When you’re shopping for a new gas hearth appliance, it helps to know exactly what you’re looking for. The hearth industry is replete with jargon and learning about the different appliances can be surprisingly complicated. However, knowing the basic types of gas hearth appliance is the best place to start when you’re ready to tackle your project.

Gas hearth appliances are available in a few types, useful for different applications. These types include:

• Gas Fireplaces

• Gas Inserts

• Free-standing Gas Stoves; and

• Gas Logs

Each type of appliance has its own unique applications and benefits; however, at their core, gas appliances are designed to bring the beautiful aesthetics of a fireplace to your home with unmatched convenience and heat.

What is a Gas Fireplace?

A gas fireplace is a gas hearth appliance—designed to be installed into standard framing—that gives the ambiance of a wood burning fireplace with the convenience of a push button start and thermostat modes. Not only that, these appliances are powerful, highly-efficient heaters giving you a source of heat that will help you save on your annual heating costs.

Gas fireplaces are direct vent; meaning, they take in combustion air and vent combustion by-products through the same chimney. Direct vent technology allows gas fireplaces to go into places where a wood-burner is out of the question.

Gas fireplaces are highly customizable. You select the face, logs, burner media, and more to make the fireplace match your particular style. Whether you want something traditional, modern, or even post-modern, there’s a gas fireplace and combination of fireplace options that will work for you.

What are the advantages of a gas fireplace?

• Simplified venting often means that you can have a new gas fireplace in less than a day’s work, depending on your project.

• Direct Vent gas fireplaces are a sealed system. Combustion air comes from the outside and the appliance vents combustion by-products directly to the outdoors. This removes the risk of carbon monoxide and soot entering the home.

• Gas fireplaces are easy to use with remote controls and thermostat modes.

• Natural gas is the most cost effective source of heat by BTU’s.

• Gas fireplaces provide heat when the power goes out.

What is a gas insert?

A gas insert is similar to a gas fireplace; however, gas inserts are designed to go into an existing wood-burning masonry or factory-built fireplace. These appliances vent through your existing chimney or chase. If you have an existing fireplace that’s in need of an update, a gas insert could be perfect for you.

Just like their larger fireplace cousins, gas inserts are highly customizable. They come with a stunning array of options. Some manufacturers offer inserts that have a near-infinite combination of options to fit any style.

What are the advantages of a gas insert?

• Gas inserts are direct vent, drawing combustion air directly from the exterior and venting exhaust through the same chimney.

• Like gas fireplaces, gas inserts are easy to use with remotes and thermostat modes.

• Gas inserts add insulation in otherwise open masonry or factory built wood-burners.

• Gas inserts are cost effective to run, burning natural gas or propane.

• Gas inserts keep burning when the power goes out.

What is a gas stove?

A gas stove is a free-standing gas appliance that looks like a traditional wood stove. Gas stoves are exceptional heaters, producing up to 40,000 BTU. Due to their free-standing design and direct vent system, gas stoves are great for unconventional spaces such as basements, additions, or garages.

There are many different gas stoves to choose from with plenty of different finishes. Gas stoves are manufactured from steel or cast iron, allowing you to pick the perfect heat transfer characteristics for your application. Not only that, gas stoves radiate heat on multiple sides of the appliance, not just the front, meaning more heat gets into your home than with any other gas appliance.

What are the advantages of gas stoves?

• Gas stoves are powerful heaters.

• With a gas stove, the heat radiates into the room from multiple sides of the unit.

• Gas stoves offer your choice of cast iron or steel bodies, allowing you to choose the heating characteristics of your stove.

• They are direct vent and can go anywhere you want a stove to go.

• Just like gas inserts and gas fireplaces, gas stoves don’t require power to heat your home.

What are gas logs?

Gas logs—also known as gas log sets—are a decorative appliance designed to convert a masonry or factory-built wood-burner to gas. These appliances give the look of a wood fire with the easy start of a gas appliance. To install a gas log set, the damper must be removed or fixed open; meaning, we install these appliances less for heat and more for aesthetic purposes. If you’re looking for ambiance but are confident in your current home heating setup, a gas log set might be what you’re looking for.

What are the advantages of gas logs?

• Gas logs are generally less expensive to purchase and install than a fireplace or insert.

• They offer the ambiance of a wood fireplace with the convenience of gas.

How much maintenance does a gas appliance need?

We suggest annual maintenance by an NFI-Certified technician for all gas appliances, according to the CSIA, and fireplace manufacturer guidelines. This annual maintenance will keep your fireplace running year after year, keeping you warm and cozy in the winter.

Contact Mountain Hearth & Patio for Certified Gas Fireplace Service and Installation

To explore your options for a gas fireplace, stove, or insert; or, if you’re looking for gas fireplace maintenance give Mountain Hearth & Patio a call at (303) 679-1601. Our NFI and CSIA-Certified sales staff and technicians will walk you through the process of selecting and installing your new gas appliance. We don’t use sub-contractors, and we guarantee our work, so you’ll have peace of mind that your new fireplace will keep you safe and warm for years to come. You can also reach us by email at Office@MtnHP.com or via the form on our contact page.