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Answering All Your Questions About Our New Exterior Gas Lanterns

October 27, 2020

The gas lanterns for our home were provided by Bevolo. All opinions are our own. If you're not currently looking for gas fixtures, all of Bevolo's lights and lanterns are available as electric fixtures, as well. 

Last November, Julia and I went to New Orleans for our anniversary  — I lived in Louisiana for a couple years, once upon a time, and had always wanted to take her there and show it off because it's such a unique place. In fact, I often say if you want to experience another country but don't have a passport, go to Louisiana. It was such a fun trip, and we came home with a love for fresh cracklins and gas lanterns.

Fast forward a few months. While adjusting to daily changes brought on by a global pandemic, we discover mold on the exterior of our home and make the decision to go all-in and completely redo our exterior (with design help from some amazing friends). And as design plans started, we thought back to those evening walks through New Orleans and the homes lined with gas lanterns, and knew we wanted to capture that vibe with our home.

Does that transformation blow your mind? It does mine, and I watched it happen (albeit slowly) every day. And while there are so many closeup detail shots we still owe you, as we've shared the gas lanterns we've received a lot of great questions that we want to answer in case you're considering adding gas lanterns to your own home. But if you want to skip some reading and cut to the chase, we think you should go for it. :)

Exterior Gas Lantern Q&A:

"Are they really gas? Do you have to run a gas line to each?"
Yes! They hook right into our home's natural gas line in our crawl space under the house and split out from there to each of the fixtures. There is one valve that cuts gas to all of the lanterns at once, and then there are individual valves where each line splits if we need to cut the gas individually, plus valves at each of the fixtures to turn the burners off themselves.

"What model are your lanterns?"
These fixtures are made by Bevolo, and they're the absolute best. The wall sconces are their Cotton Exchange original bracket (which is best for mounting on combustible surfaces like our Smartside, as the flush mount must be mounted to stone or brick) in the 22-inch height, and the hanging lanterns are the French Quarter Yoke lantern in the 24-inch height.

"Do they give off enough light at night?"
Gas lanterns are definitely not meant to be a main source of light. They give off enough light to see, but additional layers of light would be helpful. We have cans up front to help give more light when needed.

"Do they stay on all the time? Do they have a switch?"
Yes. There is a valve on each burner so you can turn them off easily, you just need to relight them manually each time. There is no switch for these, so we just leave them lit.

"Are they difficult to install?"
The difficulty depends on your situation, but the installation must always be done by a licensed HVAC professional. Each lantern is its own gas fixture, and code requirements must be met for having shutoffs, etc.

Where we had so much of our home opened up for our exterior renovation, running new gas lines was pretty easy for our installers. The best thing to do is consult with a licensed HVAC professional on where you would like your lanterns installed. They can look at accessibility of current gas connections and let you know what it would take to add the new lines.

BUT! In situations where running a gas line isn't an option, all of Bevolo's fixtures are offered in electrical units as well, so you can still get the amazing quality and look. We're using a couple of those for our balcony, actually.

"How does it affect the gas bill?"
The lanterns use a little more gas than a pilot light on a gas fireplace, and the impact on your bill depends on how high you make the flame. We haven't noticed any unexpected jump in our bill not explained by the recent dip in temperatures.

"Are they safe? Any fire hazard?"
This was probably the most asked question, and we get why, especially given our experiences. But really the concern comes from most people not living in places where you see gas lanterns. Gas lanterns have been used longer than light bulbs and, when installed by licensed HVAC professionals, are very safe. Basically no different from having a gas furnace, or gas fireplace, or gas water heater.

Of course gas lanterns are an intentional decision in the plan of your home, but we're so happy we went for it. Every person who comes to our front door experiences their warm, welcome glow and they're just one more detail that is helping turn this home into what we knew it could be.

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  1. Graphite and copper together are stunning. Are the window frames graphite as well? Thank you for sharing.

  2. We travelled to Charleston, SC last fall and I completely fell in love with gas lanterns too! They are beyond charming and are an amazing addition to your home.

    1. Thank you Michelle! All are Bevolo Lanterns and are handcrafted in New Orleans. Please let us know if we can ever assist you with fixtures for your home. We offer a complimentary design service and are happy to review your project and offer design feedback on what styles and sizes may work best. Reach out directly if I can assist you > [email protected]

  3. I love your new gas lanterns! We lived across the lake from New Orleans for 4 years and I LOVED our gas lanterns. That is one of the s things I really miss once we moved back to TX. I hope I can get some installed on our current home some day!

    1. You just get in touch with them and they walk you through the process. There are several considerations they make sure are taken into account in your purchase process.

    2. Hi Sarah - We have been manufacturing copper lanterns for 75 years and all fixtures are handmade to order so we prefer to view each and every project personally to ensure you get the perfect lighting! Please note Bevolo offers a complimentary design service. We are happy to review photos or architectural drawings and offer design feedback on what fixtures may work best. My name is Brittnee and I'd be happy to assist you if interested in learning more! > [email protected]

  4. Hi I had a question about why you chose to use non-renewable energy for you lights rather than us electricity which is primarily sourced from hydro in Idaho. Would you please elaborate on that choice?

    Thanks.

    1. We look at our renovation as a whole, not just any one aspect. We replaced all of the windows with more efficient ones, we improved the insulation throughout the house (adding it in a couple places it didn't exist before), and swapped the roofing for a recycled material that also improves interior climate stability. Even with adding 600 square feet of heated space to our home, and adding the gas lanterns, we've reduced the natural gas usage of our home from the same time last year. We keep a close eye on usage, but expect the really cold months to show even greater reductions in usage.

      We also take personal steps to reduce our hot water use and close off vents to parts of the house not in use (like our guest room) etc.. Taken all together, we feel good about the improvements we've made (and are making) and have seen really positive results in the efficiency of our home.

    2. Hi Lilah - just a note on efficiency of the gas lanterns. All Bevolo fixtures are handcrafted out of copper and will never have to be replaced, which is also important when thinking about sustainability. We have also patented the most efficient gas lanterns on the market. They essentially operate like a pilot light and consume very little gas - also all styles are offered in electric if you prefer to go that route.. Please let me know if you have any additional questions and I'm happy to assist!

  5. They are beautiful! This is a little funny thing, but are HVAC techs the only people in Utah that can run gas lines?! It's funny because we getting a new rad installed in my old East Coast Colonial and the HVAC had a plumber come out to run the gas lines. Here its a plumbers main gig. Just curious.

  6. The gas lanterns are a beautiful and thoughtful touch! Thanks for sharing about them. I am intrigued about your front porch flooring. What material is it? Thanks :)

  7. They're such a beautiful look! Can I ask if they flicker more or less constantly, or just in wind, etc.? Do they eventually give a steady-ish flame like a candle would? Thank you in advance! Love these peeks at your exterior!

  8. I too am enamored of bringing some NOLA spirit to my home here now in the Seattle area and gas lanterns are HIGH on that list!

    1. Hi Doug - most of Bevolo's most popular residential styles fall in the $400-$900 range and can be made in natural gas, propane, or electric. Please reach out directly if I can answer any questions or to take advantage of our complimentary design service. > [email protected]

  9. The perfect finishing touch to your exterior remodel.

    Thanks for explaining how and why regarding installation.

  10. Chris, do you know how many lumens (on low or high flame) each lantern emits and/or what light bulb wattage would equate? That would be helpful. Thanks

    1. I don't, but they are dim the way we have them set. We have the flame turned down pretty good - about as much fuel as a pilot light in a gas fireplace. They're maybe 100 lumens, maybe not even that. Layers of light are helpful to achieve more brightness.

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