Gas Logs in Woodland Hills: The Cheapest Way Off Wood

Gas logs are the lowest-cost way to stop burning wood. A burner and a set of ceramic or refractory logs sit in your existing firebox, connected to a gas line, and the fire lights with a key, a switch or a remote. They look good and are easy to use. What they do not do is heat the room much: a vented set sends most of its heat up the flue, the same as a wood fire. If you want heat, an insert is the better buy at $2,650 to $5,300 installed. If you want the look of a fire without the work, gas logs are the cheaper answer.

The price of a gas log job depends on the set you choose, whether a gas line is already in the firebox, and the distance to the nearest line if it is not. We quote that in writing after we have looked at the fireplace. Many Woodland Hills fireplaces built in the 1950s and 1960s already have a gas key for a log lighter, which keeps the job simple.

Vented gas logs need an open flue, so the damper is clamped open permanently. They give the most natural-looking flame. Ventless sets burn hotter and put more heat into the room but release combustion moisture into the house, and they come with an oxygen depletion sensor. For most living rooms with a working chimney, we suggest vented. Before installing either, we check the flue, because a set in a fireplace with a cracked liner or heavy creosote from years of wood fires is not a good start. If it needs a sweep first, that is from $210 and shown separately.

Once installed, gas logs need a yearly check of the burner and pilot, and the logs need to stay in their set positions. We show you how before we leave, and the setup is written into your service record.