Is your gas fireplace ready for the season?
There’s nothing like a nice warm summer night. Sitting around your backyard firepit with family and friends is such a memorable experience. A nice little escape so close to home. Before long, the days will get shorter, the nights will get chillier, and gathering ‘round the fire will move inside. But, will you indoor fireplace be ready to go when the season arrives?
Getting your natural gas fireplace cleaned up and ready to enjoy can be done in a few easy steps. Chipping away at them before fall arrives ensures warm, cozy evenings await the moment the temperature drops.
Need some help preparing your fireplace for the upcoming season? We’d be happy to help. Just give us a call at 905-637-1100 or email us at info@goclimate.ca for sales or service.
One of the benefits of a direct-vent fireplace is that the maintenance requirements aren’t overly intensive. But, they are important. All of the maintenance steps below can be handled on your own, however, if you would like help preparing your fireplace for the season, we can assist.
Before tackling any fireplace maintenance, be sure that you’ve shut off the power to the unit – including the gas.
Clean & care for your fireplace’s glass
Your fireplace prep will begin with removal of your fireplace’s glass. Whether you clean it at the beginning or as you’re concluding is entirely up to you. For some models, your glass will be on hinges that allow you to open and gain access to the fireplace’s interior. In these cases, the glass remains on the hinges. On others, it will be secured by clips. Once you unclip the glass cover, carefully place it somewhere soft, like on your carpet or a towel, so it won’t get scratched.Cleaning your glass is important. You’ll likely notice a filmy residue on the interior side. Depending on when the last cleaning took place, this can build up and become unsightly. Even with minor, nearly-unnoticable build-up, unclean glass will take away from the visual vibrancy of your fire. Nice clean glass becomes almost invisible.
The most important advice here – do not use regular glass cleaner like Windex. Remember, the temperatures your glass will face during operation are exponentially greater than an average pane of household glass. Specialized cleaners ensure residue is removed without creating any potential damage.
Contact Goemans to find the best cream-based glass cleaner for your fireplace and enjoy streak-free, crystal-clear view of your fire for years to come.
Once you’ve applied the proper glass cleaner, give it some time to work. (Check the directions on the bottle for appropriate wait times.) Then, you can rub it off with a scratch-free, micro-fibre cloth.
Now that your glass has been taken care of – or, at least, is out of the way – you now have access to the fireplace’s interior.
Learn More About Gas Firepaces
Remove any debris from inside your fireplace
Since natural gas burns a whole lot cleaner than wood, the amount of debris that’s left behind is minimal. However, combustion is taking place – and with that comes some amount of particulates that should be removed. The presence of excessive debris does represent a fire hazard; a clean fireplace is definitely a safer one.
The decorative, ceramic-fibre logs used in your gas fireplaces are incredibly durable. But, over time, degradation does occur and they will leave debris in the firebox. This can be cleaned up by removing the logs and brushing or vacuuming out any loose fragments. Assessing the state of your logs and/or decorative embers each season is also a good idea. Typically, these will last several years. For the best visual appearance of your fire and to ensure safe operation, these will require periodic replacement.
Give your remote control a check up.
After sitting through the spring and summer seasons, you’ll want to make sure your remote is ready for action. Whether your remote is feature filled or nice and simple, it will likely be due for a pre-season battery change. Nothng can be more frustrating than sitting down to relax in front of the fire only to have an unresponsive remote.
Ignite your pilot light.
On new fireplace units, your remote control – now freshly equipped with new batteries – may be all you need to ignite your pilot light. If that’s the case, simply push the button and put your feet up.
If your unit doesn’t have an electronic, or remote, ignition system, you will have to perform this manually. Under most circumstances, this doesn’t take more than a minute or two – and it’s definitely easier and quicker to perform when the fireplace is clean. While the ignition processes across various units are similar, this is where you will need to consult your owners manual. Following the steps outlined in your manual will ensure this is a quick and smooth process.
If you’re lighting the pilot after the temperatures have dropped, you could run into some cold-start difficulties. If multiple attempts have been made to ignite the pilot light, the unit may go into a lock-out mode – disabiling it from being lit. This is a safety feature that’s being triggered to ensure the gas can dissipate. If this happens, you’ll likely need to reset your system before attempting a relight. Your owners manual will walk your through the steps to do this. Once you’ve navigated this and see your pilot light glowing, you’ll be all set.
Fire it up!
Giving your fireplace a quick test-run will identify any issues prior to the season. You can test the performance of your remote control and thermostat settings as well. A visual assessment of the fireplace’s performance can also identify any potential problems nice and early. If anything doesn’t look or feel right, we can help you sort it out before the cold weather rolls in.Are you looking for some assistance getting your fireplace ready for the season? Or, are you looking to make a few upgrades? Let us know. We’d be happy to help!