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Choosing and fitting your gas logs
Every installation ends with a leak test, a lit flame checked against the manual and a written record.
What a gas log set is made of
There is more to a gas log set than the logs you see. Underneath sit a burner, a gas control or valve, an ignition system and often a pan of ember material, and the whole arrangement is designed and listed to work together. The logs are shaped and placed so the flame moves around them the way the maker intended. Most sets also come with their own ember material and a manual that shows where every piece belongs.
A set is therefore chosen and installed as one system. Swapping in a different burner, adding logs from another set or changing the ember bed can change how cleanly it burns. Our quote names every part of the set so you know exactly what is being installed.
Clean and check the fireplace before the logs go in
One maker's installation rules require the chimney flue, the damper and the firebox to be thoroughly cleaned of soot, ashes and loose paint before its burner goes into a solid-fuel-burning fireplace. The same manual notes that some fireplaces, especially older ones, may need repair before the appliance is installed.
Those parts are checked before quoting, and any cleaning or repair is listed on its own line. Doing that work first means the new set starts in a clean firebox with a clear flue above it, and nothing old is left to foul the burner. The cleaning also lets us see the firebox floor and walls clearly, which is where the burner and the logs will sit for years.
How the set lights
Under the fuel gas code, most decorative gas appliances for fireplaces must light by direct ignition, an igniter or a pilot flame, and must have a flame safeguard that cuts the gas if the flame goes out. A separate listing covers sets that are lit by hand with a match on natural gas.
The ignition type decides how you start the set, with a remote, a wall switch or a knob in the fireplace. We explain each option for the set you like and include the control type in the written quote. A remote-ready set usually has a receiver that runs on batteries, and we show you where it sits and how to change them.
Odors and a vent-free set
Vent-free sets react to what is in the air around them. One maker warns that candles, air fresheners and sprays near the fireplace create objectionable odors once the burner runs. Pet hair and lint can also build up on the burner and affect how it smells and burns. New sets also give off a manufacturing smell during their break-in period, which fades as the oils burn off.
A smell of gas is different, and it is not something to troubleshoot. Get everyone outside, phone the gas utility or 911 from there, and stay out until they say it is safe.
