If your electric fireplace has flames but no heat, the cause is usually one of four things. The heat mode is off or locked out. The thermostat is set below room temperature. The overheat cutoff has tripped, often because the media wall build is choking the airflow. Or the heating element has failed. Work through those in that order. The first three cost nothing to check and take about 15 minutes.
The flame and the heater are separate systems, so a glowing firebox doesn't tell you anything about the element. Here is the order an installer would follow.
Before you start
Difficulty: Easy for Steps 1–5 (settings, reset, cleaning). Steps 6–7 mean opening the unit or testing parts, and on a recessed insert that's usually a job for the manufacturer's service line or a technician.
Time: 15–30 minutes for the free checks. Pulling a recessed insert out of the wall to clean it or replace parts takes longer and depends on how it was trimmed in.
Estimated cost: $0 for most fixes. One owner on an RV forum reported that Dimplex quoted about $246 CAD for a replacement heater/blower assembly. Another owner said a new heating element cost "over $100." For comparison, GetMediaWall's pricing model puts a new 60" electric fireplace unit alone at about $2,500.
- The owner's manual, or the model number from the rating label (you'll need it for parts and support)
- A flashlight and a vacuum with a soft brush attachment
- A room thermometer, or your home thermostat's reading
- Access to your breaker panel (for hardwired units)
- A phone to film each step, which helps on a warranty call
Step 1 — Confirm the heater is actually switched on
Most inserts let you run the flames without heat, and the heat button is separate from the power button. On the Touchstone Sideline series, the heater has three settings: H0 (off), 750W and 1500W. The manual also says the heater only works when the flame effect is on. Turning the flames down to zero can kill the heat.
Some units can have heat disabled altogether. Dimplex's troubleshooting table for the XLF50 lists a display of "---" for a heater disabled with a hidden touch-control combo (hold for 3 seconds). It lists "H--" for heat permanently disabled with a jumper on the main board. Installers sometimes switch heat off when a TV goes directly above the fire, so ask whoever built your wall whether they did.
Pro tip: Expect a delay. The Sideline fan blows cool air for 8–10 seconds before the element comes on, and Dimplex lists a 30-second heater delay as normal on the XLF50. Give it a full minute before deciding it's dead.
Step 2 — Set the thermostat above room temperature
This is the most common "fault" that isn't one. Touchstone's manual says it plainly: if the room is warmer than the temperature on the display, the heater will not turn on. Check what your room actually is, then set the fireplace 5–10°F higher.
Where the sensor sits matters too. On some units it's right by the intake. One RV owner found theirs coated in dust under the inlet vent, and cleaning it brought the heat back (see Step 5). Hold the display button for 5 seconds to switch between °C and °F on Sideline units. A UK-shipped unit showing "22" means Celsius (about 72°F).
Step 3 — Do a proper reset
Power-cycling clears a frozen control board and resets most thermal cutoffs. The manuals agree on the timing:
- Turn the unit off at its control panel.
- Unplug it. For a hardwired unit, switch off its breaker.
- Wait 5 minutes. Touchstone, Dimplex and EcoSmart all specify 5 minutes so the cutoff can cool.
- Restore power with the unit still switched off, then turn it on and select heat.
If you use a remote, you may need to pair it again after a power cut. Dimplex's manuals mention this.
Important: If the outlet, faceplate or plug feels hot, stop using the fireplace and have the outlet and wiring checked. Touchstone's manual gives that instruction. In the iFixit thread we read, an insert's plug and the wall behind it got very hot before the owner unplugged it. A hot outlet is a problem for a licensed electrician, not something a reset fixes.
Step 4 — Find out if your wall is overheating the unit
This step is specific to media walls. If heat comes on and then quits after a few minutes, the overheat cutoff is probably doing its job. Dimplex's troubleshooting guide lists "heater is turning off after a couple of minutes" and puts dust in the heater assembly first. Its fix is to keep the intake louvers and firebox cavity clear.
Look at what was built around the insert:
- Trim covering the louvers. Recessed units such as the Sideline have a vent opening along the top edge. If drywall, a cladding return or a stone lip overlaps that slot even partly, the unit cooks itself.
- A shelf or "heat shield" added later. One Dimplex owner on the Montana Owners forum had a heater whose fan kept quitting. The cause turned out to be a mantel extension he'd added to protect a new TV. It changed the airflow enough to trip the cutoff, and removing it fixed the problem.
- Clearances shrunk during the build. Touchstone specifies at least 8" from the top of the Sideline to a mantel, a TV or the ceiling, and a rough opening no more than 1/4" larger than the firebox. Builds that run tighter than the manual are a common reason for nuisance trips.
Important: Don't cut or drill around a recessed insert to "add a vent" until you know where its wiring and the framing run. If the trim has to come back, a fireplace media wall installer can rework the opening without exposing combustibles. Our media wall fire heat and ventilation guide covers the clearance rules in depth.
Step 5 — Clean the intake, blower and sensor
Dust is the most common cause in the owner threads we read. With the unit unplugged, vacuum the intake louvers (usually along the bottom or top edge) and any reachable firebox areas with a soft brush. Touchstone's cleaning instructions call for a vacuum or duster on the heater and vent areas. Dimplex lists dirt in the blower as a cause of both cutoffs and noise.
Some fixes owners reported:
- On one RV forum, an owner got heat back by cleaning a dusty sensor under the inlet vent.
- Another found the blower wheel packed with dust.
- Pet hair was a repeat cause. One owner had to clean his unit three times as the problem came back.
Pro tip: If cleaning fixes it for a week and then it quits again, the unit isn't dirty. It's starved for air, so go back to Step 4. Fixing the trim usually solves it for good, and more vacuuming won't.
Step 6 — Tell a dead element from a dead fan
Turn on heat and listen and feel at the outlet:
| What you notice | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| No fan at all with heat on | Heat disabled, thermostat satisfied, or a bad heater switch or fan motor | Recheck Steps 1–2, then contact support |
| Fan runs, air stays cold | Failed heating element or open thermal cutoff | Manufacturer service; Dimplex says replace the elements if the motor runs but no heat comes out |
| Warm for 2–10 minutes, then cold or fan stops | Overheat cutoff tripping (dust or blocked airflow) | Steps 4–5; don't keep resetting |
| Large glowing sections on the element and repeated trips | Damaged element | Unplug, stop using it, replace the elements (per Dimplex) |
| Breaker trips when heat starts | Short in the unit, or not on a dedicated 15A circuit | Licensed electrician |
A few small glowing spots on the element are normal, according to Dimplex. Large glowing sections that keep tripping the cutoff are not.
When NOT to DIY: Testing an element or thermal limiter means opening the unit and using a meter. On a recessed insert that also means pulling it out of the wall. If the unit is under warranty, opening it can void that. Touchstone's warranty is one year, and it excludes "alterations" and parts from other makers. Call the manufacturer first. Touchstone's number is 800-215-1990 and Dimplex's is 1-888-346-7539.
Step 7 — Decide: repair the heater or replace the insert
Replacing a heater part usually beats replacing the unit. Owners on RV forums reported spending between "over $100" and about $246 CAD (2014–2022 figures) on a heater element or heater/blower assembly. A whole new unit costs far more: GetMediaWall's model estimates a 60" electric fireplace at about $2,500 for the unit alone, before any labor to swap it.
Getting a new unit into the old opening is the hidden cost. Sizes rarely match across brands, so a new fire often means recutting the opening or re-cladding the wall. Our guide to replacing an electric fire in a media wall walks through that problem.
Rule of thumb: If the unit is under warranty, or a heater assembly for your model number is in stock, repair it. If it's out of warranty, parts are discontinued and the flame effect is also failing, budget for a new insert plus trim work.
If you need hands-on help, our directory's numbers are thin. Across the 1,009 installers listed on GetMediaWall, 125 list fireplace media wall work. Only 19 of those publish a price, with a median starting price of $189 (their own website claims). Only 84 of all listed companies state any warranty, with a median of 12 months. Ask whether workmanship on the fire opening is covered before you hire. You can compare local installers or get free quotes and describe the symptom from the table above.
Final checklist
- Heat mode is on and the flame effect is on (some units won't heat without it)
- Set temperature is at least 5–10°F above the actual room temperature
- Unit was off and unplugged, or its breaker off, for a full 5 minutes before restart
- Top or bottom louvers aren't overlapped by trim, cladding, a shelf or a "heat shield"
- At least the manual's minimum clearance to the TV and mantel (8" on the Sideline)
- Intake, blower area and sensor vacuumed with the power off
- Outlet and plug are not hot, and the breaker doesn't trip when heat engages
- Model number and warranty date are written down before you call for parts
Sources
- Touchstone Sideline Series owner's manual — 1500W/12A specs, heater needs the flame on, thermostat rule, 8–10 second fan delay, Temperature Limiting Control reset, 8" clearances, 1/4" rough opening, one-year warranty, support number
- Dimplex BF33/39/45 troubleshooting guide — heater shuts off after minutes from dust, motor runs but no heat means elements, glowing element guidance, dedicated 15A circuit
- Dimplex XLF50 troubleshooting (ManualsLib) — "---" and "H--" heat-disabled codes, Er2 high-temperature cutout, 5-minute reset, 30-second heater delay
- Dimplex DF3033ST owner's manual (ManualsLib) — temperature cutoff reset by unplugging for 5 minutes; call Dimplex if it keeps tripping
- EcoSmart Switch electric fireplace troubleshooting — tripped snap disc, turn off 5 minutes to reset; defective heater core
- Hunker: What causes an electric fireplace to stop working — flame-on/no-heat thermostat check, unplug at least 5 minutes
- Montana Owners forum: Dimplex fireplace/heater questions — mantel extension tripping cutoff, pet hair, loose connections, element over $100, single-row vent panel
- Montana Owners forum: Electric fireplace — no heat — heat quits after 2–3 minutes, dusty sensor under inlet vent, ~$246 CAD heater/blower quote
- iFixit: Light works on electric fireplace but heat will not go on — dusty blower, hot plug and wall warning, burnt wires
- CycleChat: Electric wall-mounted fire has died — dust in the fan; don't open a unit still under warranty