For a lot of people, nothing beats the real cozy feeling of a natural wood-burning fireplace. That being said, there’s a lot of downsides to natural woodburning fireplaces like the cleanup, maintenance, and setup. If you’re looking for something a little more user-friendly, gas fireplace logs are a great alternative.
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All About Gas Fireplace Logs
Gas fireplace logs are referred by many names including fireplace logs, logs for gas fires, gas log set, fake fireplace logs and many others. Regardless of what you call them, logs for gas fires can be made from either natural gas or liquid propane depending on your needs and preferences. Liquid propane is able to be used anywhere, but typically requires some sort of tank outside your home to store it.
Gas fireplace logs give off the illusion of a real, wood-burning fireplace without the work of cutting and stacking wood, sweeping the chimney, and adding new wood to the fire every hour or so. They’re a simpler way to enjoy an authentic fire and if installed correctly, can last up to 20 years.
What Are Gas Logs?
Logs for gas fireplaces are the finishing touches when it comes to operating a gas-burning fireplace. There are three main factors of consideration when it comes to what gas logs you should choose.
Fuel Type
Vented or Ventless Fireplace
Style of Log (traditional vs modern)
All factors should be taken into consideration, but fuel type is definitely an important factor to focus on when choosing your logs for your gas fire.
Types of Fuel
There are two common types of fuel for gas fireplace logs; Propane Gas and Natural Gas.
Propane Gas
Propane gas is a hydrocarbon compound that ends up as a byproduct during the creation of natural gas. When propane gas is stored under pressure, the propane condenses to a liquid and turns into liquid propane gas or LPG.
Propane is a heavy, dense fluid and is more volatile than natural gas. If you are removed from natural gas, you will probably have to depend on propane gas when fueling your gas fireplace.
Natural Gas
Natural gas is a lighter gas that is commonly found with petroleum deep inside the Earth. Natural gas is a clean-burning and lower-cost fuel compared to propane.
If you live in a city or a populated area, it’s very common that your home would already be hooked up to natural gas. If you are unsure, contact your local gas company and they’ll be able to tell you. It’s very important that you check and double-check with professionals before looking to install a gas log fireplace set.
Most vented gas log sets are actually able to be converted between different gas types. That being said, most ventless gas log sets cannot.
Gas Orifices
The gas orifices is a huge component of how the log sets burn. Orifices or gas jets are tiny fittings that are installed next to the gas flow. Smaller fireplaces only have one orifice, while larger fireplaces can have multiple.
The orifices are meant to have an identical flow of burning, this means that regardless of the type of fuel you choose to burn, the look of the gas log should always be the same.
How Do Gas Logs Work?
The way gas logs work depends on the type of fireplace you have. This means that vented and ventless gas logs operate differently from each other, which is why it’s essential you know what type of fireplace you have prior to purchasing.
The burner is one of the most essential parts of your fireplace gas logs and it can come with a variety of different ignition systems including:
Match Lit
Push-Button
Electronic Ignition
Setting Up Gas
Before you start ordering your logs for your gas fireplace online, you need to ensure that you have a gas line running to your fireplace. Most houses today have a gas line, but if you don’t, you need to contact your local utility company to find out how to get one installed. This transition between from your meter to a main gas line is called disembarkation point.
Typically a plumber is required to run the infrastructure from the meter to the fireplace and a local code enforcement officer will need to check and supply a permit prior to getting the new line installed. If the line is already in place, you probably won’t need a permit. That being said, we always recommend getting your gas line inspected before use.
Where You Can Purchase Logs for Gas Fireplaces
You are able to purchase most logs for gas fires at hardware stores or even online (our personal favorite). Below, we’ve put together a list of the best gas logs for fireplaces. Before we get to that though, it’s important to know if you have a vented or ventless fireplace as this would determine the type of gas logs you require.
Vented or Ventless Fireplaces
It’s important to establish if your fireplace is used for heat or just to set the mood. Determining the use of your fireplace is important in determining what type of gas logs you require.
Parts of a Vented Fireplace
Designed for ambience and natural-looking flames. It’s ideal for simple installation, freedom of log arrangement and less heat produced.
Log Grate: designed to hold the log set in place
Decorative Embers: designed to give the illusion of a glowing fire.
Log Set: durable and sturdy ceramic refractory and fiber that’s handpainted to look like real logs.
Burner Assembly: a slanted pan filled with sand or other similar materials that helps to diffuse the gas.
Parts of a Ventless Fireplace
Ventless fireplaces are great to supplement heat in your home. All the heat supplied with a ventless fireplace will stay in the room. This does mean that there is a limitation to how strong the gas logs can be.
Log Grate: designed to hold the log set in place
Decorative Embers: designed to give the illusion of a glowing fire.
Log Set: durable and sturdy ceramic refractory and fiber that’s handpainted to look like real logs.
Burner Assembly: a slanted pan filled with sand or other similar materials that helps to diffuse the gas.
This wood gas log set includes nine life-sized ceramic gas logs that fill any fireplace extremely nicely. This log set allows you to rearrange the logs in any formation you please. You can stack them randomly to create a natural, rustic look. The log set comes with a crackle flame firelog, fire starter, fire log, crackle flame fire log, glowing embers, fire starts, and lava rocks to complete the look of a real wood fire. With no toxic fumes, you can keep your family save and enjoy the beautiful glow of a stunning fire.
If you’re looking for something a little unique, this Barton Ceramic Wood Fireplace in Birch Wood is the perfect option for you. This log kit comes with six life-sized ceramic birchwood looking logs. You can arrange these six logs in any formation you desire. The log set comes with a crackle flame firelog, fire starter, fire log, crackle flame fire log, glowing embers, fire starts, and lava rocks to complete the look of a real wood fire. We love the unique look of the white birch wood and with no toxic fumes, you can keep your family save and enjoy the beautiful glow of a stunning fire.
This Peterson Real Fyre Oak Log Set is one of the most realistic gas log sets out there. They are meticulously hand-painted to re-create the look of natural-looking wood. They are made with high-quality ceramics and reinforced with steel rods for greater strength. The dual-pipe burner produces full, rich flames in front of the gas logs which only makes the wood look even more realistic.
If you’re in the market for something that looks extremely realistic, this Peterson Real Fyre Oak Log Set is right up your ally.
This Empire Flint Hill Gas Log works for both a vented or ventless fireplace. That being said, we think it works best with a ventless fireplace. It’s 30” x 23” x 12” x 18” in dimensions and with the combination of realistic wooden logs, burner and glowing embers, it definitely gives the illusion of a real, wood-burning fireplace. It gives off a good amount of heat and with the Oxygen Depletion System, you can rest assured that your family will remain safe with the device automatically shutting off if the room oxygen levels drop to unsafe levels.
This Peterson Real Fyre Charred Aged Oak Log Set is meticulously hand-painted to re-create the look of natural-looking charred aged oak. This log set is for indoor use only and a great addition for your indoor fireplace. It comes with a hand-held remote for effortless control from anywhere in the room and successfully sets the cozy mood in any room of the house. With 37,000 BTU of heat, you can also stay nice and warm inside.
This Duluth Forge Ventless Gas Log Set can produce 33,000 BTU of patented dual-fuel technology using either natural gas or liquid propane. It has a blue flame heater which can heat up a room up to 1,300 square feet. It’s 99.9% efficient with no outside duct or chimney needed and also has additional safety features installed like a built-in pilot oxygen depletion sensor. With its thermostat control and automatical cycle of on and off to remain desired room temperature, this gas log set is a dependable and stylish option.
If you’re looking for more information regarding ventless and vented fireplaces, we highly recommend you take a couple of minutes and watch Fleet Plumber’s YouTube Video all about Vent and Ventless Gas Logs and How to Tell The Difference:
