Gas log installation by local pros in Isleworth

Embers and extras the set does not list

Glowing embers make a log set look alive, and more is not better. One maker says not to add any additional embers to its set, since extra embers will cause unsafe operation, and to discard the ember screen and extra embers supplied with one of its log styles because they do not apply to that burner.

A vent-free manual goes further, ruling out added logs and ornaments such as pine cones. Our crew installs exactly the media and embers your set lists.

Downdraft and the height of the chimney

Wind swirling around a roof can push exhaust back down a short chimney. One log set maker lists poor draft or downdraft as a cause of smoking and sooting and asks for the chimney to be at least 3 feet taller than anything within 10 feet of it in all directions.

The same manual suggests a chimney cap or a fan may help where that height is not met. Our specialists look at the chimney and its surroundings before a vented set goes in and explain the options in writing.

Fans, drafts and flame patterns

A vent-free flame is sensitive to moving air. One manual warns not to let fans blow directly into the fireplace and to avoid any drafts that alter the burner's flame pattern, and it rules out installing the heater in high traffic, windy or drafty areas.

Ceiling fans, air conditioning registers and doors to the patio can all send air across a firebox. Our crew looks at what moves air around your fireplace and suggests simple changes when a flame is being pushed around.

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.

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