Gas fireplaces are quite different from the log sets, which have been around for years. Log sets are free-standing ceramic-log arrangements with a gas burner assembly underneath, and they are installed in an existing fireplace. Gas fireplaces, on the other hand, are housed in an insulated metal cabinet and can be installed nearly anywhere.
Inside these new fireplace boxes are ceramic logs and a burner assembly that deliver a reasonably realistic woodlike yellow flame, instead of the short, nearly invisible blue flame associated with other gas appliances. This is surprising, because for years we've been told that a large yellow flame is a sign of incomplete and inefficient combustion. However, industry research has established that while the blue flame is optimal, it's possible to design a yellow-flame burner that's nearly as clean and efficient.
All gas fireplaces light with some type of automatic ignition, and most have a standing pilot. That is, they turn on automatically from a thermostat with the flip of a wall switch, the push of a button or by pointing and clicking a remote control.
