Sure Heat BRO18NG Sure Heat Burnt River Oak Vented Gas Log Set, 18-Inch, Natural Gas

A few years back I bought a freestanding outdoor wood fireplace. Early on we converted it to LP gas with a round burner unit designed for a Chimnea but rated for outdoor use. The results were adequate. When I recently moved to a house with natural gas I had the plumber hook up a designated line for the fireplace for convenience and to avoid the whole tank changing thing. The result looked more like the blue flame from my stove than a campfire so I got on Amazon to find a replacement. This thing is amazing in both realistic look and heat output. It looked so good my plumber asked for the model number so he could get one too. It comes with a grate also and easy instructions on how to place the logs. I can't testify to how well it will hold up to the elements but the one I replaced that was supposed to be for outside was totally rusted so it can't be too much worse. Now if I can just figure out how to install a conveniently located on off switch for the gas so I don't have to move the whole thing to open and close the gas line! I will be buying it's baby brother for my inside fireplace for sure. Update: It has now been 6 years and this set still looks perfect and is going strong. I do protect it in the winter from snow and ice but all summer and fall it is exposed to the elements. A really great product and still so realistic looking.

****UPDATED**** After 2 uses (during the 3rd use) one of the logs that forms the base of the stack cracked and split apart which caused the long piece across the top of the stack to roll out of my fire place. It also broke on contact with my tile that goes around my fireplace. If it would have rolled onto the carpet it probably would have melted my carpet. Keep some pot holders or heavy leather gloves nearby just in case this happens to you and DO NOT try and touch these with bare hands (yes, I know... it's silly, but it will probably happen to someone). ********************* First of all... let me say that if you already have a gas starting fireplace (wood burning with a gas vent to start it) and it has a valve then you DO NOT need to order a "hook up kit" of any kind. This kit comes with everything you need to install it (it comes with enough pipe-dope to seal the connections that come with it... so you don't need to go to home depot). I gave it 4 of 5 stars because of 2 very minor things.... really I would give this particular kit (I got the 18" river oak kit for a hundred bucks) a 4.9 out of 5 stars. Anyway... the 2 minor things were : (1) it needs to come with more sand and some lava rocks... and (2) it should come with a flexi-hose instead of a bendable tubing connection. The second point is actually kind of a big deal. If you have never bent tubing before it's really easy to screw it up. I just happened to have a tubing bender handy so it wasn't a big deal (but I'm a mechanic... not everyone has one of these laying around). Once installed, it looks and works great. The instructions are thorough and easy to follow. It tells you every single step from how to hook it up and check for leaks all the way to how to lay the logs to get it to look the best. I ordered some lava rocks and some extra fill gravel and rock wool to go around the base... the rock wool is what simulates embers... so the more you have the better it looks (within common sense limits of course).

Love our gas log! Works perfect and looks so real. It puts out a lot of heat and is easy to light. It came in three or four days. It was packed well with nothing broken. Be advised that you may have to buy a gas flex hose to hook it up. We did not need it. We did have to cut down the connecting tube. You have to have tubing cut off and flare tool to do this. I love this unit. My old one had a remote. It was a Lenox and cost $1200. It never worked right and I spent $300 on it last winter. This log set solved the problem. Wish I would have bought it in the beginning!

I love this one! It's cheap, simple and very effective. Installation was very simple. The only problem was the absence of ember glows and manual in the package. Two logs were slightly damaged, but you cannot really see it, while logs are placed in the fireplace. No one understands, that this is gas logs, and the wood is not real. Such effect is available with ember glows. The only unreal thing is that logs are not burning. )) The fire is very beautiful, while turning the gas valve on the low flow. It is good idea to have a decorative gas valve with a key next to fireplace. You can find one here, on Amazon. Also, the gas tube was short, so I had to get one from the local store.

This product does not have a control valve, our gas company refused to install this product for us because they consider it a major safety problem. Per the company, without a valve, there is nothing to control the flow of gas coming into your home should the flame blow out for any reason. A control valve would auto shut off the gas from flowing into your home. Also, with a control valve, you could adjust the flow of gas using the attached dial or add a remote, thereby controlling the size of your flame. Most of all, you’re not messing with lighter and matches on a flowing gas pipe to get a flame started, the control valve helps to light the fire. I admit I didn’t understand all that when I ordered these logs - didn’t even know what a control valve was or that it’s generally expected on a gas log set. Would’ve lived with it as a consequence of not taking time to educate myself about a product, but the danger of having uncontrolled gas leakage is not something I’d want to risk.

Easy to set up and the quality is good. I've seen similar sets at the local hardware store for twice the price or more. Looks great too! My only gripe is the solid gas line that it comes with, which is useless in my opinion. Although it's a pretty complete setup out of the box, I would suggest you buy a universal installation kit that comes with a flexible gas line and ball valve. Cost $20-$30 but well worth it.

Packaging: Like almost everyone else posting less than perfect reviews for this product, I received it with 3 broken logs. The packaging was insufficient for the weight of this product and the box arrived quite beat up. I was kind of expecting this to be the case based on all the complaints so I was not incensed about it. I contacted Amazon and was able to negotiate a partial refund of 20%. Since I bought from Warehouse Deals, they said they could not send out replacement logs. Ultimately, I was able to position the logs such that the broken pieces are not noticeable. They just appear as smaller logs. Installation: The kit really did come with everything needed including some pipe dope, gas leak test fluid, burning embers, crushed stones, gas line adapter, grate, burner pan, and of course, the burner. I did run into the problem with the metal gas supply tubing being impossible to bend without kinking. I ended up going to Lowe's and getting a 24" flexible gas line rated for gas logs for about $12. The instruction manual is not the best. It does not do a good job of labeling the parts and explaining what to do with them. I found my self with several left over pieces in the end and I wasn't sure where they were supposed to go. Ultimately, this is a pretty simple device, though, and common sense will take you a long way. The diagrams that shows you where to place the logs are an absolute joke. It's impossible to tell from their pictures which log is which. I used half a cent worth of creativity and was able to place them so the flame looks great. The hardest part I ran into during installation was trying to remove a metal "knock out" circle in the burner pan where the gas burner inserts. A hammer a screwdriver did not do the trick as it should have and I ended up drilling it out with a 3/4" bit. Overall Impression: Ultimately, I am pleased with this purchase. A local fireplace supply store quoted me over $800 for a similar higher quality kit, but I didn't see enough advantages to justify that price. I paid under $100 including shipping here and Amazon did their best to help me with the broken log issue. The logs are realistic looking even when broken and the flames look great, producing plenty of heat. I did not have any problem with the logs smelling bad as some other reviewers mentioned, so I'm not sure what that's all about. I would buy this product again.

Just installed last night, and they work great, look nice with a fantastic price...but wanted to write a review for some VERY helpful advice. Read the reviews, you will save yourself a lot of frustration by buying an universal appliance hook up kit separately. It's around $20, but I purchased it along w/these logs because of the reviewers who cautioned us first time buyers..thank you! It does come with a hook up kit, which is a cheap tube that kinks easily. My husband, the installer, was very happy that I did this. He said if I didn't buy it, he would of had to make a trip to the hardware store at 9 PM at night because the product that came with the box was terrible. I've included pictures of the products. Hope this helps! Happy fires!