Gas fireplace logs are becoming quite popular. Their convenience (some come with a remote control!) and cleanliness have convinced many wood burners to retire the chainsaw and log splitter. Gas logs may be fueled by either natural or propane gas. There are two basic types of gas logs currently on the market, the "yellow flame" and the "blue flame".

Yellow flame logs require venting while blue flame logs may be approved for use without a venting system. The yellow flame log sets produce a very realistic and attractive fire, and will often be mistaken for a real wood fire. The heat output from a yellow flame log set will be similar to the heat output from a comparable sized wood fire. Yellow flame, often referred to as "vented" gas logs generate soot and carbon which is deposited in the chimney. These deposits require chimney cleaning just like a real wood fireplace does.

Blue flame log sets are designed to provide much more heat output than a yellow flame log set. While the blue flame log sets are generally not as attractive as the yellow flame, they burn hotter and cleaner. A special type of blue flame log is the "unvented" or "vent free" gas log. Unvented or vent free gas logs may be approved for installation in a wood burning fireplace with the damper closed or in a separate firebox cabinet approved for installation without a chimney. There have been some questions raised recently about the effects vent free gas logs may have on the indoor air quality of a home when the logs are burned for prolonged periods.

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