Gas log installation in College Park

Cleaning the fireplace before the burner goes in

Years of wood fires leave material behind that a gas burner should not sit under. Before its set goes in, one log set maker wants the flue, the damper and the firebox scrubbed free of soot, ash and flaking paint and looked over by a qualified professional.

Our crew does that cleaning and inspection as the first stage of the job, so the damper will clamp, the flue is open and nothing falls onto the new burner the first time it warms up.

Sand for natural gas, vermiculite for propane

The loose material in a burner pan spreads the gas and shapes the flame. One maker's vented sets use sand on natural gas and vermiculite on propane, with glowing embers placed on top.

Using the wrong media for the gas type is on the same manual's list of causes for a low flame, and media packed down too tightly can make a burner light unevenly. Our installers use the media your set specifies and spread it the way the manual shows.

A supplemental heater only

Florida's fuel gas code, in section 621.2, does not allow unvented room heaters to be a home's only source of comfort heat. One vent-free manual pitches its set as extra heat for a single room and never as the main heat for the house.

For most homes that is exactly how a log set gets used, a warm fire on a cool evening. Our specialists make sure the set you choose is sized for that role and not asked to do more.

Matching the set to the gas on its rating plate

Every burner is built for a specific gas. One vented set manual says its appliance is for use only with the gas on the rating plate, is not field convertible and must not be installed if the supply is different.

A propane burner on natural gas, or the reverse, appears in the same manual's list of causes for smoking and sooting, with the instruction to shut it down immediately. Our crew checks the plate against your supply before the set is even unboxed.

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