Summer?! Yes, we said summer. Those few months of the year that your fire isn’t operating is the perfect time to get down and do a little fire maintenance in preparation for next season. It doesn’t matter if your fire is gas or wood burning: all fires require a little bit of annual TLC.
Pictured above: Regency Greenfire GF1500LST gas fire
Gas Fireplace
Gas fireplaces are low maintenance very easy to use, however there are some important safety reasons to get them serviced annually. Regular servicing helps your gas fire stay in good working order longer, and it confirms your fire is safe to use.
Pictured above: Regency Greenfire GF900L gas fire
Servicing of gas units should always be carried out by a qualified service technician, preferably one that is familiar with your brand of fire. The technician will clean and run tests on your unit to check that everything is operating safely. You can expect your technician to carry out these maintenance checks:
- Cleaning the pilot and replacing pilot injector
- Cleaning the fan and heater
- Checking HI & LO burner pressure and adjusting if required
- Checking the overall operation of unit
If you notice any marks on the outside of your fireplace glass in between services, simply use fireplace glass cleaner to remove them. This helpful video features step by step instructions.
Wood Fireplace
Who doesn’t love a wood burning fire? When operating correctly, wood fires are a great source of warmth in winter. There are a number of steps you can take to ensure your wood burning fire is in good working order.
Before you start cleaning your wood fire, ensure the coals in your firebox are completely cooled. To begin, start by removing any ash and debris from your firebox. There are a number of great on the market products that can assist with this from a simple firebox tool set to an ash vacuum cleaner. To prevent an unwanted fire, make sure you store the ash from your firebox in a fire proof container away from any flammable materials.
Next, arrange a clean from a chimney sweep. Flues need to be checked annually for soundness and cleared of any potential creosote buildup. If this is the first time that you’re having your chimney swept, consider contacting the dealer who you purchased your heater from to see if they can recommend an accomplished chimney sweep in your area.
In addition to a chimney sweep, it is also recommended that your fireplace be checked by a technician annually. A technician will carry out the following tasks while inspecting your wood fire;
- Clean fan (if applicable)
- Check flue and door seal
- Check overall operation of unit
- Replace any damaged fire bricks, baffle and air bars
- Touch up paint (if needed)
- Any rust can be touched up with rust neutralizer (if needed)
Finally, give the glass on your wood fire a good clean. There are a number of products on the market that can help you remove any marks; ask your local fireplace retailer for tried and true product recommendations.
And now your fire is ready for winter!
Pictured above: Regency Berwick wood inbuilt
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