Q:  We purchased a vent-free set about 4 years ago. In the beginning, it produced a lot of heat, but over the years, the heat coming from the fireplace has lessened & as a result, is not as effective in heating our room, as it was in the beginning. Is there a reason for this?

A: There is nothing inherent in the set that would change or degrade that would result in less heat. The only exception would be if the air intakes of the burner were clogged with lint or dust, resulting in an altered flame. Otherwise, the log set is a constant, but perhaps the environment in which it is being used has changed. It could be that the damper is open more than in past, or that air leaks from windows, doors, electrical plugs, etc. have increased over the years. These conditions would take away from the heating effect of the vent-free set.

While your attention is focused on your gas log set, since the set may have been installed for a while and may or may not have had any user maintenance performed on it, I recommend that you do the following:

1. Thoroughly read the instruction manual; you may download installation/instruction manuals from our website at http://goo.gl/p4M9g
2. Clean the air intake holes of the ODS Pilot. Please view the information at http://is.gd/2bkIVS It describes easy cleaning of your ODS pilot which solves 98% of issues with the ODS, such as being hard to light or will not hold a pilot. It also has a link at the bottom for purchasing replacements, if the cleaning does not successfully correct the issue. This guidance has resulted in many happy customers (read testimonials at http://rasmussen.biz/logs/feedback_ts.htm ).
3. Ensure that all air intake regions of the lower part of the burner, as well as the burner ports themselves, are clear of dust, lint or other debris that would block proper air intake or gas flow. Please view the photos found at http://is.gd/QwTROt for location of these regions.
4. Ensure that the logs are arranged in accordance with the instructions. Improper log placement can result in substandard performance.
5. Ensure the firebox is clean of any soot or residue from previous wood burning that the previous owner may not have, but should have, removed before placing the Chillbuster into service.