The list of possible repairs to a gas fireplace may seem rather extensive, but in actuality many of the repairs are preventable or solvable with little effort. By completing regular maintenance of your fireplace, you’ll be able to have peace of mind that it will work properly for a longer period of time.
Fireplace Inspection & Repair
Frequent inspections are one of the very first things you can do to help extend the life of your current gas fireplace. Checking for splits, cracks, or holes will help prevent future accidents, while also ensuring heat isn’t leaking from your wood stoves, chimney systems or gas fireplaces. Also be sure to check for changes in color or dark soot collecting on your wood or fireplace doors. This often occurs when your gas company changes the gas used in your home, specifically affecting gas fireplaces that aren’t often used.
Before performing any maintenance yourself, always remember to turn off the main electrical and gas supply valve in your home. If you forget to do so there’s the slight chance you could severely injure yourself and others. So for safety’s sake, be sure to check if they’re on or not.
Turn off the pilot, the mechanism that brings the gas into the fireplace, and wipe off the whole system with a dry cloth. This helps remove any particle build-up from the many fires you’ve had burning throughout the life of your gas powered fireplace.
Look over the vents on the top and bottom of your gas fireplace. Be sure the vent panels are firmly in their proper positions and cleared of any debris. Any blockage to these vents will make it harder for your gas fireplace to properly expel smoke, causing buildups within your gas fireplace.
When you do light a fire you shouldn’t be able to smell any gas, trust your nose and don’t second guess yourself if you think you smell gas. If you do smell gas that doesn’t necessarily mean you have a huge issue to deal with, but it could mean making a few minor adjustments to the flame. Move the main air shutter around until you have a yellowish orange flame to your fire.
If you do run into any problems when completing the above upkeep, then it’s important to consult a professional. When looking for gas fireplace repair services in Northern Virginia, look to High’s Chimney Service Inc. for the most effective and affordable repair, cleaning and installation services.
We’ve talked about how important it is to choose the proper size fireplace or wood stove and why it’s essential to have that unit installed by a professional. But don’t forget the most important element of owning a fireplace or hearth product – regular maintenance.
Using a clean, properly operational fireplace, gas insert or wood stove is vital for the safety of your family. With the services of a certified chimney sweep you can ensure smoke and emissions have a clear path up and away from your living space. By having a qualified technician inspect your fireplace, you can be sure that all of the essential mechanisms and components are working well and that the hearth appliance is running at peak efficiency.
It pays to have a certified, experienced fireplace technician into your home every year. Your family will stay safe and enjoy the dependability of a wood burning insert, gas fireplace or wood stove all winter long. Fireplace Village has knowledgeable, trained and experienced staff on hand to perform fireplace maintenance. We are also professional chimney sweeps and can handle all aspects of maintenance for any of the models we sell. Trust the pros who know. Let Fireplace Village keep your family safe this heating season.
Your gas fireplace is extremely convenient and inexpensive to use. One essential task for homeowners who enjoy gas fireplaces is to have a safety check and cleaning service done on their fireplace. All gas lines and connections will be checked, ensuring that carbon monoxide and other dangerous emissions are not posing a risk to your family.
Gas fireplace cleaning can sometimes seem strange, as they have a very low production of ashes and dirt. But having your gas fireplace cleaned and inspected by a certified professional each year is important to the health of your home and the safety of the unit. Dust and debris can be inside and will build up, damaging the operation of a top-of-the-line fireplace. Catch any issues right away, ensure the fittings are secure and rest easy the next time you flip that wall switch.
Fireplace Village provides annual safety inspection and cleaning service for gas fireplaces, gas fireplace inserts and gas stoves. Contact Fireplace Village today for pricing and appointments. Fireplace Village recommends using only licensed gas technicians when servicing and cleaning gas hearth appliances.
Fireplace Village is the largest hearth retailer in New England. Fireplace Village provides installation, maintenance and repair service for most hearth appliances including complete gas appliance service. In addition, we provide safety inspection and chimney cleaning service.
Annual maintenance is essential for your gas fireplace or gas stove. Not only does it keep your heating appliance running at peak performance, but regular service ensures the safety of your home and family.
Fireplace Village conducts a comprehensive service of your gas fireplace, including everything from the overall appearance to the smallest function. Their 24 point checklist is one of the most thorough in the industry and offers homeowners excellent value and security.
Inspection is a major part of your gas fireplace service visit. A certified technician will make sure that the intricate parts of your hearth appliance are well connected and working properly. The valve connections, air shutter opening and seals will be looked over by a trained eye. Also, the thermopile and thermocouple will be inspected for wear and cleaned properly.
Other operational elements of your gas fireplace, such as the remote control, thermostat wall switch and wiring will be checked over. You also have an opportunity to report any problems you’ve had with the fireplace to a qualified professional who is on hand to take care of things.
Bringing your gas fireplace back to its original shine is another important part of the annual maintenance visit. The technician will concentrate on the firebox, cleaning any build up from it, the burner and the glass with care. Also, the gas log set will be properly repositioned and the entire unit will be vacuumed out to remove any dust and dirt. New embers will be strategically placed on the clean burner and logs.
Qualified service staff will test the manifold and outlet pressure readings if necessary and will check a few other important operations of your fireplace.
The burner will be put to use, after the gap between the electrode tip and the pilot burner is checked for the correct distance. The technician will make sure your burner lights properly, that the main burner is operating correctly and that the height of the flame is good.
Attention will turn to the pilot flame, to make sure it’s burning cleanly and engulfing the thermopile as it should.
All of these things are technical and take a trained professional time to complete correctly. Not only will your Fireplace Village technician provide these things, but they will give you helpful instruction on running your gas fireplace in the optimum way. You can trust their guidance and borrow from their experience and knowledge to answer your questions.
You’ll also be advised about any repairs or replacements that need to be done. All of these steps will be covered well and to your satisfaction for a reasonable price. The cost of annual maintenance is small when compared to the level of expertise and security the staff delivers. Fireplace Village stands behind the products they carry by offering top of the line service and annual maintenance. Your gas fireplace or gas stove will be taken care of from the very beginning, providing a safe, efficient and comfortable home for your family.
Fireplace Village as well as most gas hearth appliance manufacturers recommend homeowners have their gas fireplaces, stoves and inserts cleaned and serviced annually.
Fireplace Village provides a 24 point Safety Check and Cleaning by a licensed gas technician. We are currently scheduling appointments for our Summer Special which runs from May to July:
$99* (normally $189, replacement parts not included)
Beat the fall rush and save money by scheduling your maintenance now. Call our Maintenance hotline at (603)645-6263 or email us at customercare@fireplacevillage.net to schedule an appointment. Fireplace Village services most gas hearth appliances.
Every household appliance needs regular maintenance and your gas fireplace is no exception. Burn safely and efficiently by performing routine gas fireplace annual maintenance.
Have a licensed gas appliance specialist inspect the lines and connections annually. This will catch problems before they become a danger to your family.
Clean off your log set with a damp cloth and wipe the glass doors clean with a specialized fireplace glass cleaner. This will eliminate flammable dust and give you a clear view of the flames.
Check for any blockages – inside and out. Watch for critters, birds and spiders that may have made a home in these cozy spots.
Lastly, test your carbon monoxide detectors and replace the batteries if needed.
Gas fireplaces are known for their convenience and ease of use. Whether you’ve just installed a new gas fireplace or are entering the heating season again, learning how to turn on a gas fireplace is a simple lesson.
If your gas fireplace is an insert model, find and open your flue. Make sure your pilot light is lit. If not, relight it with a long match and switch the gas knob to ON. This should get the flames up.
For a direct-vent or vent-free model, check the pilot light (it may not be out in the open, so have a good look for it). Once lit, most models will begin to operate with a flick of a wall switch.
We saw good question (and answer) about gas fireplaces in the Boston Globe yesterday:
Q. I had a gas fireplace installed in my 2007 house. It is fueled by propane because there is no gas on the street. The pilot light has gone off repeatedly. A faulty part was replaced without much success. Someone thought there was not enough pressure from the propane, and increased the pressure. Still with no success. In December the pilot went out again and it cost me $95 to turn it on, and failed again in a few hours. Now what?
RIPPING MAD
A. Good question. Boosting pressure? Maybe. This might work: Replace the pilot with electronic ignition. Finally, was the unit designed for propane? Check with the installer. And since professionals have been dealing with this for months without success, perhaps a whole new unit is in order. Or replace the unit with a pellet stove, one that has a power vent through the wall and it doesn’t need a pilot.
Fireplace Village provides gas fireplace installation, service and maintenance in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Call or email today to set an appointment.
