How To Maintain Your Gas Fireplace At Home

Just because a gas fireplace is more efficient than the wood-burning one, doesn’t mean you will not maintain your gas fireplace. It’s advisable to clean your unit every month to ensure it is working properly.

Here are tips on how you should check your gas fireplace.

• Clean the glass as needed. For easy cleaning, most gas fireplace doors are removable. Use the owner’s manual as a guide to remove glass doors and place a large plastic bag on the old newsprint to cover your table or floor below. Wipe gently but firmly with a household window cleaner sprayed soft cloth. You can use a small amount of fireplace cleaner or ceramic cook-top cleaner if there are any stubborn soot stains and wipe the dust off with another dry, damp cloth. To avoid stretching or removing windows, thoroughly clean glass with paper towels or newsprint. Wait for the use of the fireplace for at least 30 minutes, enabling any window cleaner to completely evaporate before exposure to flame.
• Clear any debris. Cleaning a gas fireplace does not only require washing the glass cover. To keep your fireplace running smoothly, you will also want to clear any debris from the burners. Do this by running over them a vacuum cleaner, scrubbing off any leftover residue with a gentle toothbrush. Pass the vacuum cleaner one final time across the burners to remove any leftover dust.
• Clean gas logs. Little cleaning or maintenance is required for gas log sets. If soot starts building up and discolouring your vented gas logs, follow the manual instructions given by your owner’s manual to remove logs, take out and gently brush the soot with a paintbrush or other soft-bristled brush from the logs. Do not wash or damp-wipe logs, as the finish can fade or be destroyed. Never use cleaners to spray. Vent-free gas logs should not be moved or cleaned by anyone but a trained service technician because even vent-free logs could create safety hazards.

Self-maintaining a gas fireplace is just one part of owning your system. If your gas fireplace is not maintained well enough or if you miss repairs, serious problems can arise — and it’s best to get an expert opinion and support.

Do have your gas fireplace inspected. If it’s been more than a year since your last service, call Shaul’s Plumbing and Heating Ltd. today to schedule your gas fireplace maintenance test and enjoy the comfort of ensuring that your system is well maintained, effective and ready to serve you through the cold winter months. Call 778-397-4850 for maintenance of gas fireplaces around Vancouver, BC!