Your local gas log installation team in Spring Isle

Mantel clearance for a vent-free set

With a mantel, one vent-free manual asks for noncombustible material extending at least 8 inches above the opening and a hood accessory when that material is less than 12 inches, plus minimum distances between the opening and the mantel shelf.

If those clearances cannot be met, the same manual says the heater must be operated with the flue damper open. Our crew measures your mantel and facing and tells you which way the set can run.

Spreading the media evenly

The sand or vermiculite in a burner pan has to be loose and even for the gas to spread across the burner. One maker lists media packed down too tightly as a cause of a burner not burning evenly.

Its fix is to loosen the media along both sides of the burner pipe and even it out in the pan. Our installers spread it that way at installation and check it again at each service visit, since media settles over time.

A cracked or broken log

Logs do wear out. Gas fireplace manuals we work from say not to operate the appliance if any log is broken, since a broken piece changes where the flame goes and can lead to soot.

Replacement logs have to be the ones listed for your burner. Our crew identifies the set, orders the matching log and places it by the diagram, and when a matching log no longer exists, we explain the options for a new set.

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

Flame at the air mixer on propane sets

On some propane models, a flame can appear at the air mixer or orifice instead of across the burner. One maker lists clogged burner ports, gas pressure and the wrong or tightly packed media as the causes.

The same manual says propane sets must use the proper vermiculite, loosened around the burner pipe. Our crew checks the media, cleans the ports and tests the pressure, then relights the set and watches the flame settle where it belongs.