Electric Fireplace Keep Shutting Off? 10 Easy Fixes To Try

Stuck trying to figure out why your electric fireplace heater keeps turning off?

I’m so sorry to hear that. I know how annoying it can be to when you’re trying to enjoy the atmosphere and warmth from your electric fireplace, especially when you’ve paid a hefty amount of money for it.

You wouldn’t believe how many people I’ve seen struggle with this issue. But the good news is that if you have a spare 10 minutes and aren’t afraid to roll up your sleeves, then you’ve come to the right place to fix it.

Electric fireplaces typically shut off due to a problem with your circuit box, a blocked airflow or heater, or a dirty heating element.

Don’t worry, though. Keep reading to learn how to solve these issues and stop your electric fireplace from shutting off.

10 Ways to Stop Your Electric Fireplace From Shutting Off

Nothing is better than a cozy evening by the light of a toasty fireplace. That is, of course, before the whole thing decides to shut down and take an age to start back up again.

But, what can you do to stop your electric fireplace from turning itself off? Take a look at these 10 simple fixes:

#0 It’s Not The Remote, Is It?

Before we get started with the main tips, it’s worth making sure the remote you’re using isn’t faulty! We’ve had someone who had this issue, but found out their remote was just on the blink.

If you use a remote, try changing the batteries. Or turning on the fireplace then remove the batteries from the remote, so it can’t accidentally send a signal. If that fixes it, you’ve found your culprit.

Otherwise, let’s get started on the 10 key tips.

#1 Reset It

If your electric fireplace heater keeps shutting off, the first thing you should do is reset it. This quick action should cancel out whatever is making it have a bee in its bonnet and force it to work normally again.

Follow these 3 simple steps to reset your electric fireplace:

1. Turn the fireplace off.
2. Unplug the unit from the mains power supply.
3. Wait 2 minutes, then plug the fireplace back in and turn it on.

#2 Reset the Circuit Breaker

If you’ve tried the fix above, but your electric fire keeps going off, you might want to keep reading.

While electric fireplaces are often far better than wood stoves, they have their issues. Your fireplace could be out of action because of a problem with the circuit breaker.

Take a look at your circuit box and make sure that everything is as it should be to solve this problem.

But what if your fireplace keeps tripping your circuit breaker? Simple. You should seek advice from an electrician or the manufacturer to check if it’s safe to continue using it.

Similarly, the fireplace may be on a GFI circuit – where each plug has it’s own mini-breaker. If this is the case, that plug itself may have tripped, and could just need to be reset. Similarly GFI outlets can be on a series, so check any other outlets that may be on the same circuit.

#3 Check the Control Switch

Ah, the control switch. This is the best thing since sliced bread for those of us who think (and know) that walking 6 feet to the other side of the room to turn the fireplace up is far too much effort.

But what if our beloved control switch is the source of our problem? Does your fireplace come with a control switch? Then you’ll know that it is all too easy to accidentally change the settings on it.

The switch gets lost down the side of the sofa, and you push all the wrong buttons trying to pry it out. Or, one of the kids gets a hold of it. Or the cat walks over the top of it. It goes without saying, in the average family home, anything could happen to your switch.

So, before you conclude that there is a technical problem with the fireplace, double-check the settings on the control switch. If they are not as they should be, change them back.

#4 Unblock the Airflow

If your electric fire keeps shutting off, chances are it’s overheating. You see, this is one of the most common causes of an intermittent power problem.

If the airflow to the fireplace is blocked, it will not be able to cool down properly. This will mean that the appliance will get too hot and will shut down because it cannot work safely.

Here’s what you should do to unblock the airflow to your fireplace:

1. Remove any blockages from the inlet such as paper and dust
2. Keep the inlet away from large items of furniture and curtains
3. Change or clean the air filter
4. Always install the fireplace in a place where the airflow is unrestricted

#5 Turn the Thermostat Up

As you may already know, your fireplace has several temperature settings.

This way, it will heat up until it reaches the temperature you have set. After that, it will turn itself off.

If you feel like the fireplace shuts off before the room gets warm, you’ll need to turn the thermostat up. Choosing a higher setting will heat the room more and stop the fireplace from turning off.

#6 Unblock the Heater

I know we already settled one kind of blockage in fix number 4, but this time we’re concentrating on unblocking the area that the fireplace uses to release heat.

If there is a blockage here, the fireplace will not be able to cool down properly, and it will shut itself off as a safety feature.

Here’s what you should do to unblock the airflow away from your fireplace:

1. Remove any blockages from the release valve such as paper and dust
2. Keep the release valve away from large items of furniture and walls
3. Always install the fireplace 3 feet away from anything that could block its heat escape

#7 Clean the Heater Element

If your fireplace is throwing a tantrum, it could be the fault of the heating element. If it is full of dust or dirt, the fireplace will overheat and turn itself off.

How can you fix this problem? You’ll need to have the fireplace professionally cleaned. This is especially important if you haven’t used it in a long time.

#8 Lower the Bulb Wattage

If your electric fire keeps cutting out, changes are the bulb wattage inside your fireplace is too high.

You see, the high wattage may be too much for the fireplace to handle.

What can you do about this? Here are two simple tips:

1. When changing the bulbs inside your fireplace, make sure you replace them with bulbs with the exact same wattage
2. If you think you’ve got the wattage wrong, take the bulbs out and replace them

#9 Do Not Overload the Power Outlet

As you may already know, the fireplace consumes a lot of electricity. So, it would be all too easy for the power outlet to overload and cause an intermittent heating problem.

The key here is not to overload the outlet. But how can you do that? Here are a few ways:

1. Do not plug the fireplace into an extension lead. It is not compatible with an appliance this powerful
2. Always plug the fireplace into a wall socket
3. Do not have any other electrical items running on the same circuit as the fireplace. This could overload the circuit.

#10 Replace the Motor

This last fix is not as quick and easy as the others I’ve mentioned so far.

If your fireplace’s motor is faulty, it will draw too much power and trip the circuit breaker. This will make the fireplace turn off suddenly.

How can you fix this issue? A motor issue is not something that you can tackle on your own. You will need to call a technician.

Or, if you think your fireplace is still under warranty, you can contact the manufacturer.

Conclusion

I hope these tips have helped solve the issue!

In my experience, working through each potential cause one by one will normally lead you to the issue.

That being said, please don’t feel like you need to follow any of my advice if you’re not confident. You can always call a professional electrician to help. Or, it could be worth checking to see if your fireplace is still under warranty.

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Thank you,

Craig