Should I buy a gas log set or gas insert | Which one is better? 

I would make one clarification: If you have a vented gas long set, everything Trevor said is dead-on. However, a vent-free log set (where the flue is mainly closed) does not have this issue. That also means you can drop way down in BTU's and cost and still gain dramatically in performance. A 37,000 BTU vent-free unit can heat an entire small home whereas an 80,000 BTU vented log set can't. I have a vent-free log set in my home and on the LOWEST setting (of five) it heats up my entire first floor which is roughly 1,000 square feet. In the dead of winter I can have a sauna in my family room (where the fireplace is). You can fully control this by setting the flue opening from closed to fully open or anywhere in between.

*Very easy to set up and use, attractive but be sure you understand the height--it's not tall. The heat is not overwhelming, but steady and pleasant fireplace fireplace.homes . It's quiet, too. I like the possibility of easily moving it from room to room i

I just went with a gas insert and about fell over when I saw the total with, tax, labor, venting tubes, chimney cap, the unit itself and frame. I chose the Mendota FV-44i, basic safety screen, and had to have a custom frame ordered which added $200. The insert with custom frame was $4700, labor to install $800, cap and vent tubes $300 grand total of almost $6000 with PA sales tax. Not cheap by any means but I can't believe how much heat this beast puts out.

Thank you for making this video! Very informative, very clearly presented, and very helpful for someone who never had a fireplace before.

Precisely the information and clarity I needed that I have not found so far during my research. Thank you!

To heat something up such as a 3 bedroom house, you need "VENTLESS" because the vented versions tend to just heat a single spot rather than the entire house. We have had a dual fuel (propane/natural gas and we use propane) 30,000 BTU gas log set with mantle for 8+ years now and it has had no problem heating a 3 bedroom house here in Virginia. We use three 100 pound tanks and each one lasts about 30 days if we use it only when we need to. We do regret not getting the blower kit for it which is no longer made for our specific gas log set because the heat goes straight up from the mantle. So to compensate, we use a fan on top of corner cabinet. Our installion cost was around $700 dollars at that time. Propane heat is awesome and INSTANT HEAT. It's also cheaper than firewood in some cases too. Just make sure you get ventless and definitely get a blower kit for it.

Thank you for making this video! It gives a lot of insight and has been very helpful.

Thank you for the video. I learned a lot. I sure did feel bad for you and your finger but it was a great way to demonstrate just how hot it gets. This video answered a bunch of my questions. Thanks again.

What a great video. Very very helpful info as I think about exchanging an old woodstove for gas logs and now you have me thinking an insert will be a getter option. I have been trying to decide which way to go and your videos gave me a much better understanding of my options. Great information!.

Great job explaining the difference!! Thank You so much!!! 😊👍

Trevor... what a great educational video. Very informative, right to the point. Mario from Canada

Thank you Trevor. This helped me out tremendously. You articulate so well that I had to comment which I rarely do on RU-vid. I wish you were in CT - I'd buy from you in heartbeat. Thanks again for this helpful video. My only feedback is that I wish you got into vented vs ventless inserts.

Nice job, very thorough! Thanks for the info.

Great unintentional joke with the thermostat needle! Nice video, and extremely helpful. Going with the log set because I rely on the radiators for heat. Just for the look, and to finally use my fireplace after 3 years in my house.

Nice job! Very informative and entertaining as well.

This was a great video. We just bought a hone in the Midwest and have two flu chimneys that we have to decide on which way to go. This video helps explain it to us! Thanks

This info was very helpful thanks from Alabama

Thank you! This was so informative, great job!

Thanks! great information and your presentation is very good

Very Helpful! Thank you

Amazing video, very helpful! 😀 Thanks a lot!

Thank You for your time and helpful knowledge. Our gas logs are so hot we can not run them continuously. We have a 52" ceiling fan set on low, when the fire place clicks on the fan disperses the heat throughout the rooms they are in. We have a 4ton gas pac central air, in a 2500sqf home. And we keep it on 64° in the winter, gas logs in the family room's 12" ceiling, and living room 10" ceiling on 70° and love how I don't touch a thing once set. Bedrooms cool at night, and all the family room's warm and toasty. Personally I have not seen the need to try something different when what we have works so well. I certainty understand completely that what I decribed is not for everyone. I'm a restaurant guy myself and I hooked up both sets of logs when new and changed one out myself when we wanted to upgrade to a better looking style. Again if any body has not decided, this is a great video to help with that decision. But when we built our house 23 year's ago we had not heard about an gas insert. Maybe we would have went a different direction 🤔 Good luck guy's. ✌️😎👍

Beautiful, amazing, and very informative

Thank you for a very informative video!

Awesome video. Thank you!

Very informative video. Thank you

Great video, extremely helpful. Thanks

Great sales bud informative and relaxed

Great video Thank's.

Guy's I live in Europe... Mallorca, Spain. We have hot summers and colder winters down to maybe 10º as an average but we can drop to 2º ...OK dont laugh but after 30+º summers that's cold. Wow am I impressed with your informative advice... information and "opinions" are everything. I get almost zero advice here... " You like it, get it "...that's as good as it gets. if anything you give us too much to think about.... but that's a good thing. My Aunt lives near Fort Collins and is doing a total refit of her old home...I've sent her your info...she will be paying you a visit and yes I've subscribed.

Very helpful! Thanks.

The one with gold frame looks amazing. Way better than your top 5

Thank you, excellent explanation

Amazing video. Thanks so much. Wish you were close to us, I would be buying right away.

Awesome explanation!!

Great information, thanks for taking the time to educate!

Excellent presentation!

Is there blowers for gas log sets? i just purchased a house with a double sides wood fireplace converted to gas and would love to use as a heat source when its cold

Great explanation!

Great informative video!! I have a question, how about if we put the heat exchanger grate under the gas logs? Would you think that will warm up the room? Thank you

fireplace came with the house with ceramic logs. Wanted to change to glass inside but we found out we can’t cause it’s not interchangeable. It’s a majestic brand

Thank You for your videos.... What about if you have a prefab box, no chimney or vent. Can I just use vent free logs? Do I or should I get a blower?

So helpful!

Thank you!

hi thanks for your video great information!! .... what about the ceramic balls ? are those as good as the gas log set? will they heat up your house? im looking for something that will give out heat. thanks in advance.

Great video - very helpful. I have a fireplace in a home built 19 years ago.It has a gas line at the bottom but can burn wood or put a gas log on top (I guess). I was thinking to buy a pan and fire glass and change it's look but sounds like the heating will continue to be inefficient with most heat going out of the house vs into the house. The insert as an investment in the home, delivering heat, and resale value all seem positive. Remote control of heat levels sounds great too. I can't see how it could heat the whole home - it's 3000 sq ft home. Other issue is we have an HDTV above the mantle and if all that heat comes out (more than now) -- won't that be a major negative to the TV's life? Thanks.

Great info, was thinking of removing my old insert and getting a more open flame but im in Seattle so it helps with heat. Mine hasent run for 4 years I just youtubed how to start it and used a wire brush on the starter thingy and its going for the first time in forever...Quick question? I have and old Regency probably from 2004...Can I spray black high heat paint inside and remove logs and add lava rock and fire glass covering up burner to update it?

Very helpful, however like the aesthetic and cost of log set but not heating efficiency.

Great video, thank you very much. Question...how do I know if ventless systems are allowed in my city? I'm in Dallas, TX

Great info, thank you. Whats your recommendation for an outside fireplace and i live in montana

nice explanation i didnt know any of this stuff. seems very expensive for gas insert

ive had one and its amazing for heating a home should have explained more about the effect of taking air from the outside and bringing it into the home thats where these fireplace inserts get it done, i paid little over 2k for mine to be installed

Can you do a best of on free standing lp gas stoves for heating.

Hello , great video . I have a old gas fireplace , it’s a new old hole we bought last year . It’s missing the log set and I came across your video searching for ideas . My question is if the current has fireplace has a glass frame around it entirely that’s let’s certain parts to open and close as needed does it make it more efficient ? Tia

I live in Minnesota was doing research on what to do with my fireplace. Thank you Thank you!! You have helped So Much! I love my 1920's home but I have classic radiators and there is not one in my living room where my fireplace is. A gas insert is going to be amazing in that space! In the instal of the vent/intake pipes is there any concern to insulate in the chimney? Or since it is all sealed there wouldn't be.

Thanks

Very informative

Great video. We moved into our home last year and the fireplace that the old owner installed is a Heat N Glo wood burning insert with a blower which heats the room nicely. Can we install a gas log-set into that so we don't have to lug firewood anymore?

I have the gas log with chimney open in our property is useless. No heat comes out. I'm thinking how to fix It with less cost.

what about a vent free for a 3/4 covered patio (walk out patio) as a heat source ? building a 12x45 with 12 foot ceiling 3/4 covered patio (covered and 3 walls ) the 45 foot wall will be screened but also have a isenglass / canvas type of drop down for the winter. won't be air tight to the walls but be somewhat tight. I will probably have it wired also for the electric radiant heaters i have watched your video's. Just in case i'd have to add more heat. the house is being built in SC so winter months are not bad unless a really cold spell so i'd say unless a crazy winter freeze it usually won't get lower than low 40's in the worst average winter months.

Good presentation Can you please kindly post videos on maintenance of gas insert and how to add ember glower to it? Thanks

I live in San Diego, Ca. (East county) It can get down into the 30s at night during winter months. But by 10 or 11am...it can get to 60s. Grant it, we have central heating throughout our home...but on those colder mornings it would be nice to have just our living room warm up. Does anyone in our type of climate have these inserts or recommend...or any out there in our climate think it may be too much heat for us. Thanks for any advice.

Thanks for this video! Would you say the loss in efficiency for just gas logs (without an insert) is comparable to just burning a Duraflame log?

Well done presentation. But I wish you would have delved into vent free log sets. I’m seriously considering trying a VF set because, why not get some heat out of the gas you’re burning? And nothing says efficiency better than 99%! The main problems with VF are moisture generation and smells from combustion. The question I have is why these problems couldn’t be mitigated by simply opening the flue slightly? That’s the direction I’m leaning in converting a wood fireplace.

Hot as heck🔥🔥🔥 there in the end.😂 Awesome info. Thanks.

Great video I have 3 gas log fireplaces in my home raised three kids 28,26,23 & now a 9 year old son never had a incident with any of my kids being burned when they were little I let them touch the Mantle gently and let the heat burn "Not Harm" their hand they understood the danger and never touch it or played around any of them ,I live in the NORTHEAST so when they're on you literally have to cut the Furnace off and my kids being grown wgen they visit want the fireplaces on because of the Obeisance and ozy feeling I have a fireplace in my bedroom I was gonna remove for a closet I decided to leave it because I realize the Fireplaces give my home substantial more value the Gas log is a must for my family and many friends over the years have invested in them in their homes because of the Beauty when they visit

So much information in this helpful video and you didn’t even mention ventless gas logs! How can you leave them out of this conversation???

What about if power goes out? Which one would work in a no power situation? If either is dependent on electricity then they aren’t a good backup source of heat. I know during the Texas deep freeze in 21 the only heat we had was from our gas logs. If we had an insert would it have worked when the power went out with freezing weather?

I have a ventless gas log fireplace with a blower and it produces a lot of heat.

Ours too we have to be close to it to feel the heat. Ours has glass on it. Ours is gas fireplace

When we built out house we had a wood burning fireplace put in that's a combo fireplace. It has a gas connection at it. They told us if we want to use the gas connection all we have to do it buy the gas log/insert? and connect it to the gas and turn the gas connection on(they gave us a special key for it). Which one do we have to use to keep it a wood burning fireplace as well? If we did the gas insert would that mess up the option to burn firewood?

OK so ill have to get on to you about the gas logs, if your using a vented set then i would agree with you, but when it comes to vent free, instead of loosing 86% of heat up the flue like with vented sets, you will get around 75 to 80% of that heat so make sure what type of gas logs your looking at before you buy, there's a big difference from vented to vent free, from looks to performance. Now when you talk about inserts mendota is the number one inserts/fireplaces on the market, thats what I sell, and for gas logs it would be Peterson Real Fyre gas logs.

I have a sealed insert running with the “in” and “out” liners. My logs are looking tired. Unfortunately, I don’t know the manufacture name. My question is; can the burner/logs be replaced with new (different) ones within the original box? Is it as simple as removing the front glass, removing the logs and disconnecting the burner?

I can see why gas logs are less efficient. But I have one of the old Heatilator Mark 123 fireplaces with air ducts in the wall. A gas log there might not waste as much heat as it normally would. It would certainly cost less to try. I just want the occasional ambience and an emergency natural gas heat source that works when the power is off.

Can I get the fire glass in an insert system? What is the benefit of the fireglass versus the ceramic logs?

Does the glass covering the air mixer fitting not prevent it from doing its job properly?

Right now I have a sealed gas insert connected to two flues coming down the chimney, one to bring air in and one expelling the heated air. Can I remove the insert from my masonry fireplace and convert to a gas log setup without worrying about the negative consequences of having the room air going up the chimney because of the existing two flue system already there or will the heated air simply go up two flues instead of one in a typical setup?

can you use a gas log set if the chimney liner isn't in great shape and is missing mortar?

I wrote a comment that stated I only had 3 full walls on my fireplace actually one of my walls is open. Any suggestions how I could put a gas insert in my fire box? I live in a cold part of the country

Any thoughts on an outdoor versions?

I've been searching for a Gas Insert Store here in Marietta, Georgia... Wondering the cost range to convert my gas logs to gas insert set?

So it's safe to say that you would almost always recommend the vented log insert? Can these run with propane instead of natural gas? I'm in Connecticut, and my neighborhood is strictly oil. I've been running an old pellet insert in my brick fireplace to heat up my 1600sqft house but am getting tired of dealing with all the dust from the pellets and noise from the unit. Will a vented unit heat up this area? Thanks.

Makes lot of sense.

On my gas fire place can I close the doors with pilot lit don’t know anything about the gas fireplace

why do log sets have soot and glass enclosed inserts do not. I am looking for something that is very low soot, so should I go with an insert?

Which brands and models are the gas fireplace inserts that you used for this video.

What about "vented" vs "Non-vented" Insert gas fireplaces?

Can you tell me the model of the curved insert in this video? And dimensions? thx

About what percent increase would it be to install a gas line into an existing fireplace?

I live in Alabama. It’s getting more like Florida in Temperature. We just had this Winter Freeze. I have seen snow up to 4 inches in April, but that was 1986. What would be your Recommendation for our Area? You really can’t Predict Temperature or Weather. Gas Logs or Insert?

I’m in Az but winter time it gets cold

I moved in to my home 5 years ago with the gas fireplace . I want to maintain it on my own this year and saw your video. Is there a reason for using the golden embers versus rocks? I've noticed some have rocks and others golden embers. We have only golden embers and I was wondering if there is a benefit/use to the rocks? Trying to be cost efficient and care for the fireplace.

What happens when you loose power does it still light .gas log just take a grill igniter.

Trever, I live in Lafayette La. i have watched your video and have decided on purchasing a gas log set. Winter climate is mild. Please recommend a gas log set. I have an existing gas hookup installed in my fireplace. I don't really need a high performance heating unit. Thanks for your recommendations. I can live with a a negative heat efficiency.

If you install a gas log set in an existing wood burning fireplace, can't you close the damper and you will get good efficiency? Many of us have older kind of leaky homes, or would this effect the air quality too much (using O2 and generating combustion gases)?

So how do these inserts interact with your existing furnace? I live in a cold climate and my basement is very cold in winter.

Very good to hear the pros and cons. Your channel really helps I can make a fire colorful like a rainbow. Are you interested?

What is the name of the large fireplace that you first see in your video?

What about a vent-free gas log? Can you get the look in the gas-log set but make it vent-free so the efficiency is much higher/better heat??

So I have a brick fireplace that has a gas fireplace unit it’s now energy eff. Do you make a retro fit