There is no place more delightful than one’s own fireplace. – Marcus Tullius Cicero
Turn your fireplace into an efficient gas heater without losing the look of a real hearth. Nothing brings family and friends together like the beauty and warmth of a fire. Combine dancing flames and glowing embers for the look of a wood fire with the convenience and efficiency of a modern gas heater. Vented Gas Logs require a fully functional wood burning fireplace, Ventless (or Vent Free) Gas Logs can be installed in either a wood burning fireplace, or a ventless fireplace that is rated for aftermarket ventless logs. Read the Pros and Cons of each below:
Vented Gas Logs:
“Fully Vented” gas logs must be burned in a fireplace that is capable of burning real wood and must be burned with the damper open. The reason for this is that they do not burn the gas cleanly and create exhaust that is very similar to burning a real wood fire. This exhaust needs to be able to go up the chimney. The real beauty of vented gas logs is that they produce substantially more yellow flame than ventless logs which makes them look far more realistic. The downside is that most of the heat goes right up the chimney.
However, in most cases, you can offset this heat loss by slightly closing the damper…but you must be careful that the exhaust from your logs is not coming into the room because, just like burning real wood, it contains Carbon Monoxide. A good way to test this is to turn on your gas logs with the damper slightly closed. Hold a lighter or candle in front of the fireplace opening near the top. If the flame from the lighter (candle) is being drawn in toward the fireplace, then you are OK. If the flame is standing still or pushed out toward the room, then your fireplace is not drafting enough and you must open the damper more.
Positive Features of Vented Gas Logs:
- Extremely realistic flame pattern that looks like a wood fire.
- Flame is much taller than ventless logs
- Flame dances and wraps around logs like real wood.
- Does not require a CO2 detector
- Since the damper is open, most of the smell will go up the chimney
Negative Features of Vented Gas Logs:
- Less heat than ventless logs
- Uses slightly more gas than ventless logs
Ventless Gas Logs:
Ventless gas logs (often referred to as “Vent Free” gas logs) have specially designed burners that burn the gas cleanly and produce almost no exhaust…somewhat like the way a gas range in a kitchen works. Since there is little or no exhaust, they can be burned with the damper closed.
The beauty of this type of system is that 99.9% of the heat produced by the gas logs goes into the room, so they produce substantially more heat than their vented counter-parts. However, there are many negative features commonly associated with ventless logs that you must be aware of before you decide to purchase them:
Positive Features of Ventless Gas Logs:
- Much better heat output than vented gas logs
- Less pollution
- Slightly less gas consumption
Negative Features of Ventless Gas Logs:
- The main byproducts of burning gas cleanly are Carbon Dioxide and Water Vapor. Because of this, ventless gas logs will introduce excess moisture into your home which can result in mold or mildew.
- You must be careful not to burn your ventless logs for extended periods of time with windows closed, otherwise they can potentially deplete the oxygen in your home.
- If you burn your ventless logs for more than an hour or so, you must crack open a window to allow air into your home to replace the oxygen burned by the ventless logs. This will introduce cold air into the room and offset some of the heating benefits that ventless logs claim to have.
- Ventless logs produce an odor that many people equate to the smell of burning kerosene. So if you have a sensitive nose, you may not be able to handle the smell and will be greatly dissatisfied with ventless logs.
- Ventless logs can cause eye irritation and coughing spells to those who are sensitive.
- Ventless logs are not legal in California as well as some cities and municipalities.
- Ventless logs are required to have an ODS (oxygen depletion system) as well as a CO2 detector…which might tell you that there are some risks involved in operating them if these systems fail.
- The flame pattern with ventless logs is not nearly as realistic in comparison to vented logs. Because the gas must burn cleanly, the flame height is very low, it is more blue than yellow and appears to be more nervous and less lofty.
- Also, you will find that the flame does not dance around like a real wood fire and very little of the flame actually touches the logs. The reason for this is that when the flame touches the logs, it gets cooled off and does not burn cleanly and starts to produce soot and exhaust gases.
- Installing vent-free gas logs is not a DIY job. Installation must be performed by a professional who can do the proper tests on your gas pressure and make sure that the installation meets building codes and follows the specifications required.
- Clearances to combustibles are different than that of wood burning fires or vented gas logs. If there is a mantel above the fireplace, you may need to install a hood to divert heat away from it.
- There are also BTU limitations based on the cubic feet of air available to your room. The maximum BTUs allowed is calculated using this formula: Room Width x Room Length x Ceiling Height x 20.
- Ventless gas logs may not be legal in a bedroom or confined space (differs with local building codes).
Bottom Line: We highly recommend that you purchase vented gas logs. They are the safer choice for your family. You will also be much happier with the flame that they produce and less likely to experience discomfort from odors or irritation.