Real Fyre Foothill Oak Outdoor Vent-Free Gas Logs

Real Fyre Foothill Oak Outdoor is a gas log set for an outdoor fireplace that has a natural gas line. Oak logs.

Who it's for

Right buyer. You want heat from the fireplace as much as the look, your local code allows vent-free heaters, and the room is large enough for the burner; the Foothill Oak set fits a wood-burning fireplace or a listed vent-free firebox.

Wrong buyer. You live where vent-free is not permitted, the set would go in a bedroom or bathroom, or you would rather not have any moisture or odor from a fire in the room; a vented set is the answer.

How it performs

The Foothill Oak Outdoor vent-free set is a heater that looks like a fire: all of the burner's heat comes into the room, so a 30,000 BTU set warms a living room the way a small furnace would, with the logs glowing red where the flame runs through them.

Good to know

• A clean-burning flame is a smaller flame; if you want the tall, lazy fire of a wood log, a vented set gives it and a vent-free set does not.
• It puts moisture and the products of combustion into the room. Some people notice the smell on a new set; most do not after the first burns.
• It is not allowed everywhere, and the room must be big enough.

Dimensions

Measure the inside of the firebox: width at the front, width at the back wall, depth and height. Your firebox must be at least as large as the row for the size you want. Both sizes need 16 inches of depth and 17 inches of height.

It goes in a wood-burning fireplace, a UL-127 factory-built fireplace or a listed vent-free firebox, outdoors. The firebox floor cannot have an ash lip or a sunken hearth deeper than 3/4 inch, and the burner must be fastened to the floor with the screws provided. Keep wood mantels and trim to the clearances in the manual.

Clearances

A vent-free set makes its own clearances, because all the heat comes into the room: the manual sets the distances to a combustible mantel and side walls, and the room must be large enough for the burner. The numbers on this page come from the burner's manual for the sizes sold here.

Details

Warranty

Source: R.H. Peterson Real Fyre limited warranty, printed in the burner manual linked above. Register the set with Peterson after installation.

Heat

Heat input per hour on natural gas, from the ODG15 burner manual.

Choices and prices

The burner

The ODG15 is stainless steel, with Fyre Stones over the front burner ports and lava granules around it. There is no standing pilot: the system sparks its own pilot each time you turn it on. It must be sheltered from direct rain and wind, and should not be run in heavy rain or high wind.

Control

Electronic On/Off Remote. Electronic ignition and a handheld remote that turns the fire on and off. Runs on batteries that come in the box.

Electronic Variable Remote. Electronic ignition plus flame height on the remote, from 55,000 down to 24,000 BTU. Runs on batteries that come in the box.

What arrives

• Log carton: the Foothill Oak log set with its placement guide.
• Burner carton: stainless burner with valve and ignition assembled, remote, receiver and batteries, gas connector, Fyre Stones, lava granules and floor screws.

Use only what comes with the burner. Extra media or decorations on the burner cause soot and unsafe burning.

Installation

A vent-free set goes into a wood-burning fireplace, with the damper open or closed, or into a listed vent-free firebox, by a licensed gas installer.

• Where it is allowed: not in California, not in bedrooms or bathrooms in most states, and not in a room smaller than the burner's minimum; check the room-size table on this page and your local code before ordering.
• Gas: a dedicated 1/2-inch line with a shutoff; the burner's ODS pilot shuts the gas off if the room's oxygen drops.
• Clearances: the mantel and side-wall distances on this page are the burner's own; they apply whatever fireplace it goes into.
• Logs: placed exactly by the diagram; a moved log on a vent-free burner makes soot.
• Controls: manual, remote or thermostat; the electronic versions take batteries or a 110-volt outlet in the firebox.

Outdoors only

This set is certified as an outdoor appliance. It must never be used inside a home, garage, tent, camper or any enclosed space, because it produces carbon monoxide. Check your local code before you order: some places regulate outdoor gas fireplaces too.

Planning the install

• You need a natural gas line into the firebox, 1/2 inch inside diameter or larger, with a shut-off valve within 6 feet.
• Installation is by a qualified gas professional, and the set should be inspected once a year.
• Do not burn wood in the fireplace once it is installed, and do not leave the fire on unattended.
• Glass doors, if any, must be fully open when it runs.
• Take the batteries out and shut the gas off for the off season.