Your gas fireplace needs to be maintained yearly. Like any other type of fireplace, it will accumulate dust, debris and dirt, causing it to run inefficiently.
There are different types of gas fireplaces on the market, but the following tips pertain to pretty much all of them.
Make sure the gas is off !
Before starting any cleaning, make sure the gas is switched off. You will find the gas valve at the bottom of most fireplaces, when you open the grate below the glass. The fireplace could accidentally ignite if you don’t !
Open the glass and take out the fake logs.
Unless you are familiar with your fireplace, you may have to refer to the owners manual to confirm how to open and take the glass door off. Once this is done, go ahead and remove the logs and or stones, and set them aside. Be aware they will be dirty !
Clean the stones and logs.
You can use a regular vacuum to clean the stones if you use a cover and elastic to prevent the stones from going up the vacuum. To clean the fireplace logs, just wipe them down with a damp cleaning rag and then set them aside to dry.
Cleaning the Fireplace itself.
You can use a vacuum to clean the inside of the fireplace, and the inside of the glass can be cleaned with a fireplace specific glass cleaner. Use an old dry rag to wipe down the surfaces and ensure they are all dry before adding the decorative stones and logs.
This really is simple maintenance that most homeowners should be able to do. If you’re not comfortable doing it yourself, there are fireplace companies that will send a technician to do it for you and also do a quick inspection. Whether you do it yourself, or hire a tech, keeping up on fireplace maintenance will go a long way in ensuring that the fireplace will work when you need it to !
Stay Warm !
Pegasus Home Inspections Ltd