Is your wood-burning fireplace adding to much work for you? Here’s the solution: Gas Logs!
If you have a wood-burning fireplace, you may love having the traditional wood fire with its aroma, fiery heat, and crackling sounds; however, you may dislike having to clean up the mess after the fire, hauling firewood from the outdoors to your fireplace, and dealing with creosote build-up in your chimney, a fact of life when you burn wood. Fortunately, there is a solution: converting to gas logs. You will increase your energy efficiency, reduce clean up, and be able to control your fire with a thermostat. Fairly inexpensive to install, Aelite Chimney Specialities carries both ventless and vented gas logs and has certified installation experts who can fix up your old wood-burning fireplace and convert it into a gas fireplace for you, giving you convenience and energy-efficiency.
According to the article “Hearth and Home: Converting that wood-burning fireplace to gas,” in the Albany, NY area newspaper, The Times Union, wood fires actually do not heat your home. Instead, they suck out up to 300 cubic feet per minute of warm air that goes out your chimney. Wood fires also expose you and your family to dangerous toxins like carbon monoxide, respiratory irritants, and carcinogens. They also contribute to air pollution, and you have to worry about creosote building up in your chimney, which can start a chimney fire. However, you do not have to give up on your fireplace completely, especially when you have options to easily convert to a gas fireplace by installing gas logs.
When it comes to gas logs, you have two options:
vented gas logs
Budget-friendly, these gas logs look realistic because they mimic many different species of wood and have convincing flames with embers. Convenient as there is no chopping or stacking wood or clean up involved, some models come with remote-controlled ignitions and adjustable flame control. One thing to consider with vented gas logs, they have the same open combustion as wood, so you have to watch out for the same dangers and health hazards as with wood. Whenever you burn a fire, you must keep your damper wide open, and manufacturers even recommend keeping a window open while using gas logs. Another danger with vented gas logs, older or defective logs can diffuse explosive gas into the air.
ventless gas logs
Banned in some municipalities and even in some countries, ventless gas logs are not really ventless. Not only do they take away air from the room, but they also return vapors and irritants back into it. Some stores will not even sell this type of gas logs because they can cause condensation on your walls. This can cause toxic fungus and even mold to grow in your home. However, ventless gas logs are affordable and easy to install, and even though they do not give you a realistic, roaring fire, they will provide supplemental heat. If you are aware of the dangers and hazards, ventless gas logs are an economical and simple way to convert your wood-burning fireplace into a gas fireplace.
If you would like to learn more about converting to gas logs, contact us at Aelite Chimney Services. Our knowledgeable staff can consult with you on the differences between vented and ventless gas logs and help you decide which is best for you.