Gas log installation sized to your Alafaya fireplace

How tall the chimney must be for vented logs

A vented log set sends its exhaust up the chimney by draft, and short chimneys draw weakly. One maker lists a minimum chimney height of 15 feet from the hearth to the top of the chimney for its vented set.

Taller chimneys draw better, and the same manual lets a taller chimney get by with a smaller damper opening. Our pros estimate your chimney's height at the inspection and explain what it means for the set you are considering.

Vent-free sets and bedrooms or bathrooms

One vent-free log set manual says plainly that the heater shall not be installed in a bedroom or bathroom. The state code keeps appliances out of those rooms too in section 303.3, and its exceptions for unvented heaters cover only a single small wall-mounted heater under strict conditions.

A log set in a bedroom fireplace is not one of those. Our specialists steer a bedroom fireplace toward a vented option and explain the reason in the written estimate.

Tightly built homes and vent-free sets

Newer and heavily sealed homes can hold too little outside air for an unvented heater. One vent-free manual says its heater shall not be installed in a confined space or in unusually tight construction unless provisions are made for additional air.

It defines unusually tight construction by features such as a continuous vapor retarder, gasketed or sealed openings and caulked joints around windows and doors. Our pros ask about the home's construction and recommend a vented option where the air supply is doubtful.

What the written gas log estimate lists

Our estimate names the log set by maker and model, the burner size, the damper clamp or stop, the media and embers and the controls. Repairs, removal of the old set and any gas piping by others each get their own line.

What you approve is what you pay, unless you agree to extra work. No fees hide in the fine print, and when you book within 72 hours after the inspection, 10% off is printed on it.

• Log set, burner and controls
• Damper clamp or permanent stop
• Repairs the fireplace needs first
• Gas piping by others, if any

Gas logs in a manufactured home

One vented log set manual allows installation in an aftermarket, permanently located manufactured home where local codes do not prohibit it, and it names the federal and national standards those installations must meet.

Not every set carries that allowance, and not every fireplace in a manufactured home is built for gas logs. Our pros check the set's listing and the fireplace's own label before recommending anything.