Natural Gas Fireplace Cleaning and Maintenance

Like any appliance in your house, your natural gas (or propane) fireplace requires regular maintenance and cleaning to keep it working in tip top shape. Some of this maintenance you can do yourself, other things should be left to the professionals.

At Safe Home Fireplace, we recommend getting on top of this maintenance in the spring or summer. This will help ensure you’re not scrambling to get things working on the first crisp day of fall when you want to cozy up in front of the fireplace after a long day at work. This will also keep you ahead of the curve if it’s something a professional needs to look at – they tend to get a little swamped when the cold weather hits. Get in touch with us if you think it’s time you booked a service call for your gas fireplace.

What maintenance can I do myself?

Glass Cleaning

Over time, the glass on your gas fireplace can start to develop a white film. This is normal, but also unsightly and if it’s left too long it won’t come off that well. It’s a good idea to clean the glass on your gas fireplace at least once a year. DO NOT USE WINDEX or other glass cleaners – gas fireplace glass is special and so it needs a special cleaner. Stop by and pick up some Gas Fireplace Glass Cleaner (try saying that one five times fast). It’s a cream-based cleaner that will help lift that white film without scratching or doing damage to the glass.

Cleaning the Firebox

As long as you’re careful to put everything back the way you found it – you can take the logs out and clean out the firebox with a Shop-Vac. After time, the little embers in the bottom of the fireplace lose their pizzazz. You can vacuum them out, put some new ones in and spice the fireplace back up in no time. Just remember, the logs or other media are designed to fit on top of the burner in a very specific way. If they don’t go back properly, they’ll start to get black soot on them and should be rearranged. Always refer to the manual for your specific fireplace if you’re unsure about how they go back in.

When should I call in the Professionals?

Anytime! If you don’t feel comfortable dismantling the fireplace then you should just go ahead and call someone in to service it right away. Don’t feel like you have to do the cleaning and service work on your fireplace yourself just because you’re reading about how to do it. That’s why there are professionals! We service gas fireplaces all year around – give us a call to book your next appointment if your gas fireplace could use a tune up.