Dimplex Optimyst e-MatriX 37" Electric Firebox, Right-Facing
The Dimplex Optimyst e-MatriX (model FEF3226L2R, Dimplex order number X-FEF3226L2R) is the most convincing electric fire Dimplex builds, and it works on a completely different principle from the rest of the range. Ultrasonic transducers atomise water into an ultra-fine mist; LEDs light that mist from below. What rises off the log set is real three-dimensional vapour that rolls and curls the way smoke does, because it is behaving like smoke.
This is the two-sided right-facing configuration: glass across the front and down the right return, for a corner or the end of a peninsula where the fire is seen from two directions. Also available left-facing, as a single-sided front-facing unit, and as a three-sided bay.
Right or left? Stand where people will sit and look at the fireplace. If the wall that continues away from you is on your right, you want this one. Get it backwards and the glass return faces into the wall. It is worth two minutes with a floor plan — call us if you would like a second opinion, because this is not a mistake you can fix after installation.
Read This First: It Is a Fire, Not a Heater
The e-MatriX draws 270 watts — about the same as three old light bulbs. Dimplex's technical sheet records the heat output as none, and the owner's guide puts it this way: "The heat output is minimal and should not be considered a source of supplemental heat."
That is not a shortcoming, it is the design. The flame is cool water vapour, so the glass is cool, there is nothing to burn and nothing to vent. But if you are buying a fireplace to warm a room, this is the wrong product and we would rather tell you now than after it is built into your wall. Talk to us about the Ignite or BF lines instead.
Will It Fit? Rough Opening
| Overall size (W x H x D) |
37 1/8" x 37 5/8" x 20" (94.3 x 95.6 x 50.8 cm) |
| Firebox height |
37" to 37 3/4" (94.0 to 96.0 cm), adjustable |
| Firebox depth |
20 1/4" to 22 1/4" (51.4 to 56.4 cm), adjustable |
| Framed opening |
Call us — see below |
We are not going to publish a rough opening for this model, and here is why. Dimplex issues a single-page technical specification sheet for the front-facing and bay configurations but none for either two-sided model. The figures that do exist for the line disagree with each other: the owner's guide prints a rough opening narrower than the firebox itself, which cannot be right, and the specification sheet repeats the single-sided opening for a wider unit.
On a built-in at this price, going into a corner that has to be opened up and finished on two faces, a wrong number is a very expensive mistake. Ring us with your drawings and we will get the opening confirmed with Dimplex in writing before anyone picks up a saw. We would rather have that conversation than sell you a unit that does not fit.
Water Supply: This Fireplace Has to Be Plumbed
The flame is made of water, so the unit needs a permanent supply. Unlike the Opti-Myst Linear range there is no refillable-tank option here — the e-MatriX is designed for a direct connection to the mains and continuous operation.
| Connection |
1/4" water line, or 3/4" female |
| Water pressure |
8 to 110 psi |
| Water quality |
Normal tap water. In hard-water areas use softened or filtered water. |
Get the plumber in at the same time as the electrician. Running a water line to a corner you have already closed up is an expensive afterthought.
Fresh Air Inlet: Required
The enclosure has to breathe, and the opening goes below the fireplace so air reaches the underside of the unit. Here too Dimplex's documents disagree, so we will give you both figures and a recommendation:
| Owner's guide and sell sheet |
Minimum 40 in² (258 cm²) |
| Technical specification sheet |
80 in² (516 cm²) required |
| What we would build |
80 in² — it satisfies both |
Ventilation is the one requirement where over-delivering costs nothing and under-delivering voids the warranty. Build to the larger number.
Electrical Requirements
| Voltage |
120 V, 60 Hz |
| Power |
270 W |
| Current draw |
2.25 A |
| Heat output |
None usable — see above |
Location
This is an indoor appliance. The owner's guide states "Do not use outdoors." The water system rules out anywhere that can freeze.
Specifications
| Model |
FEF3226L2R |
| Dimplex order number |
X-FEF3226L2R |
| Series |
Dimplex Optimyst® e-MatriX |
| Configuration |
Two-sided, glass to the front and the right return |
| Flame |
Optimyst® water vapour with LED illumination |
| Flame temperature |
None — the glass is cool to the touch |
| Fuel |
Electric and water — no venting, gas line or chimney |
| Installation type |
Built-in, recessed; requires a plumbed water supply |
| Location |
Indoor only |
| Remote batteries |
Two 1.5 V AA |
| Warranty |
2 years limited on electrical components |
Documents & Downloads
Dimplex publishes a single-page technical specification sheet for the front-facing and bay configurations only. There is no standalone spec sheet for either two-sided model. If your architect needs one, call us and we will request it from Dimplex.
Warranty
2 YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY on electrical components, from the date of first purchase. Download the Dimplex warranty document.
One more disagreement to flag, because you will see it yourself: the owner's guide packed with the unit refers to a five year limited warranty, while the sell sheet and the line's technical specification sheets say two years on electrical components. We have published the shorter term because two of the three current documents give it. If the longer term matters to your decision, call us and we will get it confirmed by Dimplex in writing before you order.
Dimplex excludes Hawaii, Alaska, Yukon, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories from warranty coverage.
