Proper Gas Fireplace Maintenance

Wood is good, but you can’t beat the ease of a fire that lights with the push of a button. However, it’s important to pay attention to things such as gas log maintenance and gas fireplace maintenance. Both are extremely important in ensuring your fireplace continues to work as it should. Here we outline some proper gas fireplace maintenance tips to make sure your fireplace continues to work as effectively as possible.

Gas Fireplace Maintenance Guidelines

 1. Safety Check
A gas fireplace safety inspection makes sure that your fireplace is working properly and safely within the walls of your home. A technician certified by the Chimney Safety Institute of America will inspect to make sure there are no leaks in the system, as well as inspect the burner and gas pressure.

 2. Cleaning Glass
Another crucial step in your gas fireplace maintenance is cleaning the glass. Where a gas fireplace does burn cleaner than a wood burning fireplace, however just like a wood burning fireplace, you should still clean a gas fireplace every year following there steps:

• First, make sure the fireplace is cool and turned off. It’s also a good idea to make sure the gas valve is turned off.
• Clean the glass by removing it from the fireplace (if possible) and setting it down on an old sheet or drop cloth to keep the floors from getting dirty when you clean.
  • If the glass is pretty clean, you can most likely use a glass cleaner. But if you see a few of those black spots, try to use something like a nylon scrubber, that won’t scratch the glass, and Dawn dishwashing liquid to carefully remove the spots
  • If the glass is dirty with a black coating or a white haze, you’ll need to do a heavy duty cleaning using Dawn dishwashing liquid and a soft rag.

3. Cleaning Gas Logs
Gas fireplace maintenance isn’t complete without getting into all of the crevices of those logs. You can easily clean and dust cobwebs from the logs by using a vacuum or a shop vac with the brush attachment to clean the logs and the surrounding area. If dust is coated and stuff in corners of the logs, you can use a small soft paintbrush first to help dislodge before vacuuming.

• If you notice the logs look worn down or if they are cracked or broken, they should be replaced so the fireplace continues to function as it should.
• If it looks like there is an excessive amount of black carbon buildup on the logs, it could be an indication of a problem and you should call to have your fireplace serviced.

The overall goal of gas fireplace maintenance is to clear out the accumulation of sediment in the pilot opening. A can of compressed air, like the ones used for keyboard cleaning will do the trick, may be used with the included straw to direct air toward the opening to clean it out. If you opt to do this yourself, remember to make sure the pilot is OFF before beginning. If the pilot assembly is at least five years old or if you live close to salt water (not an issue for us Indiana folk), this method likely won’t be as effective as it once was, leaving you needing to seek professional assistance!

Due to the nature of gas being dangerous, if you are in need of any sort of repair, we don’t recommend you take care of that for your gas fireplace on your own. Please call the certified professionals at Brick + Ember Outfitters if you need help: 317-500-1250.