What are Gas Logs?

When we are asked to imagine a home in our heads, most of us will stick a chimney on in our mental images.  Why is that?  Well, put simply, fireplaces are an attractive and fun amenity in a house, and a lot of folks really enjoy them.

Growing up, I had one in my living room.  Winter was always a joyous time with us huddled around it for warmth, toasting marshmallows or enjoying some nice hot cocoa.  However, now more than ever, people tend to be straying away from these “natural” fireplaces.  Why is that?

Part of it might come down to safety concerns.  As this page details, https://www.csia.org/homeowner-resources/the-facts-about-chimney-fires-your-questions-answered/, owning a chimney fireplace that uses real logs or coal can be a risk.  Not everyone feels comfortable with that.

Now, this does not mean that you have to settle for not having one at all, though.  While assuming that is rather easy, there is another way to enjoy the same comforts without the obvious hazard of having an open flame blazing in your home.  The answer is a gas log.

What is a Gas Log?

Have you ever stayed at a fancy hotel and found an extra remote on your nightstand that you cannot place?  Well, there is a chance that it belonged to a gas fireplace.  That is right – gas logs are a part of these systems.  

You see, while it might sound like the traditional sort of kindling, that is not the truth of the matter.  Rather, they are the projection or image that is shown while the gas fireplace is at work warming the room.  The design intention is that they imitate the appearance, sound, and feeling of a real fire without the hazardous impacts.

Most of the time, the logs themselves are made of ceramic.  Thus, they will not actually attract any flames or get overly hot to the touch.  They are there to tie the whole look together and offer warmth that cannot cause nearly as much harm.

How do they Work?

Obviously, this sort of thing inevitably raises a lot of questions – most importantly, how do they function?  Well, it will probably come down to they type that you have installed.  However, they do have a blower and gas logs almost every time, so those are two pieces to at least be aware of.

For the most part, what this can influence is how you ignite it.  Often, you can use a remote to do it.  However, some people have a light switch instead, or even opt to have one that requires a lighter of some kind.  

Your preferences are something to discuss with whoever is going to handle the installation of your new fireplace.  Most of the time, the retailer offers a service like this for an additional fee, so that is another aspect to consider.  Thankfully, it is not an overly complex process beyond the gas connections required.

The only big thing to keep in the back of your mind here is that the surrounding area needs to be fireproofed before you can turn it on.  There are a few methods to doing this, such as utilizing sand or lava rocks, but that will be up to your discretion along with your installation service.

Are They Worth it?

It may come as a surprise to learn that they are a fairly pricey amenity for a home.  However, given some of the advantages that they have over other methods of heating a space or having a fireplace at all, it does make a bit more sense.  We can see on websites such as this one that these differences cannot be underplayed.

On a personal level, though, the question is harder to answer.  That is because you are the only one who can truly make that decision for your family and for yourself.  Can you see yourself getting a lot of use out of it?  What about your family, friends, and loved ones?

When the answer to that is yes, then it may be time to take the plunge and get one.  Winter is coming fast, overall, and work like this tends to be done faster when it is not freezing outside.  Plus, there is the simple fact that snuggling up on the couch in front of a fireplace just feels best when the weather outside is chilly.

As far as anyone still on the fence about it, I do hope that this article has helped offer you some perspective on what they are, how they work, and why they exist.  It may appear to be frivolous spending in some people’s opinions, but as you can read above, there are plenty of practical reasons that they exist as well.  The opinions of others should certainly not play a role in your decision-making.