Can I put gas logs in my Heatilator wood-burning fireplace?
At Waynesville's elevation, yes you can often add gas logs to a masonry Heatilator — but think hard about heat first. Near 2,650 feet your heating season runs weeks longer than Asheville's, and vented logs are decorative, not a heater. Many Hazelwood homeowners are better served by a sealed insert. Call (828) 545-0525.
Vented logs look great; they won't fight a Haywood winter
Waynesville runs 10 to 15 degrees colder than lower WNC towns, and the heating season stretches about three weeks longer. Older Hazelwood homes lean hard on their hearths, and many have drafty open fireboxes that already leak heat. A vented gas log set keeps that dynamic — a lovely flame with the warmth going up the chimney. If you're depending on the fireplace at this altitude, a sealed insert from a cold-climate builder like Kozy Heat keeps the heat in the room.
Is your firebox actually rated for logs?
Two very different things get called a Heatilator wood fireplace. One is an open masonry-style firebox, which usually takes a vented set without much fuss. The other is a factory-built zero-clearance metal unit, and a lot of those are certified for wood only, with gas logs specifically not approved. The model plate tells us which camp your Waynesville home is in, so that's always step one.
Fuel, permit, and the drive from Asheville
Waynesville is mixed-fuel — natural gas in parts of town, propane out toward the ridges — and the two need different orifices and pressures, or the logs will soot. We confirm which you're on, then pull the Haywood County permit and meet the inspector on the licensed gas line. At 35 minutes west of Emma Rd we batch the model check and the free estimate into one trip. See /guides/convert-wood-fireplace-to-gas.
Fireplace help in Waynesville
We install and service fireplaces throughout Waynesville and the rest of Haywood County — just 35 minutes west from our Asheville-area showroom.
Related questions
- Where do I find the model number on my Heatilator fireplace?
- Is Heatilator a good brand or just builder-grade?
- Where can I buy replacement parts for a Heatilator fireplace?
- Is Heatilator a brand name or a generic term for a heat-circulating fireplace?
- Can I put gas logs in a Superior or Majestic wood-burning fireplace?