About Gas Fireplace Logs

Are you looking to have a nice hot fire, especially on those cold nights, to help keep your house a little warmer without running up the electricity, or even when the power is out? Well a good way to do this is by using fake fireplace logs that burn gas. These are fake logs that burn with a gas source (like natural gas or propane) rather than the usual plain old wood burning, and if you pick carefully you may find that it actually helps a lot with the heat. As another bonus, it doesn’t take the time of a normal fire nor the electricity of an electric fire. If your gas rates are cheaper than your electric rates then this is a real advantage.

Gas fireplace logs are a great way to help keep you warm during stormy weather when the electricity goes out. It basically allows you to burn a fire without constantly needing to go out and get firewood. There are however, a few things that you must look at to help you choose what types to buy, including location, how you plan to use them, and codes and laws in your area.

The first problem is location. Where in your house do you plan to install these? If it is in a room that is, or could be, a bedroom then you will have farther limitations on your choice. There is an international code that says that fireplace logs installed in bedrooms must be 10,000 BTU’s or less and they must have a thermostatic control. This means that you are less likely to be able to get unvented logs, though vented ones are for the most part OK. This is because unvented ones tend to have more heat than the vented versions do, though there flame is usually less spectacular.

The next problem is how you plan to use them.  If your goal is to have something that looks great, but doesn’t necessarily offer much in heat, then vented gas fireplace logs are a good choice. As their name suggests, burning these requires a vent or flue in order to be operated safely. This is because they often have high and robust flames compared to the unvented gas logs. If your goal is to have something supplement your heating and to keep you warm if the power goes out, then an unvented fireplace log is the better choice. Though the flames aren’t anywhere near as robust, the unvented fireplace logs offer more in the way of heat.

Finally, you need to take a good look at codes and laws for your area. There are some regulations that just plain don’t allow the use of vent free logs while some require a specific type of vented models. No matter how it works out you will want to be familiar with all laws and codes that can be applied to you before you purchase one for your home.