Gas log installation from a family-owned team in Bithlo

What a healthy log set flame looks like

Manuals describe the flame they expect. One maker says its main burner flames should be blue at the base and a mix of blue and yellow through the body and the tips, about 5 to 8 inches above the logs, with the center flame the tallest.

The same manual expects ember flames about 1/4 inch above the embers. After an installation or a service, our technicians compare your flame with the description for your set and adjust what they can before they leave.

Where local rules limit vent-free sets

Vent-free sets are not allowed everywhere. One manual notes that state and local codes in some areas prohibit the use of vent-free heaters, and that some codes allow operation only in a vented configuration.

Before a vent-free set is recommended for your address, our crew confirms what applies there and whether your homeowners association or building has rules of its own. When the answer is unclear, the estimate says so and offers a vented set instead.

When the log set pilot keeps dropping out

When a log set pilot lights and then drops out, one maker's troubleshooting table points to several parts. Our technicians check each one before recommending a repair.

Pilot parts are specific to the valve, so replacements come from the set's own parts list.

• A valve that will not hold
• A pilot hood bent away from the thermocouple
• A bent or kinked pilot line
• A loose, cracked or worn thermocouple
• Excessive downdraft in the chimney

A pilot that will not light at all

A pilot that clicks without lighting has its own short list in one maker's troubleshooting table, from low gas pressure and a closed shutoff valve to a loose igniter wire, a blocked pilot hood, air in the line or dead batteries.

Some of these take a minute to fix and some need a part. Our technicians find which one it is and tell you before any part is ordered, with upfront pricing.

A record of the set that was installed

The next technician should not have to guess what is in your fireplace. After an installation or service, our crew records the set's maker and model, the gas type, the burner size, the damper opening and what was done.

Keep that record with the manual. It makes future service faster, answers a buyer's questions if you sell and shows at a glance whether replacement logs will match.