A common question that people have when looking for a set of gas logs is do you need a vented or vent free set. That is the starting point for most conversations about gas logs. And it is a very important question as there are significant differences between the two types of gas logs.
Lets start with the vented versions of gas logs. The pros are that they are very good looking. They have a much nicer flame that is warm, large, and natural looking. A vented gas log system is by far the better looking unit. They just look like a fire should look! However, there are some down sides to vented gas logs that need to be considered.
First, they do create soot. This means that there will be more maintenance as soot will build up on the logs and many people do not want to have to mess with that. The vented log sets also burns significantly more gas than a vent free set. For example, a Regency 24" vented system will burn 64,000 btu's of gas and the Regency 24" vent free system will burn 37,000 btu's of gas. In addition to it burning more fuel, typically most of the heat escapes up out of the flue and does not add as much warmth to the home.
The vent free system seems to be the most popular system in our region as they outsell the vented systems on a rate somewhere around 20 to 1. Lets start by discussing the positive aspects of a vent free gas log set. They use less fuel than the vented system. The vent free gas logs will use roughly 1/2 to 1/3 as much fuel. They also allow all of the heat that comes from them to remain in the living space. That means that if you burn 35,000 btu's worth of gas you will get roughly that amount of heat put off into the home!
There are some down sides to vent free systems, however. First, all of the heat comes out of the front of the fireplace and goes up the wall. This requires some planning if you wish to put a television or artwork above the fireplace so that you do not damage it. Secondly, the fire is not quite as attractive as that generated by a vented gas system. That is not to say that is is ugly, it is just not quite as nice. Another potential issue is that the burning of the gas generates a certain amount of water vapor. I have read about this and see where people recommend not using them because of this, however, we live in very humid environment and I have never seen nor heard of this being an issue for anyone in our area. Also, fire code prevents the installation of vent free burners into a bedroom or bathroom unless they are less than 10,000 btu's.
These items discussed above are not the only things that need to be considered when deciding between vented or vent free gas logs. But if you understand these things, it will make it much easier for you to decide what type of gas logs that you would actually like to have in your home.
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