Your local gas log installation team in Eatonville

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

Odors when the logs are running

Not every odor at a log set is a fault. One maker's troubleshooting table notes that a new home, new carpet or new paint can produce objectionable odors when those fumes are drawn into the fire, and it advises ventilating the area thoroughly before restarting the set.

The same table lists a closed damper as another cause, with the fix of making sure the damper is open. Our technicians check the damper and clamp first whenever an owner reports an odor.

The listing behind a vent-free set

Vent-free log sets are unvented room heaters in the eyes of the code. Section 621.1 of the Florida fuel gas code requires them to be listed to ANSI Z21.11.2 and installed according to the conditions of the listing and the manufacturer's instructions.

One vent-free manual says its set is tested to that standard and can operate with the flue damper closed. That is the key difference from a vented set, and it is why the room around a vent-free set gets so much attention.

Pilot, ignition and remote options

Log sets vary in how they light. Some use a push-button piezo igniter, which in one vent-free manual needs a single AAA battery, some use a standing pilot and some use electronic ignition with a remote receiver.

Each option has its own parts, batteries and lighting steps, and the listing covers the controls the set was tested with. Our pros explain the choices for the set you like and install the controls exactly as supplied.

Handing over the set and the manual

Before our crew leaves, we show you how to light the set, adjust the flame and shut it down, where the shutoff valve is and where the damper clamp sits. The manual stays with you, open at the pages you will use.

One maker says its rating plates and warning tags must never be removed, since they identify the appliance and its safety requirements. We leave them in place and show you where to find them.