How to maintain your fireplaces?

There are different ways to maintain various fireplaces as the cold nights draw near. A well-maintained fireplace gives you wonderful coziness. Enjoy sitting near a warm fire while reading a book or chatting with friends and family.

What’s more, you make the most out of it yourself by taking the proper steps. What kind do you have? Below are the steps in maintaining electric, gas, and wood fireplaces.

1. Tips to maintain your electric fireplace:

Cleaning the inside of an electric type is very simple because its flames are not real. The setup is much easier to clean than gas logs and wood-burning fireplaces. You won’t be dealing with starting or keeping an actual fire going.

But, it would help if you kept it clean to maintain its unique look and desire warmth provision. The maintenance is low, and it requires you to remove dust from the unit’s inlet and outlet properly. Take the steps below:

Turn the fireplace off

The first step before you do any form of cleaning is to turn it off. Ensure to unplug it from the outlet. But, if yours is wired into your home’s electricity, turned it off at the circuit box. More so, if you use the electric fireplace recently, let it cool down before you start the cleaning process.

External and internal cleaning

• When cleaning the parts, it would be nice to remember that yours is an electric gadget. So, you don’t want to soak the unit with water. Ensure you avoid excess moisture and liquid cleaning agents while cleaning the fireplace.
• You aim to remove the built-up dust. Hence it would help to get rid of the dust and marks from the fireplace’s exterior with a slightly damp and lint-free piece of cloth. After you are done, the next is the inner parts.
• There are two main internal parts of it. These are the Heater and Flame Effects units. To clean them, use a piece of cloth to wipe away the dust from its blower gently.
• More so, use a soft brush to remove the dust on the flame mirrors and the light source.
• However, the ember bed needs vacuuming with an attached soft brush to rid its dust. Other parts require cleaning to pick up the excess dust. You can check here for more fireplace cleaning tips.

Cautions

• You should avoid harsh detergents and abrasive cleaners. This act prevents scratches on the surface of it.
• Ensure you handle the vacuum cleaner gently to avoid damage to the sensitive parts.

2. Gas fireplace:

When it comes to your gas fireplace, the cleaning of the part is best done by an expert. The reason is to avoid damage to any of the gas parts.

A minor leak is potentially dangerous. Therefore, you should call a licensed gas service provider for its maintenance at least once yearly. This step makes it last long and safe for use. You can check this link https://www.homeserve.com/en-us/blog/buying-guide/ventless-gas-fireplaces/ for more on operating gas fireplaces.

More so, must inspect the vents, check for corrosion and condensation rate. The service provider further fits and joins connections correctly. Hence be on the lookout for the following steps:

• He turns off the Pilot Light and lets the unit cool down before servicing.
• He cleans the glass gently with a soft cloth and fireplace glass cleaner.
• Gets the airflow and louvers wiped down with a microfiber or soft cloth.

Clean and check the unit properly with a damp cloth. After a wipe down of the exterior part, ensure you look at the paint. A peel or bubbling at any spot may show a fault requiring a professional gas fireplace installer to fit appropriately.

Cautions when maintaining gas fireplaces:

• Always use the right fireplace glass cleaner, as common glass cleaners leave chemicals on the glass.
• Once it is restarted, noxious smells are created by the residue of lousy cleaning agents.
• Improper cleaning may permanently damage the glass. This act makes it unsafe when compared with the other types.

Maintaining fireplaces, if you have them, is part of being a good homeowner. Another maintenance task is keeping your AC unit working well.

Next, let’s check the maintenance of the age-long wood fireplace.

3. Wood fireplace:

Although this traditional fireplace improves the ambiance of your home, it produces by-products from burning pieces of wood. There is a constant need to remove the smoke and ashes. Therefore, you improve its aesthetics and durability in giving heat when you clean the interior.

Interestingly, the ashes are an excellent food for your plants. So, get the dust bucket, pan, mask, and a duster to clean it. So when you look for a fireplace for sale, ensure there is a means of collecting the ash.

It would help if you got the old ashes out of the fireplace gently. But, since the hot embers may burn for long after the fire is out, it is best to wait for at least 24 hours before removing ashes from it. Instead of throwing them outside in the garden right away, please keep them in an ash bucket for at least three days before use.

Caution

• Always wear a dust mask while cleaning the wood fireplace.

Concluding words about maintaining your fireplaces

Making more out of your fireplaces requires proper maintenance. An understanding of the best steps helps you a lot. More so, a well-maintained one makes fireside activities for adults and kids to enjoy. Therefore, make your home cozier by following the steps highlighted above. Happy winter!