Rugged Stack Vent Free Gas Logs
Seven concrete Rugged Stack logs on a triple burner that puts an extra row of flames behind the stack and a glowing ember bed under it. The Superior Rugged Stack vent free gas log set comes in 18", 24" and 30" lengths, each including the Triple-Flame burner that fits it — 30,000 BTU/hr high on the 18" size, 39,000 on the 24" and 30", natural gas or propane — for a masonry fireplace, UL127 factory-built fireplace or listed vent free firebox, from $1,328, with a three-year limited warranty on the logs and grate.
Choose it if you want the look of a wood fire without a chimney: the burner is heater rated, so the damper stays closed and the heat stays in the room. Measure the firebox first — 28" wide at the front, 20" at the rear, 19" high and 14" deep for the 18" set; 32" x 22" for the 24"; 40" x 30" for the 30". Pick the millivolt burner if you want a fire that works with no power at all and add the wall switch, on/off remote or thermostatic remote you want; pick the variable-flame burner for five flame heights and a room thermostat on the ProFlame remote; pick the electronic-ignition burner for a touch-screen remote that lights the pilot for you and can be programmed by weekday and weekend, all on batteries.
It is not right for a bedroom or bathroom, a recreational vehicle, or any room that cannot supply the combustion air an unvented heater draws from it — a confined space is one under 50 cubic feet per 1,000 BTU/hr of appliance input. It is not a primary heat source except during a power outage, it adds moisture to the room, and it does not go in a factory-built fireplace whose own instructions rule out unvented gas logs. It is not for an outdoor fireplace. If your firebox is narrower than 28" at the front or shallower than 14", no size here fits.
Specifications
The 18" set needs a firebox at least 28" wide at the front, 20" at the rear, 19" high and 14" deep; the 24" set 32" x 22" x 19" x 14"; the 30" set 40" x 30" x 19" x 14" — the variable-flame burner asks for 20" of height. A side wall stays 16" from the side of the fireplace and the ceiling 42" above the top of the fireplace opening, with 36" clear in front; at floor level the fireplace keeps 14" to combustibles or the unit is raised 5" above combustible flooring, and at least 8" of noncombustible material above the opening — with 12" or more no hood is needed, and on the 24" and 30" sizes the Black Fireplace Hood is what makes a facing of only 8" to 12" work. Mantel heights are charted in Figures 6 and 7 on page 11 of the installation manual. The burner takes a 3/8" NPT inlet and is anchored to the fireplace floor with the masonry screws supplied. Ratings run 21,000-30,000 BTU/hr on the 18" millivolt and variable burners (24,000 low on propane), 24,000-28,000 on the 18" electronic burner, and 28,000-39,000 on every 24"/30" burner.
Rugged Stack vs. Wild Timber
The Wild Timber set sits on the same Triple-Flame burners with the same ratings and firebox minimums; what changes is the stack — Rugged Stack is thick, deeply barked split-oak rounds stacked on a grate, Wild Timber is long split timbers and forked branches in an eight-log set. Wild Timber starts at from $1,248 against from $1,328 here.
Features
- A seven-piece Rugged Stack concrete log set — thick, deeply barked split-oak rounds stacked on a grate — over Superior's triple burner and glowing ember bed, with an extra row of flames behind the logs
- Three lengths, 18", 24" and 30", each including the Triple-Flame burner that fits it — the 18" burner under 18" logs, the 24" burner under 24" and 30" logs
- Vent free: heater rated at 99% efficiency with the damper closed, 30,000 BTU/hr on the 18" size and 39,000 on the 24" and 30", with an ODS safety pilot and no household power needed
- Six ways to light and control it, from a hand-lit millivolt pilot to a battery electronic ignition with a touch-screen remote that adds thermostat and weekday/weekend modes
- Platinum Bright Embers, Glowing Embers, volcanic stone, flexible gas hose and floor anchors in the burner carton; three-year limited warranty on the logs and grate
Answers to common questions
Which size Rugged Stack set fits my fireplace?
Measure the firebox opening. The 18" set needs at least 28" across the front, 20" across the back, 19" of height and 14" of depth; the 24" set 32" front, 22" rear, 19" high, 14" deep; the 30" set 40" front, 30" rear, 19" high, 14" deep. If you choose the variable-flame burner, allow 20" of height. The 24" and 30" sets share the 24" burner, so the 30" is simply the wider stack on it. Send us your dimensions if you are unsure; we are happy to check.
What’s included, what’s required, and what’s optional?
-
Included in the box: The complete seven-piece Rugged Stack log set: the concrete logs with their placement sheet, the Triple-Flame burner base assembly with grate, a hardware kit with masonry screws, flexible gas hose and fittings, a bag of volcanic stone, a bag of Glowing Embers and a Platinum Bright Embers kit.
-
Required to complete the installation, purchased separately: A masonry fireplace, UL127 factory-built fireplace or listed vent free firebox that meets the minimum firebox size for the log length, and the gas connection — piping, an equipment shutoff valve with test tap, a sediment trap and LP-resistant sealant; propane also needs an external regulator set to 11"-14" w.c.
-
Optional: Black Fireplace Hood — the part that lets you install with less clearance. On the 24" or 30" size it is how a noncombustible facing of only 8" to 12" works where 12" is otherwise wanted, and on any size, the 18" included, it shortens the minimum mantel height (the manual's Figure 7 chart instead of Figure 6). Where your facing and mantel already clear, you do not need it. Floor Media Kit — extra lava rock, embers and cinders for the firebox floor.
Does it need a chimney or a vent?
No. This is a vent free heater, design-certified to ANSI Z21.11.2, and it runs with the fireplace damper closed so none of the heat goes up the chimney — the manufacturer rates it at 99% efficiency. It draws its combustion air from the room, so the room must be big enough or have ventilation openings, and the fireplace screen stays in place with any glass doors fully open whenever it burns. State and local codes in some areas prohibit vent free appliances, so check yours before you buy.
Millivolt, variable flame or electronic ignition — what is the difference?
The millivolt burner has a standing pilot you light with a push-button igniter and a LO-HI flame knob at the burner; it needs no power and is remote-ready, so we pair it here with Superior's wall switch, on/off remote or thermostatic remote kit if you want one. The variable-flame burner is a different burner with a variable valve: its ProFlame remote comes in the box and gives on/off, five flame heights, a room thermostat and a child lock. The electronic-ignition burner lights its own pilot from a battery pack and comes with the EcoFlow touch-screen remote — manual, thermostat and weekday/weekend program modes with three flame levels — again with no household power.
Can I put a mantel or a shelf above it, and where can it not go?
A mantel is fine at the right height. How high depends on how deep the mantel is and whether you fit the Black Fireplace Hood — the minimums are charted in Figures 6 and 7 on page 11 of the installation manual, and at least 8" of noncombustible facing (slate, marble or tile) must run above the opening on every size. The hood is what buys you room — it shortens every minimum mantel height (the Figure 7 chart instead of Figure 6) and drops the noncombustible facing the 24" and 30" sizes need from 12" to 8". If even that will not reach, the mantel has to be raised or removed, and if none of that is possible this is not the right fireplace for the set. Never install it in a bedroom, a bathroom or a recreational vehicle, within 36" of curtains or furniture, or in a windy or high-traffic spot; Massachusetts bars vent free logs from bedrooms and bathrooms outright.
Can it go in a manufactured home?
Yes, in a permanently sited manufactured (mobile) home where local codes allow — but never in a recreational vehicle.
How does the warranty work if something goes wrong?
Superior warrants the logs and grate for three years, the gas components and the remote for one year and other parts for 90 days, for the original owner when the set is installed by a licensed contractor — and The Torch Guys handles it for you: as an authorized Superior dealer we register the appliance and, if you ever need to claim, we deal with the manufacturer on your behalf rather than handing you a phone number. Keep your invoice and the model number; we hold the rest on file.
