Since the chillier months are fast approaching, you might want to dust off your fireplace and get it to work to keep you warm in the dead cold of winter. If you have a gas fireplace, you need to carry out fireplace and chimney inspection & cleaning. Here’s a guide just for that.

Gas Fireplace Maintenance

Maintaining the fireplace is one of the first things you need to do to prep for fall and winter. Here is everything you need to do.

Clean The Fireplace

You need to give your fireplace a good cleaning. This is very important because when the fireplace is on and running, it can be hard to clean it and you don’t want to go through the waiting game to let the fireplace cool down when you’re fighting a chill. So, it’s better to do it now.

First, you’ll need to clean and scrub the walls which are probably covered in a thick and slimy black layer. This is essentially the residue that is left behind after burning the fuel or fire with gas. You can use a fireplace cleaning solution or get a good and sturdy brush to get down to business.

Inspection For Damage

This is also another thing that you want to do when you’re maintaining a gas fireplace. There can be damage, cracks, or fissures on the walls of the fireplace, depending on how old it is, so you must figure out what needs to be fixed because this is the right time for replacement.

If you replace it, then you will see a huge difference in the fireplace efficiency and performance because the heat will be contained and it will perform efficiently.

Get The Gear Ready

When it comes to maintaining a gas fireplace, the very important thing to do is to have your protective gear ready. You can’t possibly start maintaining a fireplace without protecting yourself and the surrounding area first. You will need to wear old clothes that you don’t mind ruining and you’ll also need masks, gloves, and other protective gear for your face.

Also, it’s good to cover the surrounding area of the fireplace in a tarp because things will get a little dusty and you don’t want to deal with the debris flying everywhere. So, protect everything first and then get back to work.

The Fuel Used

For gas fireplaces, the main source of heat comes from burning a flammable agent with the help of gas, so you want to stock up on those too for the winter time. This isn’t exactly a maintenance tip, but it will save you a lot of time and you will have plenty to keep the fireplace running for months. So, plan because you’ll thank yourself in the future.

Also, while you’re at it, do a bit of cleaning around the gas burners, because those can get clogged too and you don’t want the gas to be trapped in the pipes. So, unclog the spouts and you’ll see the difference yourself.

Do A Test Run

Finally, once everything is done, you are ready to fire up the fireplace for a test run. This is very important to do because you want to test if everything works properly before you are done with the maintenance for the time being.

You can check the heat, the circulation, and the overall performance of the fireplace and if everything is good, then you’re pretty much done with the fireplace.

Chimney Maintenance

Once the fireplace is done, the next thing to tackle is the chimney. You need to clean it too for the whole assembly to work flawlessly. Here is everything you need to do when it comes to maintaining a chimney.

Get A Chimney Sweep Done

A chimney sweep is very important because you want to clean the walls of the chimney that have been sitting around covered in creosote and soot. This is important because it will directly affect the performance of your chimney and if the chimney isn’t clean, then the fireplace will smell and the overall performance won’t be great. Moreover, if the creosote buildup is higher than safe levels, it can even cause a chimney fire.

So, it’s better to call chimney sweep services Upper Marlboro because they will get the job done in quickly and properly and your chimney will look good, which is awesome and the end goal of maintaining a chimney.

Keep An Eye Out For Critters

The chimney is a thin and long chute that doesn’t get a lot of use aside from a couple of months in the winter, so it’s really common to find critters in the chimney. Birds, bats, and even raccoons can make chimneys their permanent home.

So, when you’re cleaning the chimney and maintaining it, you want to ensure that there aren’t any critters in it because it will be a surprise for both of you. You want to carefully have them removed from the chimney before you fire up the fireplace because that can turn into a hazard pretty quickly.

Is The Chimney Cap In Good Condition?

You also want to check on the chimney cap at the top. It is a covering on the top of the chimney that doesn’t allow water, wind, or even animals inside the chimney. However, sometimes, a strong gust of wind can topple off the chimney cap and that can be bad because you don’t check the chimney cap as often and you’ll notice it when it’s too late.

So, always keep an eye out for the chimney cap and whether it needs to be replaced or fixed, in case there is damage to it.

Are There Cracks?

Cracks in the chimney are also very common. They can occur if the chimney is too old or hasn’t been enduring the weather that greatly.

So, you want to keep your eyes peeled for any cracks because cracks in the chimney will not only affect the performance of the fireplace but can also turn into a collapsing hazard and you don’t want that. So, if there are any small or large cracks then you might want to get them filled or if the chimney is in a really bad condition, then you want to get the chimney rebuilt. Make sure to hire professional contractors for chimney repairs so that it stays stable for years.

Get Everything Fixed

Part of maintaining a chimney is to keep an eye out for any damages. If your chimney is too old and you feel like it’s not going to push through this winter, then it’s best if you replace the chimney altogether and get a new one built.

However, keep in mind that building a chimney has specific codes that you need to follow. This will not only make you safe, but it will also ensure that the chimney will last longer and will endure all of what is thrown at it flawlessly. So, if needs be, then tear it down.

Conclusion

With these maintenance tips, you will be prepping your fireplace and chimney for the winter time. This is important to do even if you mostly use your HVAC system in the winter. For help, hire chimney cleaning services Ellicott City.