Gas Logs

Gas fireplaces are complete, prefabricat- ed units that come in a huge variety of sizes and styles,

Here’s an explanation of each:

If your home already has a fireplace, you can add gas logs to it. Gas logs are made of ceramic material and are designed to look like different kinds of wood logs, including pine, oak, birch or even driftwood. Log sizes range from 12 to 60 inches, and different sets have different numbers of logs. Some sets come molded all in one piece; other sets allow you to arrange some of the logs the way you want.

Gas log sets are assembled in a grate and have a gas burner underneath. The burner is covered and sur- rounded by realistic looking ashes and embers made of volcanic rock and fibrous materials. Like all gas hearth products, the flames in a gas log set are colorful and lively, and provide radiant heat to the room.

Gas logs come with a variety of controls. They can have a standing pilot light and be turned on with a manual valve, with a wall switch or with a remote control that uses a spark ignition system. All ignition methods pro- vide instant gas flames.

With basic gas log sets installed in an existing fireplace, the chimney is used for venting. When these gas log sets are used, building codes usually require that the damper in the fireplace be opened permanently. Thus glass doors are recommended for gas log sets to keep heat in the room when the fireplace isn’t being used.

(A damper is a metal flap at the top of the firebox that must be opened before a fire is started. In a wood-burn- ing fireplace, the damper is closed when the fire is out to keep warm air in the house from going up the chim- ney.)

Unvented gas logs can operate with the damper closed. This equipment includes an oxygen depletion sensor that will shut off the supply of gas if the oxygen in the room falls below a specified level.

A combination of the vented and unvented gas logs is also now available. These "partial-vent" log sets require that the damper in the fireplace be only 10 percent open. This keeps most of the heat in the room, while letting combustion byproducts escape. While neither the partial-vent logs or the unvented logs are as realistic looking as the vented logs, they do offer more heating value.

Some manufacturers’ products are certified for use with or without venting. Check with your hearth products dealer for information about local codes.

As with any natural gas hearth product, the purchase and installation costs will vary with the type of equip- ment and the location of the gas supply in your home. Overall, however, gas logs are usually the least expen- sive natural gas hearth product.

Gas Fireplace Inserts

Another option for an existing fireplace is a gas fireplace insert. These complete units not only look pretty, but can upgrade an inefficient wood fireplace into a good source of extra heat.

An insert is composed of a set of gas logs built into a steel or cast-iron box, usually with a fan or blower to

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