Gas log installation from a family-owned team in Colonial Town Center

Minimum firebox size for each burner

Every burner has a smallest fireplace it can go into. In one maker's table, the 18/20 inch burner calls for a firebox no narrower than 26 inches across the front and 20 across the back, at least 15 inches deep and 17 inches tall.

Its 24 inch burner needs 30 inches at the front and 24 at the back, and its 30 inch burner 36 and 29, with the same depth and height. Our crew measures all four dimensions in your firebox and compares them with the table for the set you want.

• Front width
• Rear width, measured at the burner's depth
• Depth from the opening
• Height of the opening

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.

A vented set in a bedroom fireplace

Vented sets follow a different exception. An exception in section 303.3 of Florida's fuel gas code allows decorative appliances for installation in vented solid fuel-burning fireplaces in sleeping rooms when the room meets the volume criteria of section 304.5.

That makes the room's size part of the job. Our pros measure the bedroom and any spaces that open into it, check the result against the code and put the finding in writing before recommending a vented set.

Flames that start behaving strangely

A set that has run well for a while can change. One maker says that if the flames start to take unusual shapes or the burners fail to ignite smoothly, the burner may need cleaning or servicing.

Our technicians clean the burner and pilot, check the media and log positions and test the pressure. If the problem is a worn part, the estimate names it and shows whether a repair or a new set is the better value.

A vent-free set that keeps shutting off

The oxygen depletion system on a vent-free set shuts it down when there is not enough fresh air, which one manual describes as the heater needing fresh air ventilation to run properly. A set that shuts off again and again is a signal to check the room before the set.

Our pros look at the room's size, the air supply, drafts across the firebox and the pilot itself. The ODS is never bypassed, and the estimate explains what the fix is and why.