Old Smokey's Fireplace & Chimney's Blog

Find Your Perfect Gas Logs

Fireplaces add value and a touch of warmth to your home’s decor, making it a good investment for any homeowner. However, if you already have an older wood burning fireplace that doesn’t work properly, you might not think that it is worth the time to fix it. Furthermore, although wood fireplaces create a wonderful ambiance, they do take some effort to operate and maintain. The inconvenience of chopping and stacking wood, and starting a wood fire deters some homeowners from wanting to use their old masonry fireplace. If you desire an authentic looking fire, but don’t want the hassle associated with a wood fireplace, we might have a solution for you. At Old Smokey’s, have an enormous selection of gas log sets available in our showroom. These gas log sets operate with a flip of a switch and are much easier to maintain than a traditional wood burning fireplace. Depending on fuel availability, they can be more economical than their wood-burning counterparts as well.

What are gas log sets?

A gas log set is an appliance that can either be installed new, or be inserted in an existing fireplace. Gas logs consist of a set of ceramic logs and a gas burner. The burner is set up in a way that it produces large flames, similar to that of a wood burning fireplace. The ceramic logs look like real wooden logs, however, they designed to be fire resistant. The effect created when the burner is installed under the log set is a genuine looking wood fire.

Since gas log sets are designed to mimic a wood burning fireplace, they also produce about the same amount of heat as a wood burning fireplace. This usually means that they aren’t the most efficient heat producers and are generally used for heating smaller areas. This doesn’t mean a gas log set won’t keep you warm if you sit by it, but it isn’t the best option if you are trying to supplement your home heating needs. If you are looking for home heating options, look at the wide variety of heating appliances that we offer here at Old Smokey’s. 

Convenience of gas logs

Gas log sets require similar ventilation to a wood burning fireplace, however, gas log ventilation systems are much easier to maintain. Because the ceramic log doesn’t actually burn, there is only a small amount of byproduct produced from the natural gas or propane fueling it. This means that less creosote is produced compared to burning wood, and there is less to clean up during your annual inspection. With all that being said, we must stress that it is important to have your ventilation inspected annually by a Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) certified chimney sweep.

If you’re ready to add the warmth and convenience of a gas log fireplace to your home, call us at Old Smokey’s to get an estimate. You can reach us at 800-876-6539 or schedule an appointment online here. You can also stop by our showroom located at 220 W State St, Ashley, IN 46705 and look at our wonderful selection gas logs for yourself. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Stoves, Inserts and Fireplaces – Which Is Best for You?

After an unseasonably mild start to winter, it is safe to assume normalcy has returned. By that we mean, cold and snow and ice will make their presence felt. With that in mind, it is not too late to consider a stove, insert or fireplace to broaden your home’s heating options. Old Smokey’s Fireplace & Chimney is just the place to start. We offer a vast range of brand-name products that are suitable heating enhancements for your home. We are your local and regional fireplace and chimney pros. That means we draw upon a wealth of experience and expertise to help folks like you make the right stove, insert or fireplace choice – right in dollars and in practicality.

Our showroom at 220 West State Street in Ashley, Indiana features an attractive variety of products. Moreover, our smart and friendly professionals take great pleasure in helping customers navigate through choices that can be difficult and challenging. And if you cannot make it to our showroom, Old Smokey’s is just a call or a click away.

As we advise you on your options, we will help you weigh the comparative virtues of products with respect to quality, longevity, reliability, safety and cost based on what we have seen and experienced over the course of 30+ years in business. Most important of all, we are not going to sell you something you don’t need. Based on experience with thousands of customers, we have a keen eye and an attuned ear to people’s individual heating needs. Tell us what’s on your mind!

Among our brand-name products, we offer:

• Pellet Stoves and Inserts – Tired of chopping, stacking and storing firewood? Now is the perfect time to think about installing a pellet stove and insert. Wood pellets tend to produce reduced emissions compared to a traditional wood-burning fireplace. And if you are getting on in years, you will appreciate how easy they are to load and clean.
• Gas Stoves, Fireplaces and Inserts – Many homeowners love the look and feel of a fireplace but prefer the eco-friendly option of natural gas as a fuel. A gas stove is a reliable principal heat source and a helpful contingency during a power outage. As another option, a gas fireplace or insert gives you more flexibility. It lets you manage your heating with the flip of a switch. Convenience meets efficiency.
• Gas Logs – Gas logs are a sensible introduction to this clean-burning alternative. People who aren’t sure how far they want to go with gas heating get to experience a mess-free trial run by using gas logs in an existing fireplace.
• Wood Stoves, Fireplaces and Inserts – The most important thing to know is that technological advances make today’s wood-burning stoves and fireplaces cleaner burning and more efficient than those of yesteryear. So, for those who prefer the ambience of a wood-burning fireplace, excellent choices abound. And lots of folks simply retrofit a wood insert into their fireplace to improve burn efficiency and cut down on heat loss.

A new year is upon us and we are here for you. Call us at 260-424-0009 or 800-876-6539 to ask us about our products or to set up an appointment. And before we forget, Old Smokey’s wishes you and yours A Happy Warm Year!