An insert is energy efficient; the % of heat that actually heats the room is much higher than with gas logs, whose primary advantage is producing a nice flame, because with gas logs most of the heat goes up the chimney. I'm talking VENTED gas logs because the unvented kind are, in my opinion, out of the question. They adversely affect indoor air quality. You can read about that issue in Consumer Reports. The gas inserts are a sealed system that have 2 vents that go up the chimney (or in some models horizontally through an outside wall). One vent exhausts the fumes generated by the fire, and the other one brings in fresh air from the outside to feed the combustion. So you do not deplete the indoor air of oxygen or pollute it with fumes.

Gas inserts come in a variety of sizes and heating capacities. You need first to measure the dimensions of your fire box to figure out what size insert will fit right. The insert is, after all, a fire box inside your existing firebox. All the gas insert manufacturers have websites with detailed information on their product specifications. So you can do your preliminary search on the web, and zero in on the one(s) that might work for you.

Since the space you're looking to heat is small, you don't need a big or high capacity insert. That should keep the cost down.

We got a gas insert installed into our 20-year old prefab fireplace in our living room a few weeks ago, and love it. Here in North Carolina, when it gets cold in winter, we use it every morning while we sip on a second cup of coffee. We converted for the same reasons you're thinking: we don't want to fuss with wood. But we really do need the gas insert because on those rare occasions when there's a power outage during an ice storm, it will work while our regular heating system will not.

Another thing to think about: The inserts are complicated to install. Ours took more than a whole day, and it needed a special chimney cap put in. That added to the cost some. If you decide to do this, make sure you have a really good idea of what the thing will look like when it's finished. Our installation is still not complete because they forgot to take into account that we need a large plinth (that's the thing, usually cast iron that you need if your firebox is elevated above the hearth). We're supposed to get one soon, and we're a little nervous because we don't know what it will look like. I should have asked my merchant for a chance to look at installations he had done.

Very helpful--thank you! We would definitely get vented--I did read the Consumers Reports concerns about unvented.

Our firebox is raised above floor level, but maybe not above the hearth (I'm not sure what you mean). The surround of the hearth extends out a bit, creating a small bench like area, raised about a foot or so above the floor. Why is the plinth needed? Isn't the current firebox already supported underneath? And why would the plinth show?

Sorry for the delay in answering your question. It's a little hard to visualize, and I'm digitalcamera challenged, or I'd send you a pic. Here's the thing, in a very long, wordy explanation: We have a raised brick hearth, which is about 10" above the floor level and extends out from the front of the fireplace nearly 2 feet. The firebox is elevated about 5.5 inches above the level of the brick hearth. That elevation was put there in the original fireplace so that the blower in the original fireplace could suck air in through these vents under the firebox, heat that air as it is drawn through a vent that goes behind and then above the firebox and exits above the firebox. That was the old arrangement. When they put in the insert, they had to rip out the decorative grid covers for the old air blower -- one grid below the firebox, where the air was drawn in, and one above it where it was blown out nicely heated. In the installation of the firebox, they were able to cover the vents above the old firebox with a cast iron surround that goes around the top and sides of the insert and provides a nice, seamless appearance. But the manufacturer does not make a matching cast iron piece of the right size to cover the old vents below the insert. They have one that's only 2 inches thick. So that ugly stuff is still exposed. The installer is having a sheet metal piece custom made to do that job. Unfortunately, custom making cast iron is very expensive. It's been over three months, and I'm still waiting and, of course, I don't know yet whether this retrofit will be acceptable.

If your fireplace is flush with your hearth -- in other words, if you do not have anything below your firebox except the floor -- then you need not worry about this issue.

I hope I made myself clear. But of course, every fireplace is different. That's why you should make sure you have a very clear understanding of what will be ripped out from your existing unit and what will be put in its place, and how it will look. If your firebox is not raised above the hearth, then you do not have my problem, but you should be sure you can visualize how the proposed fireplace surround will look. What will it cover? Will it match the rest of what's visible?

Please feel free to ask if you have any more questions.

Thanks for the detailed information! I think I can visualize what you are talking about--it sounds exactly like my fireplace (which has a rasied hearth, and then the firebox is raised several inches above the hearth itself). I did make a deposit on an insert today--and there is a pre install appointment to take measurements and make sure everything will work. I will definitely ask these questions!

One other issue: We did not coordinate the gas plumbing installation with the insert installer. This posed a slight complication. The gas plumber had put in may gas outlets but for regular gas logs, not for inserts, so the actual position of the outlet was not optimal. We managed to get around it, but it would have been better if I had arranged a meeting of minds between the gas plumber and the insert installer.

Hope things go well. Let us know.