Gas Fireplace Vs. Wood-Burning Fireplace

Aesthetics

• Gas log sets have grown increasingly realistic in appearance. The costlier versions feature simulated, partially burned logs, glowing embers and an audio option to produce an artificial crackling sound. Scented candles and room fresheners with woodsy scents add olfactory stimulation as well. If you are willing to suspend disbelief and buy into the fake fireplace experience for the sake of convenience, then a gas-fired fireplace is for you. If reality trumps effort, burn real wood.

Efficiency

• A wood-burning fireplace loses more heat than it produces. After you burn wooden logs in your fireplace, the damper must be left open for 12 additional hours so that the remains of the fire and the warm ashes do not lower the oxygen level inside your home. During this time, heat loss up the chimney is greater than the heat produced while the fire was burning. Gas logs require that the damper is partially open at all times. These too can be net heat losers.

Wood Fireplace Inserts

• An insert for a wood-burning fireplace allows a wood fire to burn inside an enclosed space. The amount of air needed to feed the fire is better controlled as is the rate at which warm air goes up the chimney. Glass doors prevent much of the indoor air from escaping into the hearth and outside the home via the chimney. Some inserts are equipped with catalytic converters that reduce the amount of smoke produced by a wood-burning fireplace.

Gas Fireplace Inserts

• Gas inserts are easily operated with a switch or thermostat and can be used as part of your home's heating system. Gas produces less smoke and is less of a pollutant than wood. If you already have a gas line entering your home to fuel your furnace or other appliances, retrofitting for a gas fireplace is not unduly expensive for the convenience it affords. Gas burns cleanly, eliminating the need for annual visits from a chimney sweep.