out of wood!

Irony amuses me. Using the Amish to sell an electric fireplace. Think about it, the real Amish can't have one of these in their homes because they don't have electricity. And the real Amish don't like their picture taken or video taken of them. There's a large Amish community here in west central Michigan. They are good people who live a simple life.

i just thought since it was made by the Amish that everything said on the ad would be truthful. I guess you can't even believe anything that a religious is honest. What a shame. The Amish must just be dishonest people. What a shame. I am a honest person. What has happened to the Amish people? Well GOD is watching them. I feel very sorry for them. A buck is a buck. Honesty is honesty. What a shame that people that say they believe in GOD are dishonest.

E will pray for you, you will need every pray you can get, since you are not honest people.

I hope GOD will forgive you,

Marie

The Heat surge started tripping circuit beakers a little over a year after I purchase it ( although it had only been used five months of the time period). I called the "customer service number at least eight times.

Each time a prerecorded voice advised me to trouble shoot by selecting menu number. The circuit breaker problem was not on the audio menu!
I then accessed the web as directed. Again the menu prompts did not address the circuit breakers problem.

Each time a recorded voice also stated that the wait time to speak with a customer service rep was two hours or more. But I could leave a phone number and a customer Service would call back. In eight attempts over a year no one ever called back!

A couple of weeks ago I received a letter for heat surge dated January 5, 2010/DLFoo17 (notice Foo17 looks like DLFool 7 at 1st glance)!

Optimism renewed I called was offered "free" new bulbs if only I would pay shipping and "handling".

I informed the call center rep that the bulbs would be of little use unless the circuit breaker issues was resolved. He gave me the customer service number. Again a prerecorded voice said the wait time was between 2 and 2&1/2 hours. But I could request a call back at another time, if necessary. I entered the prompt numbers and requested a 7PM call back. Then a prerecord voice said that 7PM (EST) was out side their call back time. A prerecorded voice on the same menu said the call back time was until 8 PM EST. The web states 9 PM (EST).

Today I called again and got the same general response all around.

I want this unit repaired, replaced or refunded.

The heater works but my bill went from 187 to 584. what happen to .9 an hour. My bill is 4x higher.

My unit just came in from heat surge The front was scared, the unit fell out of cabinet, the cover over controls was bent, I have not got to use unit yet, can't get anyone on phone have sent got auto replay saying they will get back to me in 48 business hours that gives them a week and one day, I can't set on my phone or computer for a week, unit may work ok I may never know.

I did get a hold of them, after an hour holding the phone to my ear. I have to say it was a very nice young lady that I talked to. I told her what was going on with my unit. She asked me to please hold the line. It was a short hold, when she came back she gave me a return order number, she said to give it about ten days and a new one would come. She then said to call back with that number and I would be given a shipping time that ups would pick up the bad unit. I did use the one I had, I have a 1500 sq foot house and living by my self I shut off two bed rooms and a bath. I cut down my gas heat to 63 it was 30 outside I put the unit in my living room it was 65 in no time it came up to 71 my kitchen which is off my living room the kitchen went up to 70 my bedroom is down a 20 foot hall I open the door to it. By the time I went to bed it was up to 73 in the living room I had to cut down to the low setting. When I got up outside was 29 my bedroom was 66 love it when I sleep the living room was 70 my kitchen was 69 my gas heat never came on. I have one more coming I will put in my 24x17 office. Love it.

I AM SORRY I HAVE TO REPORT THIS.THE FRIST HEATER
WOULD CUT OFF AT 69.8 DEGRES.THEY REPLACE IT.
NOW THIS ONE WORK FOR 5 DAYS.IT HAS QUIT WORKING.
HILTON R. LEE
LAUREL,MS.
CUSTOMER NUMBER 11158003

JE Yayes-the breaker issue might not have anything to do with the heater, it might have to do with the size of the breaker it is tripping. Breaker is too small to carry the load. STOP PLUGGING THE UNIT IN UNTIL AN ELECTRICIAN EVALUATES THE LOAD ON THE BREAKER. This suggestion is for your safety.I do not work for the heater company.

We ordered an Amish Fireplace heater like the one shown above in October 2008, having enjoyed the one relatives had when we visited them in Wisconsin. Our fireplace arrived promptly and just in time for that season's first blizzard. We are delighted with this unit! It puts out lots of heat and provides a cozy atmosphere that makes us feel warmer in the wintertime. We wanted a fireplace but didn't have room for the real thing, also did not want the expense of gas hookup or the mess of firewood. This is perfect for us and many people we know have bought them also.
My only complaint (minor): We received a notice that we would need parts for the fireplace and could get them free, just pay shipping. I ordered the parts which turned out to be plain light bulbs we can buy locally for much less than the shipping. Seems the real purpose of that letter was to sell us another unit or two. I'd love a couple more but don't have space in our small home.

the amish nuclear heater is very obviously a joke, they just took the adds for the heat surge and put a nuclear symbol on the fireplace.........I hope you were joking......

I tried to purchase one of these heaters for 3 months. After battling with the company over a broken unit, they tried to give me a refurbished unit as a replacement. Their attempts to discuss this issue were pathetic and thier customer service was unable to track many of the specifics related to my order. I would not recommend anyone attempting to purchase from this company.

Real Amish people, at least where I'm located in central PA, don't like having their picture taken. And besides, you just KNOW something like an "Amish" heater deserves a fair amount of scrutiny when it gets lampooned by MAD Magazine (May 2010 issue!).

I am a former Consumers Union attorney. I am organizing a class action against the Heath Surge for two reasons:

1. The ad is misleading as to savings;
2. The ad implies the heater is made in the USA when it is actually made in China.

JoelDJoseph@gmail.com

You will find many faces, but very powerful and less radiation than convection heaters do a good job in a small space. In fact, David Baker, vice president of the heat wave, recently told The New York Times, If someone wants to come to me and say I need a heater and want to spend as little as possible, I would say go to a box local store and buy one for $ 29.99.

electric fireplace

I have 2 of these units and they work great for the purpose I purchased them which was to heat a room (each heater heats one room; aprox. 500 sq ft each). My only gripe is that they don't have a thermostat.

I personally know someone who used one of these things in a 600 sq ft rental unit they said that they liked it but had some mixed results as it really only heated one room. I wonder if the I Heater is better for the money.
------------------------------------------

As Seen on TV Products

Thank you all so much for the information, once again the old adage is true - 'if it sounds to be good to be true, it isn't.' I won't be purchasing one.

I bought this for my mother in-law two years ago for Christmas at her request. She wanted to "supplement" her heating in the winter. Every winter and even during the cool summer evenings she just raves about this fireplace and how much she loves it. I've asked about her electric bill and she has not noticed anything appreciable for concern. She has a 1450 sq.ft. home. She keeps her heat very low when it is cold and uses this only in the evenings for relaxing before bed.

my dad god rest his soul had purchased 2 of these and also got the extended 3 year warranty with them and after his death in Jan 2010 the heater had through sparks and started smoking and luckily we were at home when this happened....anyway when we contacted them on using the extended warranty which still had a full year left on it....well they gave my poor mom a run around and requested the account numbers and told her that her name was not showing on the invoice and that they were only permitted to talk to the actual account holder...well tell me how they plan to do that after he was deceased ? Well before they would help us in anyway with our needs...they informed my mother that she must send them a copy of my dads death certificate and a copy of his will showing where she was entitled to receive his property......not if that aint the biggest load of bullshit I have ever heard of in my life....so we sent them via fax all the information they requested and then someone from Heat Surge contacted my mom telling her how sorry they were for her loss and how they were going to solve this problem with the heater immmediately....well she told them to talk to my husband because she was not well informed about the heater like her son in law was so she told them to call him and he had her permission to handle the problem...well they called and my husband talked to them and they agreed to send her a replacement party free of charge....and over 3 weeks later we are still waiting.....I have contacted them over and over and over and over and all they will tell me is that I am not the original account holder and they are still awaiting receipt of my fathers will saying my mom is to take over his property....HUHHHHHHH we had already been told that they received what they needed and were glad to send out a replacement part.......oh my gosh can you believe they are so shallow and what all they are asking for over a freaking heater that is made in China......even when my husband had talked to the customre service and he even asked them sooooooo these mantels are made by the Amish...the person on the other end of the phone was like welllllll I really have not ever been to the actual place where they make the product so I really am not able to say yes or no......oh my gosh what a fraud this company is...and I will be telling everyone I know to never ever buy anything from them ever.......they are rip off artist and its sad how they treat people that spend their hard earned money on their products that they dont even know much about and that they dont stand behind their warranty that people pay extra money for....Its the saddest thing I have ever seen....they are such liars and they dont care what they have to say to the person on the phone they just tell the customer what they want to hear and then they are done and you never hear from the same person ever ever again......weird how they work ~~~~~please people if you are reading this doooooooooooooo nooooooooooooot ever buy this product its a waste of money and they are sooooooooooooooooo cheaply made that they are so likely to catch on fire and burn your house down in the event you are not home.....do not take the risk...its not worth it and this company is a fraud............

Purchased one of the heaters. Satisfied with look and added warmth. It lasted two winters and no longer works. Cannot get replacement parts or service.

Its strange that in real life the amish do not like to have their picture taken. Here we have amish all over the tv camera. Go figure......

Don't waste your time!! I have gone through two heaters in two years. As I write this I am in the slow process of trying to get my third heater because number two has quit working. I figured since Heat Surge is "experiencing longer wait times than normal" I would be productive with my time and write this well deserved review.

Heat Surge has always provided a replacement, but I've grown tired of this yearly ritual. The heaters are made in China...enough said!! I recommend going to your local "big box" store if you really need a space heater. At least you can hand carry it back if it were to fail.

My parents just bought one of these for the winter to save on their electricity bill. They've only had it for 3 weeks and love it. Will have to wait for the electric bill before I go out and buy one.

It is quite clear that the 'Amish Heater' is a scam. While the heater may work fine, the same type of electric heater can be purchased at a Target, Walmart, etc. for under $100. Paying about $300 so you can have an oak cabinet with an electric heater and fake flame seems ridiculous.

I have one of these heaters finished in Light Oak. I used it over the winter last year and have already started using it this year and I love this unit. I have never had any problems with this heater. My father-in-law and brother-in-law also each have one and none of us have had any problems with these heaters. I set it on low (750 watts) and the temperature in my house goes up 3 degrees saving the furnace. I would recommend one of these heaters to anyone and the companys customer service department has been extremely helpful as when we first received the unit, it came in the wrong color and they exchanged it without a problem.

All one has to do with these miraculous heaters is to do the math. These heaters are 1500 watt machines. So they are drawing pure electricity you pay by the kilowatt hour. Let's say you pay 10 cents per kilowatt hour. Then this machine uses 1.5 kilowatts per hour, or 15 cents an hour. Multiply that by 24 hours and it comes to $3.60 per day. Multiply that by 30 days and you have $108 per month in additional electricity costs. You may be able to cut that down some by trying to heat just one room, but who wants that living situation? This is a space heater and is not meant to heat the whole house. You could interview all of the people who have purchased one and I doubt there would be any savings at all. They guarantee the mantel but not the "free" space heater made in China that likely falls apart easily according to anecdotal evidence. Not for me. I have watched their newspaper ads for almost a year now. Their testimonies say that the machine hardly added any to their electric bills. At 1500 watts, how can that be? A pig in a fancy dress, methinks.

On a whim awhile back we bought a used faux fireplace mantel that my wife saw on Craigslist, with the intention of setting it up in our bedroom just for looks and the ambiance of having a fireplace with fake electric flames. We got it cheap since it didn't come with any kind of fireplace insert. Then we got a rude awakening of an education when we shopped around for an electric insert to go with it, and found an insert was the most expensive part to buy. I considered the Heat Surge insert among others to use as an insert alone without buying the Amish mantel. The Heat Surge units are comparable to the least expensive electric fireplace inserts on the market, and competitive units looked as cheap as cheezy as this one.Reading these CR reviews, I'm glad I didn't waste my money on one.

In the end my wife changed her mind about wanting a fireplace at all, so we abandoned the idea and decided the whole deal wasn't worth doing and sold the mantel to another sucker on Craigslist for close to what we paid for it.

Room heating wasn't a big issue for us, since we live in central Arizona where the winter climate is very mild, and we have dual zone central A/C cooling and gas fired heating where we can turn the heat way down on one end of the house and heat the part of the home where we spend most of our time. We don't even need to start using heat until well into December, and only use heat through early March.

I was given the Amish Fireplace as a Christmas Gift almost two years ago and have never had a problems with it. It has operated well for two winters and our oil furnance comes on less. I find it hard to believe that people would actually think that this would heat an entire house (would one space heater?) It's also an attractive piece no matter where you put it..

My Amish heater is wonderful!! It is very safe. It won't fall over . It does a great job of heating the downstairs of my poorly designed townhouse. It is beautiful and made in the USA.

At 5110 watts this heater is drawing over 42 amps, so many over-burdened, especially older, electrical systems may well have the fuse blow or the circut breakers trip. Many residental circuts are 30 amps and older systems may be rated lower. Operating this heater on the high setting and ANY other electrical appliance on the same circuit may overload the system.

I repacked and returned my (2) space heaters the same day they arrived. The heaters did not warm up anything unless you stood exactly in front of them.Had I known the heating elements wEre made in China I definetly would not have purchased them. But I was still out of my return shipping fee and purchased an iron space heater from Home DEpot which was AMERICAN MADE.

I own the corner mantle with fireplace unit. I had some disappointment at first, however, the heat surge company was agreeable to replace. Someone commented that there is no thermostat heat control. WRONG!! I have one that does. The atmosphere is nice on dark and dreary days and my 700 sq ft condo is more than adequately heated and operates on the thermostat control. I did have problems, but the company worked with me to resolve the issues!! SO WHAT IF IT IS MADE IN CHINA? ISN'T ABOUT EVERYTHING?

I purchased my Miracle heater about 6 years ago. I have had them replaced free of charge by the manufacturer 3 times. My brother has had two heaters for about the same time and has had both of them replaced twice by the manufacturer at no additional charge. My Father has one in his house and one in his garage and has never had a problem with either. I do believe that if you contact the Miracle heater people and talk in a normak tone of voice expressing your displeasure then the problem can be resolved. Both of mine quit in the winter season, one was the flame and sound and the other was sound and smell. I contacted and they responded. I have a 6 room house and it heats it quite well not just the sitten room but keeps the other rooms near comfortable. Yes the oil furnace kicks on from time to time but not as often as it would with out the electric heater. I am quite pleased with the system and will purchase another. It has cut my heating bill down to buying 2 - 3 times a season instead of 5 - 6 times a season. I use to run on high but I found that increased my electric bill. Running on low is quite and just as warm. And the atmosphere created is kinda nice also. Highly recommended. As for the Edenpure Bob Villa highly Recommends this. I may purchase one to compare the two.

I have an Amish heater only because it was given to me by someone who inherited it and couldn't use it. I would never have purchased one. The truth is you are paying for the heater and you get the mantle free. I have started using it (my second winter). I am heating one room and it works fine but not any better than any space heater and certainly not worth the price.

Someone asked about the Edenpure Heater. I have been using mine for about 3 years. Had some initial problems -- it works best if there are very little drafts (opening and closing of doors), also works best at about 45% humidity. I ordered a second filter because they have to be cleaned frequently and totally dry before you can use it again. Once the filter is dirty, the unit shuts off - safety issue I'm sure. I find
their Customer Service people very accomodating. These heaters are expensive, but work well....you can back down the temp knob when you hear a click. I have a thermometer in the room and like 68 degrees. Most of the time when I back it down it stays around 68 degrees. Sometimes, it just doesn't seem to want to stay that warm. I then turn if off, turn on the junk Amish heater and then try again a little later. Works. Who knows?
My 2 dogs, 2 cats and I live in that room all winter I am in the mountains at 6.000 ft.

I am sorry to burst your BUBBLE Bob Markovich, but I knew what I was buying and where it was made, both parts. I used a store bought space heater for years to take the chill out of my home and my ELECTRIC BILL was very HIGH. However, since I purchased the MIRACLE HEATER my electric bill has reduced $120.00 and change per month. My OIL HEAT BILL went down alot. Now I get one fill up in the WINTER MONTHS compared to 2 FILL UPS. So I say to you that my MIRACLE HAS PAID for it's self. My only DISATIFACTION is this, the bulb for the FLAME blew out and I had to replace it. I work 12 hours a day and turn my MIRACLE HEATER for 4 hours a day and my toes are warm.

I purchased one of these heaters. It arrived with the corner of the mantle broken off. Inside an extra bulb was shattered too with glass all over. So I called them and was told take off 75 dollars I think. So I put some plastic wood on the corner that was broken. A rough purchasing experience to say the least! It sits in my bedroom, and I'm thinking of getting some thermostat to regulate the temperture so that it turns off after a while as I have to turn it off myself. It does look attractive and I enjoy decorating the mantle for holidays too.