I just bought a house that has a fireplace in the living room. Running across the bottom of the fireplace is a gas burner with 3 openings (narrow slits across the top). The gas control is built into the front face of the fireplace in the brick. Is this type of fireplace meant to be used with the ceramic logs laid in the rack? Or is this just meant to be used as a starting aid for a wood fire? Every set of gas logs I’ve looked at contain their own burner.

This is a fully functioning fireplace, and you can see that the previous owners have burned a wood fire in it. I’m just trying to figure out the best/proper way to use this fireplace. Every place I’ve had before just used a standard wood fire.

Well I know that I don’t want to burn regular wood, I hate the smell, and I don’t want to smoke up my house, walls, etc.

I think I need to buy a gas log, but I’ve never used my fireplace in five years of owning my home. There’s a gas gauge, with a piece sticking out that looks like you screw something on to it, and I have a key beside the fireplace to turn on the gas. But that’s all I know. Oh yeah, there’s a rack to place wood? And a long silver piece with holes in it. I tried screwing it on to the area that needs to be screwed but it didn’t fit.

Any help/advice would be appreciated.