can i install a gas log into a wood-burning fireplace?

Question

I was told that because wood-burning fireplaces have huge exahust therefore if I use gas logs I loose a lot of heat so it works mostly as a decorative rather than heating unit. is this true? btw, my wood-burning fire place's designed for gas logs to be installed and hast an 8 1/2" exahst pipe.

Answer 1

Buy an UN VENTED log set and you can close the flu of the chimney so all the heat goes into the home... If it gets too warm you may open the flue to get rid of some of the heat... Make sure the log set is UN VENTED not a vented set.... Sometimes called Vent Free also...

Answer 2

Gas log fireplaces have "fake" logs which absorb/radiate heat and glow, simulating wood logs. They burn natural gas which is piped into the fireplace. The advantages are that they're cleaner; no ashes to clean-up, no bringing logs into the house, no woodpile storage outside, no stray embers burning holes in your carpet or wood floors. They're easier to light; just turn on the gas valve and ignite it. Gas log fireplaces obviously don't have the aroma and crackling sound some people enjoy with a wood-burning fire. When burning a natural gas log fireplace, there is a continuous flow of gas feeding the fire, which raises your gas utility bill. Firewood is expensive too, though (especially if you buy it already split and aged and pay for delivery), so you have to weigh-out the cost of operating each type. There are also gas-fired wood burning fireplaces, where the gas supply assists in getting the fire going by adding fuel to the flame until the wood is sufficiently burning, at which point the gas valve is turned off. These types of fireplaces can be easily converted to gas log fireplaces with the installation of the log kit (a couple hundred bucks).

Answer 3

We have a gas log in our wood burning fireplace. The former owner put it in. They close off the chimney so the heat would not escape.

Answer 4

Yes.. we did this years ago in my fireplace and it isn't even big. We used it the other day. Just turn on the gas, light a match and poof, you got a fire ;)

Answer 5

Most of the heat will still go up the chimney

Answer 6

yes you can but you want to vent it much safer no worries that way. the make units with blowers that way you get a lot of heat with out the blower you will 80% of of your heat out the chimney.

Answer 7

sounds right

Answer 8

yes it would not hert any thing