A gas fireplace is a beautiful piece of equipment that every home needs to provide it with warmth, especially during the winter season. You may not get to use your fireplace every day, but it still requires you to clean it at least once a month.
Cleaning the internal and external parts of your gas fireplace often prevents any form of unnecessary buildup that will tamper with its proper functioning.
Do you know that you can clean your gas fireplace yourself? Of course, you don’t always need to hire the services of a Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) specialist to help you clean your fireplace.
It would be best if you learned how to clean your gas fireplace often because neglecting it over time can cause both old and new gas fireplaces to get a white-grey build on the glass.
Moreover, regular cleaning of the glass will give you an idea of your fireplace’s performance levels at all times. It will also help you to maintain the equipment for a good number of years properly.
A gas fireplace is not meant to be used continuously without being cleaned. It deserves all the care in the world to keep its performance at a peak-level. Below is a step-by-step guide on how to clean your gas fireplace.
How To Clean A Gas Fireplace
How to Clean Inside Your Gas Fireplace
Do not clean your gas fireplace when it is still hot. If it is hot, wait for over 12 hours after the last use before you commence cleaning.
Here are some tips to help you clean the inside.
Step 1
Pick up your vacuum cleaner with a hose attachment, fix the hose attachment into the interior while you turn on the vacuum cleaner. Wrap the vacuum hose with a disposable paper towel, so it doesn’t get stained. Use this vacuum cleaner to remove dust, debris, or spider webs from all the corners of your gas fireplace.
Feel free to wear a face mask if your skin is sensitive.
Step 2
Mix some quantity of dish soap with a gallon of warm water in a bowl, soak a piece of cloth in the mixture, then use it to wipe the glass and grate of your gas fireplace. Rinse the piece of cloth after each wipe. Then allow them to air dry.
How to Clean the Outside of Your Fireplace
Step 1
Get a hand broom and use it to sweep dust, soot, and debris on the exterior part of your gas fireplace.
Make sure you sweep it downwards carefully. When you are done with this, pick up your vacuum cleaner with a hose attachment to clean other debris.
Step 2
Mix dish soap, water, and white vinegar in the same quantity, then get a piece of cloth to wipe the exterior part of your gas fireplace. But if your fireplace is made of granite or marble, don’t add white vinegar to the mixture.
Step 3
Pour some glass cleaner quantity on paper towels and use it to wipe off soot on the glass drops of your gas fireplace.
How Often Should You Clean a Gas Fireplace?
It would be best if you clean your gas fireplace annually. Since you’re using a gas fireplace and not burning wood, you may not have issues with spot or creosote in the chimney, but you are likely to find bird nests that require removal.
You should always leave your gas fireplace open because it produces carbon monoxide that you can’t see nor smell.
Ensure your carbon monoxide detectors are working correctly so that they won’t keep building up in your house. Annually cleaning your gas fireplace should not prevent you from getting it inspected regularly.
During the inspection, check out all the equipment’s pieces. Check the gasket for any crack, the external vent for dirt build-up, etc. Another thing that could guide you on when and how you should clean it is the instructions written in its manual.
Follow these instructions to maintain your gas fire easily. Also, get an HVAC Specialist to inspect your fireplace at least once a year so they can help you fix any potential damage. An HVAC specialist will spot so many things that you might not see because it is their area of specialty.
Tools You Will Need
There are specific tools you will need to help you keep your gas fireplace clean. Check them out below.
- Water
- A vacuum cleaner with a hose attachment
- Hand broom and dustpan
- Eyewear
- Fireplace glass cleaner
- Dish soap
- Paper towels
- Distilled white vinegar
- Face mask
- Soft paintbrush
- Work clothes
- Gloves
If you want your gas fireplace to look great and work properly, then you should clean it regularly.
If you do, it will reduce the number of times you hire an HVAC specialist to repair the equipment. It will also help to maintain its durability. There are specific issues that will develop that you might find difficult to handle.
If the repair is beyond what you can handle, don’t hesitate to call the attention of an HVAC specialist to assist you in tackling it.
Bottom Line
If you follow this article’s step-by-step guide on how to clean your gas fireplace, it will look sparkling and well maintained for a longer time. Since you know how beneficial having one in your home is, you should practice all the essential tips outlined here on when and how you should clean it.
