Review of Optimyst Oakhurst Electric fire

I purchased this fire last year around March 2015 and have been using it ever since. It was part of a modernisation I was doing in my main lounge area. Removing a fireplace and creating an opening that this model would fit into.

The flame effect had caught my eye when I had passed it in a store and intrigued me how it worked.

I did some research and read up on it. I purchased the unit once the fireplace was ready and installed it. The flame effect was very impressive and once I had mastered the correct intensity so the door could remain closed and not have vapour over the inside it worked a treat. It all runs on filtered water you know, no ashes to clean etc.

However…..

I thought I would write this review to make you aware of the various areas where Dimplex may want to develop solutions that will last longer when the unit is used frequently.

• Issue one
  • When using the fire the smell of resin was quite high. I assumed this would eventually settle but it persisted. I could tell that this was coming from the logs themselves as they were resin cast. I did contact Dimplex and you kindly sent me replacements as some had left the factory prior to curing properly. Most appreciated. The replacements however arrived and the main log across the top was loose and had disconnected at one end. I reported this and was told another set would be sent out and they duly were. Again the main log across the top was loose. The third set was dispatched and wrapped in a lot more layers of protection and it was OK. So that problem was resolved. Thank you for all your help here and patience.
• Issue two
  • I clean the unit as recommend and made sure that the water is put through my filter jug prior to using. When cleaning the internal pieces I noticed that the transducer unit that creates the vapour was starting to pit and become rusty.
    

    Fig 1

    (Fig 1) I photographed this and emailed Dimplex to ask if this was meant or expected to happen. Someone kindly phoned me back and we had a chat and they said it would not be expected and they would send me another replacement unit. My one was still producing the flame effect so I kept using it until a few weeks later it seemed to stop producing the flames. I then popped in the replacement they had sent me. I have now been using the replacement for a good few months and it is starting to become pitted again? I clean the workings and dust etc. every 10 days approximately. I have not reported this as I decided to write this review to see if some of these issues and comments might help in bettering the product development. (I work with a lot of manufacturing companies and understand the review process and complaint handling, leading to product improvements or modifications.) This has also been sent directly to Dimplex.

• Issue three
  • The log effect resin unit that sits on top of the tank and lights up nicely has a foam seal around the outside edge to prevent light leakage coming up at the edges and taking away from the overall effect I assume. I have noted over the last four months that the foam at one side, at least, the glue has melted and become sticky.
    

    Fig 2

    (Fig 2) The foam edging has come off or slipped down. I constantly push it back into positon when I put the logs back in. But the heat from the bulbs is obviously causing the glue to melt and the foam to detach. A solution for this might be a thing to consider.

I have not at this stage used the fan heater as this unit was purchased for the flame effect only and the overall look of the lounge when finished.

Credit where credit is due

I want to take this moment to say that the look of the fire is exactly what I expected and makes the lounge look the way I had expected and has been commented on by visitors and family alike. A great idea and looks and plays its part well. If it wasn’t for these small irritations that I have explained above. The unit is not even a year old yet.

This is an unusual piece of tech for me to review, but hey it is not all about the latest watch or phone. This is practical and looks great.

What are your thoughts?