You have a great-looking fireplace but after a long day at, you might not feel like getting a fire started. Who has the time and energy required? Solution: gas logs are the ideal choice for fireplace owners who want to enjoy their fireplaces for as little or as long as they like with as little maintenance as possible.

There are two types of gas logs, those that vent to the outside and vent-free gas logs that don’t vent at all. Vented gas logs are the most popular type of gas logs. They look just like a realistic wood fire. They must be installed in a fully functioning wood burning fireplace. And as is the case with a real wood-burning fire, the chimney must remain completely open during operation. Another great thing is that the logs can be moved around on most sets.

With the other type of gas logs, vent-free gas logs, you don’t need a chimney which makes them an ideal choice for dwellings that don’t have fireplaces. Like vented gas logs, vent-free gas logs are another great alternative for providing additional heat in your home. One great benefit is how easy it is to control the heat and flame on vent-free logs. In some cases, they can be manually controlled with knobs that are on the burner itself. Other gas logs allow you to use a remote device which can be either a wall switch, thermostat or on a hand-held remote control to control the heat coming from the logs. There are even more advanced remote controls that allow you to keep your home at the temperature you desire at all times.

However, just as with wood- burning fireplaces, burning gas produces carbon monoxide that may become very dangerous if it remains undetected. They can be installed in either a vent free fireplace or an approved vented fireplace. Another drawback is that their logs can’t be repositioned.

Vent-free gas logs provide an intense flame which burns all of the fuel present and decreasing the levels of carbon monoxide and soot that are produced by other gas logs.
They always come with Oxygen Depletion Sensor (ODS), which will turn off the gas before carbon monoxide reaches a dangerous level in the room. Many homeowners also install carbon monoxide detectors in their homes, regardless of the fuel-burning appliance that they are using. A carbon monoxide detector is an inexpensive, additional safety precaution for owners of vented gas logs.

Whatever the type of gas logs that you decide on using, we’ve come up with some rules to use them as safely as possible. Keep items that are combustible and flammable, such as wood, paper, oil and gas, away from the fireplace and always leave the fireplace doors open during use. Don’t leave your gas logs burning for more a few hours at a time; they aren’t designed to be burning for more than that. Therefore you should never go to sleep and leave unvented gas logs burning. It’s also advisable to leave your window open while the gas logs are burning to let fresh air circulate. You should install the fireplace that’s appropriate for the size of the room it will be used in. You might also want to check with the local building codes in your municipality since there are laws which prohibit their use. Finally, always follow the manufacturer's instructions before installing and using any type of fuel-burning appliance.