Until last week, I had no idea what I was doing with my fireplace. I bought a house that had one and guessed my way around. I was burning wood faster than I could buy it. Needless to say, I felt pretty dumb when I found out about gas logs as an alternative to traditional lumber. Why was I buying wood at a premium price when there was something way cheaper and far more efficient? The answer is because I didn’t educate myself.
After a cursory online search, I found a boatload of online retailers that dealt specifically with fireplace accessories. Getting gas logs was pretty much the natural progression considering they last infinitely longer than wood and leave practically no mess behind. Sure, the flame doesn’t look like logs on a campfire, but it burns hotter and cleaner so naturalism isn’t exactly my concern. A blue source of warmth is the same in my book as an orange or white flame.
Granted, I was a bit more concerned about carbon monoxide. Logs filled with gas come in the vented and vent-free variety. Vented is far more preferable because it reduces the amount of concentrated carbon monoxide in the air by going up the already existing chimney pipe. The vent-free kind means putting up detectors and hoping for the best.
Instead of going through pounds of timber every week, I opted to get gas fueled logs. The flame may burn a bit differently, but it doesn’t require daily maintenance or clean up. It burns just as hot and bright and my family loves it.
Tags: gas logs