The Ultimate Gas Log Buyer's Guide

Empire Birch gas logs in firepalce in living room

$Empire Sassafras Refractory Vented Gas Log Set$

Not sure where to start? Start here

The Ultimate Gas Log Buyer’s Guide

Choosing the right gas logs comes down to five decisions: fuel type, vented or vent-free, fireplace size, burner and ignition controls, and finally, the log set itself.

We've helped homeowners make these decisions since 1990, and this guide walks you through them in the order that makes buying easier.

Choosing gas logs takes five decisions. Here they are, in order.

Most people get stuck because they start with the logs. Wrong end. The log set is actually the last decision.

Once you've worked through the technical choices first, choosing the look you love becomes much easier.

01 FuelNatural gas or propane
02 TypeRealism or heat
03 SizeFive measurements
04 ControlsHow the fire turns on
05 Choose Your LogsChoose the look you love

Write your answers down as you go. At the bottom, there's a summary that turns them into a shopping list.

Already know your fuel and vent type? Jump straight to measuring your fireplace.

Rather have some help narrowing it down? Use our Product Finder to walk through your fireplace and see which options make sense.

Use the Product Finder

Decision 1: Natural Gas or Propane?

This is the first fork in the road because burners are designed for a specific fuel.

Natural gas and liquid propane require different burner configurations.The burner components that regulate and mix the gas are sized for the fuel the system is designed to use. Using a burner configured for the wrong fuel can cause improper operation, excessive soot, and safety concerns.

Some systems can be converted from one fuel to another with a manufacturer-approved conversion kit, while others cannot. Never assume a gas log set is convertible. Choose the correct fuel version when ordering unless the manufacturer specifically approves conversion for that system.

So before you shop, answer this:

Natural Gas

Usually means you have a utility gas meter serving the home.

My fuel is Natural Gas

Liquid Propane

Usually means you have a propane tank serving your home.

My fuel is Liquid Propane

Not sure? Check an existing gas appliance in your home, or ask your installer before ordering.

Where to go next

Want to understand the difference? Natural Gas vs. Liquid Propane Guide Need a gas line installed? Gas Line Services Already know your fuel? Shop Gas Logs

Decision 2: Vented or Vent-Free?

This decision determines the role your fireplace will play.

Vented gas logs are designed for fireplaces built to burn wood. That includes traditional masonry fireplaces and many factory-built or prefabricated wood-burning fireplaces, sometimes called zero-clearance fireplaces.

Vent-free gas logs may also be an option in some masonry and approved factory-built fireplaces, depending on the fireplace, room size, installation requirements, manufacturer instructions, and local codes.

A sealed direct-vent fireplace is different. Although the name includes the word vent, it is not the same as a fireplace for vented gas logs. Direct-vent fireplaces are manufactured systems designed to use components approved for that specific unit. Do not assume that a standard vented or vent-free gas log set can be installed in a direct-vent fireplace. Check the fireplace manufacturer's specifications for the exact log set, burner, and components approved for your model.

In some cases, an approved log set may look familiar or even share a name with gas logs sold for other applications, which is why the fireplace model—not appearance alone—determines compatibility.

American Gas Works works through our distribution network with several major fireplace manufacturers. If you need replacement direct-vent parts, including an approved gas log assembly, contact us.

What matters most to you?

Vented

More realistic flame presentation
Damper stays fully open during operation
More traditional fireplace experience

Vent-Free

More usable heat stays in the room
Does not require an open chimney flue during operation
Additional room, installation, and code requirements may apply

Go deeper: Compare the differences in our complete Vented vs Vent-Free guide.

Quick comparison

Vented vs. vent-free gas logs
Comparison point	Vented	Vent-Free
Flame appearance	Typically larger, more realistic flames	Typically smaller, more controlled flames
Usable room heat	More heat is lost through the open chimney	More heat stays in the room
Open chimney/flue during operation	Yes	No, but installation and local-code requirements apply
Bedroom use	May be an option, depending on the fireplace and local requirements	More restricted; only specific bedroom-approved sets may be used, where permitted

STILL TORN?

Let the fireplace decide.

If both options sound right, use the Product Finder to narrow them down based on your fireplace and what matters most to you.

Open the Product Finder

Decision 3: Measure Your Fireplace

This is where most wrong orders happen.

Gas log size is not the same thing as fireplace opening width. A 24-inch log set does not fit every fireplace that looks 24 inches wide. Use the same four usable firebox dimensions you will see in the Product Finder and on AGW measuring guidance.

Measure the usable space inside the firebox, stopping at permanent obstructions that reduce the area available for the burner system.

Need more help? View the full step-by-step measuring guide

You need four measurements

1 Front opening width — measure the clear width across the front opening of the firebox
2 Rear width — measure the clear width across the back wall of the firebox at the usable installation area
3 Height — measure the clear interior height available for the gas log system
4 Depth — measure from the back wall to the front edge of the clear, usable firebox floor

Measure the usable space inside the firebox. Not the mantel, not the hearth extension, not the outside brick. Inside only, and only the space the burner system can actually occupy.

Most fireboxes are tapered, which is why you need both widths. The back wall may be narrower than the front, and on many sets the rear width is what actually limits which size fits — not the opening you're looking at.

Then match against the product page, not a rule of thumb. Every gas log set on our site lists its minimum firebox dimensions in the description. Your numbers need to meet or exceed those minimums for the specific set and burner/control configuration you choose.

Go deeper: the step-by-step measuring guide explains usable firebox space, obstructions, tapered fireboxes, glass doors, and how to compare your numbers with product-page requirements.

Shop by the size you measured

16″–20″21″–24″30″36″See-Through Fireplaces

Decision 4: Burner, Ignition and Controls

This decides how the fire turns on — and it's the decision people regret most.

Your gas logs need the right hearth kit or burner system underneath them.

The hearth kit includes the components needed for the gas logs to operate properly. Depending on the system, that can include the burner pan with sand or vermiculite, the grate, valve, and other components designed for that particular log set.

The grate supports the logs and helps determine how they are positioned and displayed. The burner produces the flame, and the valve determines how the system is controlled.

Just as important, you can't assume that any set of logs can sit on any burner or hearth kit. The hearth kit has to be compatible with the logs you're buying.

With vented gas logs, there may be more than one compatible hearth kit or burner option available for a particular log set.

With vent-free gas logs, the logs and burner are designed to operate together as a specific system and should not be mixed and matched with other burners.

Your four control options

No remote

Manual safety pilot

A standing pilot stays lit while the system is in use. To turn the burner on or off, you operate the control at the fireplace.

Needs house power: No

Best for: simplicity, reliability, lowest cost, outage-proof operation

Remote on/off

On/off remote

Turn the burner on and off from the remote. Flame height is adjusted manually at the fireplace on systems that allow flame adjustment.

Needs house power: No

Best for: remote convenience without paying for flame-height control.

Remote flame control

Variable flame remote

Turn the burner on and off and adjust the flame height from the remote.

Needs house power: No

Best for: customers who want the most control and convenience from a standing-pilot system.

No standing pilot

Electronic ignition (IPI)

The pilot does not remain lit continuously. The ignition system lights the pilot when the fireplace is turned on.

Needs house power: Depends on the system

Best for: customers who prefer not to maintain a standing pilot.

Go deeper Ignition Controls Guide Shop All Gas Log Sets

Decision 5: Now Pick the Set You Actually Like

Four decisions in, the catalog has narrowed itself. What's left is genuinely a matter of taste — bark texture, log color, how full the stack looks, whether you want classic oak or something lighter.