Dimplex Optimyst e-MatriX 35" Electric Firebox, Front-Facing
The Dimplex Optimyst e-MatriX (model FEF3226L1, Dimplex order number X-FEF3226L1) 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 front-facing, single-sided configuration — the one for a conventional chimney breast or a flat feature wall. The same firebox is available as a two-sided left-facing or right-facing unit for a corner, and as a three-sided bay for a peninsula.
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.
What you buy the e-MatriX for is the fire itself, in a room that is already warm.
Will It Fit? Rough Opening
| Framed opening width |
36" (91.5 cm) |
| Framed opening height |
38 1/8" (96.8 cm) |
| Framed opening depth |
21" (53.3 cm) |
| Firebox width |
35" (89.1 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 |
Please call us before you frame this one. We are being straight with you: Dimplex has three current documents for the e-MatriX and they do not agree on the rough opening. The figures above come from the technical specification sheet, and they are the only set that is geometrically possible — the owner's guide prints a rough opening narrower than the firebox itself, which cannot be right, and the 2026 price list gives overall widths for the multi-sided models that do not reconcile with either.
On a built-in at this price, in a wall that has to be opened up, we are not willing to let you cut to a number we cannot stand behind. Ring us with your drawings and we will get the opening confirmed with Dimplex in writing before anyone picks up a saw.
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 wall 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 |
At 2.25 A this is the lightest electrical load of any fireplace we sell, and it does not need a dedicated high-current circuit the way a 1,500 W electric fire does.
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 |
FEF3226L1 |
| Dimplex order number |
X-FEF3226L1 |
| Series |
Dimplex Optimyst® e-MatriX |
| Configuration |
Front-facing, single-sided |
| 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
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 technical specification sheet and the sell sheet both 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.
