Gas fireplaces are beautiful and efficient alternatives to traditional wood-burning fireplaces. However, these systems require routine maintenance to ensure safety and performance.
At Central Heating, we have over a decade’s worth of experience in gas fireplace installation, repair, and maintenance. Our expert gas fitters can install a custom-designed fireplace in your home that provides warmth and adds value, and we can work with nearly every budget.
Contact us today to schedule a no-obligation consultation. We are proud to serve Barrie and the surrounding area.
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Benefits of a Gas Fireplace
Many homeowners love the idea of a wood-burning fireplace, but what they often don’t realize is all of the hard work and expense that’s required to run and maintain them.
Imagine being able to come home after a tough day at work and flipping a switch to get a roaring fire from your fireplace instead of the exertion and time it takes to light the logs.
Maybe you’ve considered converting your wood-burning fireplace into gas, but think that gas fireplaces look too fake.
Well, the fact is you don’t have to choose between aesthetics and convenience anymore. Here are a few of the many benefits of installing a gas fireplace.
Gas Fireplaces are More Efficient
While wood-burning fireplaces are beautiful and romantic, they’re incredibly inefficient because you can lose up to 90% of the heat they produce up the chimney. With a vent-free gas fireplace installation, your fireplace becomes an effective room heater by preventing heat loss.
Gas Fireplaces Require Less Maintenance
For many homeowners, the joy of having a wood-burning fireplace is quickly lost when faced with the cleanup and maintenance that goes with it. Plus, you must have your chimney regularly swept to prevent creosote buildup, which can cause a chimney fire. Gas fireplaces don’t require sweeping, and gas burns cleaner than wood, which means far less creosote to worry about.
Gas Fireplaces Save Money
As mentioned, wood-burning fireplaces are expensive to operate when you factor in wood, time, and maintenance. Running a natural gas fireplace is typically much cheaper than a traditional fireplace, and because it doesn’t require as much maintenance, you save on chimney sweeping services.
Gas Fireplaces Are Less Risk For Fires
We talked about creosote above, which is the number one cause of chimney fires. Creosote buildup is so volatile, and it only takes one spark or high temperature in the flue to lead to disaster. Installing a gas fireplace gives you all the benefits of a traditional fireplace without the dangers.
If you’d like to know more about a gas fireplace installation, contact the experts at Central Heating today.
Gas Fireplace Maintenance Tips
Although gas fireplaces are much easier to maintain than their wood-burning counterparts, they’re not a set it and forget it appliance.
However, most maintenance tasks are quick and easy.
Clean the Glass
Most gas fireplaces have removable glass doors for easy cleaning. Check with your owner’s manual for any specific instructions.
Clean the Interior
You can use your vacuum wand attachment to clean out any dust and debris from the inside of the fireplace. If you use lava rocks, consider covering the wand’s opening with cheesecloth to filter dust while leaving the rocks untouched.
Clean the Logs
Gas logs typically don’t require much cleaning; however, if you find soot buildup, you can check with your owner’s manual and follow the directions to clean them. In most cases, you’ll use a gentle brush to remove the soot. Don’t use damp cloth or spray cleaners. If you have vent-free gas logs, call an experienced technician for safe cleaning.
Call a Pro for Inspection
While you won’t need regular chimney sweeping, it’s a good idea to call a certified gas fitter to inspect your fireplace every few years to check for cracks or any other problems that could impair performance.
At Central Heating, our technicians are licensed gas fitters with years of experience in residential gas fireplace installation, repair, and maintenance.
You can rely on our experts for all of your gas piping needs.
When to Call for Gas Fireplace Service
Gas fireplaces are highly reliable and typically run for years without issue. However, when you experience problems, it’s best to call a professional for help.
Here are the most common fireplace issues you might experience.
Unusual Odors
It’s easy to panic when you smell a foul odor coming from your gas fireplace, but in most cases, the odor isn’t a cause for concern.
Most gas fireplace odors can be traced back to:
- Pet fur
- Dust
- Dirt
However, if you smell gas or a burning electrical odor, shut off the fireplace and call for help immediately.
The Pilot Light Goes Out
Like a furnace, the pilot light that powers your gas furnace can go out. If yours goes out, check the user’s manual for instructions on relighting it. If you find the pilot light going out continuously, it could mean the thermopile is damaged, and if that’s the case, you need a professional for repairs.
Ignition Failure
Sometimes, your fireplace will fail to ignite. If you haven’t used the fireplace for a long time, there might be air in the tubing, which you’ll have to bleed out.
Ignition failure can also result from a malfunctioning spark igniter.
Lastly, try using compressed air to clean the pilot area.
If all else fails, call a professional for help.
