How to Maintain Your Ventless Fireplace
So you’ve bought your ventless fireplace and it is installed and ready to heat your home. But how do you make sure your new fireplace stays efficient and clean for years to come? What’s the best way to maintain it and is it safe to dismantle and do some repairs or maintenance yourself? We’ve put together a great how to guide to help you maintain your ventless fireplace.
What will I need?
Some basic cleaning equipment is needed but all of it is inexpensive and easy to find. Just get a torch, pipe cleaners, a can of compressed air and have your vacuum to hand (a hand held style vacuum is easier but if you have an attachment for your regular cleaner that will also work fine).
How often do I need to clean my ventless fireplace?
Every fireplace needs regular cleaning and maintenance. While a regular, log burning fire requires daily attention, a ventless model doesn’t need quite as much cleaning.
You should aim to give your fireplace a quick clean once a week and try to give it a thorough maintenance and repair check every three months.
If you don’t maintain your ventless fireplace, you could find it will stop working properly or even become clogged, hazardous and even start to smell.
How do I clean it?
- Firstly, make sure the whole unit is turned off and the pilot light is out. If it has been in use, allow it to cool right down until it is cold to the touch. Even if the outside seems cold, the internal parts may still be hot so to be safe make sure it is left for half an hour.
- Remove the logs and take out the embers. Inspect everything in your ventless fireplace visually for any dirt.
- Check the air inlet holes. These allow oxygen to mix with the gas and give you an efficient and clean burning fireplace. These holes, as they draw in air, can become clogged with dust, dirt particles and even lint. They should be cleaned every three months or if you live in a dusty environment check them every 8 to ten weeks.
- Burner tube needs to be kept dirt free. This is where the can of compressed air comes in handy. Using the thin nozzle attachment, you can make sure to blow any dust particles from the burner tube without having to fully dismantle your fireplace.
- A yellow tip on your pilot flame means your flame is dirty. When the pilot flame is off, use the can of compressed air to clean off any dust or dirt that might have collected there.
- Finally, vacuum around the base of your fire to pick up pet hair or dust. Look for soot build up on the logs and if there are dark patches then it might mean they have been put in the wrong place or are not fitting together properly.
- Candace Osmond
