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The increasing popularity of gas logs led manufacturers to come up with several appliances that use this technology. One of these is the gas log fireplace, which you can mount to the wall of your home. But did you know that the residue from burning gas logs is not always ventilated outside? Before having a gas log fireplace installed, learn the difference between vent-free and vented units and their advantages or disadvantages.

Vented gas logs can replace wood logs in a traditional chimney. There are those that use natural or propane gas, and they burn with the damper open. Keep in mind though that this is not a solution for a chimney problem. If you’ve got a dirty or damaged chimney, using a gas log could still cause a chimney fire. Before burning gas logs on a traditional fireplace, make sure that your chimney gets professionally checked for any cracks and that any creosote buildup gets cleaned.

As for ventilation, direct venting is your best option. This system uses a two-layer pipe placed through the wall behind the fireplace unit, or above it. One pipe gets air from the outside to make the gas combustible, the other takes waste to the outside and effectively reduces the risk of carbon monoxide buildup inside the house.

Vent-free gas logs, on the other hand, come with their own Oxygen Depletion Sensor, which turns the gas off before the carbon monoxide levels in the room get dangerously high. They are designed to create a very hot flame that decreases the level of soot and carbon monoxide produced by other types of gas logs. Since vent-free gas logs create lots of heat, it’s very important to keep combustible materials far from the fireplace. While in use, make sure the fireplace doors are left open and leave a window slightly open to let fresh air into the room.

Whether or not you get a vented or vent-free gas log fireplace, make sure you follow the manufacturer’s instructions before burning any fuel. Observe basic fireplace safety at all times to prevent any fireplace accidents.

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It’s important to observe fireplace safety throughout the year, but even more so now that a lot of us use candles, space heaters, and have many flammable objects in our living rooms. Avoid accidents and enjoy many more holidays with your family by following some of these fireplace safety guidelines.

Make sure your fireplace undergoes a YEARLY maintenance. This includes an inspection by a chimney specialist, which can help detect any cracks in the bricks and mortar of your fireplace and chimney. Any problems must be repaired before you use your fireplace. Also ask a chimney sweet professional to inspect your chimney and look for obstructions like birds nests and to look for creosote buildup. Creosote is caused when there isn’t enough air to burn the wood efficiently, and buildup can pose as a serious fire hazard.

Before you start a fire, keep all combustible and flammable materials like paper, logs, kindling, and carpet at least 3 feet away from the fireplace. Make sure the grate and iron is arranged so the logs can’t roll off by accident.

Use just enough gas or wood to keep your fire at the desired temperature. While roaring fires may be romantic, these can start chimney fires because they increase the amount of creosote deposit and soot in the flue.

Never use gasoline or flammable liquid to rekindle a fire. Remember that flammable vapor can explode and flammable liquid can travel the length of a room.

Always keep the damper open while the fire is burning to prevent the accumulation of explosive and poisonous gas. This also promotes efficient burning of fuel.

Before throwing out the ashes, make sure that they have thoroughly cooled down. Keep the ash in a metal container with a lid to prevent a fire and store it in a sturdy place. Ash makes excellent fertilizer for gardens so it’s a good idea to keep them around for the spring. Make sure that the fire is out completely before everybody goes to bed upstairs.

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What with the decorations placed all over the interiors and exteriors of your home, your electricity bill’s sure to skyrocket during the holiday season. It doesn’t always have to be that way, though. Here are a couple of tips that you can follow to save energy and money this December.

Use LED Christmas lights, since these use 90% less electricity than regular Christmas lights and cost only $10 per strand. Fiber-optic decorations and Christmas trees are also great for energy efficiency since they only use one light bulb to light up the entire decoration.

Place a limit on the number of hours your lights are turned on. Wait til it’s completely dark before you switch on your Christmas lights, then turn them off before going to bed. Six hours or less of Christmas light-time is a reasonable amount to to aim for. If you have trouble forgetting to turn the lights off, set an alarm clock to remind you to do so.

Give out presents that don’t require batteries. Research shows that 40% of batteries are purchased over the holiday season. If you do plan on giving gifts that need batteries, consider purchasing rechargable batteries and a charger; the newest models are more energy-efficient than if you keep buying disposable ones.

Cook all your dishes at once. Make the most out of your oven and the energy it uses by baking all your Christmas pastries at the same time. It takes the same amount of energy to heat up a full oven as an empty one so you might as well take advantage of the energy you’re using up. Save the oven for cooking big dishes though, and use the microwave or toaster oven for minor holiday cooking jobs.

Finally, if you’re going somewhere for the holidays, make sure you unplug all your electronics like the TV, DVD player, computer, or radio. These use up electricity even when they aren’t switched on.

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