If you're too rich in fuel (not enough air), you can create excess soot in the flame. Does your burner have an air adjustment to it?

it sure is. anytime you have the gas flames running up, between and against cooler surfaces, you will get incomplete combusion, and soot, if you want to have an orange/yellow flame. Really, it is a fireplace, what is the problem??

wait till the wind blows and all that soot in the chimney flies everywhere. If you have a air adjustment open it.

MSG, what r u talking about??

Not familiar with those logs but either: you have an improper adjusted air shutter, one of those crummy log sets that do not provide primary air, dirty air shutter, clogged burner ports, or logs in the yellow flames. I can't undersatand why these so called fireplace experts keep building log sets that set the logs in the yellow flame patterns. Anytime the yellow flame actually touches something you get soot, but they're the smart ones.

if your creating that much soot, then your chimney is full of it too. When the wind blows, it will blow that light flackey almost spongy soot back in the room. Its common on my showroom, but i keep the air shutter shut because the sooty flame looks more realistic.

Thanks for the responses, all. We had the chimney cleaned just before we installed the gas logs - never thought about the soot also getting up into the chimney - makes sense. We have a call in to our chimney person to come look because we are now getting a lot of water into the firebox when we have heavy rains.

MSG - what is an air adjustment, other than the damper? Not sure we have one, other than windows.

Berlin - yes, it is a fireplace, but the problem, beyond the filthy look of the firewalls, is that we get filthy ourselves when we open or close the damper. We had somewhat darkened walls before with our old wood fires, but not this heavy black soot everywhere.

The air shutter will be in the area where the pipe enters the burn pan (usually back left hand side as you face the fireplace.) the pipe that goes in the burn pan houses a orfice, and the orfice seats in the venturi burner in the pan, thats where you will find it. Kind of looks like a gas grill air shutter.

Ohhh and lock that damper! very dangerous to be engaged. If you want you can email me some photos. That might help me identify your problem.ryant@mcguckin.com

"we are now getting a lot of water into the firebox when we have heavy rains."

better check those burners for rust etc. That rain may have a lot to do with your soot problem.

I have inspected other Golden Blont units specifically the SF3624 (converted from natural to propane. The complaint was also problems with heavy soot production. An inspection of the factor orifice which was stamped #50 was measured and found to be .081" closer to a #45 orifice. Received a new orifice from MFG, it also was stamped a #50 this time it measured .07" correct for a #50 orifice. It was later identified that at least one other Golden Blont unit installed by this builder had the same problem with the factory installed orifice. I am very interested in your soot issue and feel that there may be a bit more to it. Please feel free to contact me direct on this issue.