Mazcar
New Member
Gentlemen,
We froze our Tex-asses last year when the power went out. It was 8 degrees and I'm built for 100 degree Summers! We have a 24"-35" fireplace that we never used until this last Winter. We used the stand/grill/grate thing and put some logs on it. Under the stand, there's a gas manifold with a gas shutoff valve mounted on the wall. It uses a square key. The logs (and any wood we could scrounge) made a mess in there. The previous homeowner used logs, as the fireplace could use a good cleaning. The heat was okay, but nothing when the logs burned away. It was like comparing the heat from a stove vs. a stove with a pot of boiling water.
So, we're thinking of forking out for some ceramic logs or a whole gas log insert set. There are a lot of options and I wanted to hear your take.
* get ceramic logs and use the current manifold.
* get a whole log/manifold set (I think those have a thermostat, too) and replace the manifold.
* use wood logs and just keep a stock of wood around
I've been told that the cheap big box store ceramic logs leave a headache inducing smoke inside the home.
The whole set option has sub-0ptions that include "vent-free." Is that safe? Rasmussen sells a set of "vent-free" logs with a manifold. You just close the flue and enjoy all that sweet gas on ceramic heat for a paltry $500? Sheesh.
Option three is a mess. Sure, it's good if the gas goes out, but I foresee the electricity going out, first. Besides, I will have a stock of logs as insurance.
Thanks. I appreciate your advice. I apologize if this is not the forum to ask these questions.
This forum has been great for plumbing knowledge; really great.
Now, I"m learning about fireplaces; a task I had back-burnered for years.
We froze our Tex-asses last year when the power went out. It was 8 degrees and I'm built for 100 degree Summers! We have a 24"-35" fireplace that we never used until this last Winter. We used the stand/grill/grate thing and put some logs on it. Under the stand, there's a gas manifold with a gas shutoff valve mounted on the wall. It uses a square key. The logs (and any wood we could scrounge) made a mess in there. The previous homeowner used logs, as the fireplace could use a good cleaning. The heat was okay, but nothing when the logs burned away. It was like comparing the heat from a stove vs. a stove with a pot of boiling water.
So, we're thinking of forking out for some ceramic logs or a whole gas log insert set. There are a lot of options and I wanted to hear your take.
* get ceramic logs and use the current manifold.
* get a whole log/manifold set (I think those have a thermostat, too) and replace the manifold.
* use wood logs and just keep a stock of wood around
I've been told that the cheap big box store ceramic logs leave a headache inducing smoke inside the home.
The whole set option has sub-0ptions that include "vent-free." Is that safe? Rasmussen sells a set of "vent-free" logs with a manifold. You just close the flue and enjoy all that sweet gas on ceramic heat for a paltry $500? Sheesh.
Option three is a mess. Sure, it's good if the gas goes out, but I foresee the electricity going out, first. Besides, I will have a stock of logs as insurance.
Thanks. I appreciate your advice. I apologize if this is not the forum to ask these questions.
This forum has been great for plumbing knowledge; really great.
Now, I"m learning about fireplaces; a task I had back-burnered for years.