Fireplaces can add warmth and ambiance to any Asbury home. After a long winter season, most homeowners in the area have gotten good use out of their fireplace, whether they have an old-fashioned wood-burning fireplace or a modern gas insert.
Partnering with fireplace maintenance professionals can keep your fireplace in great condition. Not only do fireplace services extend the lifespan of your fireplace, but they also ensure safe fireplace usage year after year.
How often should you invest in fireplace maintenance in Asbury, IA? Read on for our complete guide.
Why Fireplace Maintenance Matters
If you’re a new homeowner or this is your first home with a fireplace, you may not realize that your fireplace requires maintenance, just like your HVAC system. Let’s take a look at the specific reasons why fireplace maintenance matters, from protecting your health to protecting the fireplace itself.
Improved Safety
When it comes to wood-burning fireplaces, general fire safety is a must. You should always use a fireplace screen to keep sparks and embers from leaving the firebox. You should never leave your fire unattended.
However, some house fire risks aren’t as noticeable as a spark or ember. Regular inspections and professional cleaning can prevent creosote buildup and other blockages, which can fuel a chimney fire.
Better Air Quality
Both wood-burning and gas fireplaces can impact your indoor air quality when not taken care of properly. Both produce emissions that you don’t want to get trapped inside. Many homeowners are surprised to learn that gas fireplaces produce fewer emissions, but that doesn’t mean they’re harmless.
One of the most important components of fireplace usage is ventilation. Regular inspections will ensure that your venting system works, preventing things like carbon monoxide leaks.
Increased Efficiency
Some homeowners turn to fireplaces and inserts to cut down on home heating costs in the winter. If you’re not careful, however, your gas fireplace can run up your utility bill.
Over time, gas fireplace products lose some of their original efficiency due to wear and tear. Regular maintenance prevents damaged parts from reducing efficiency in a few short years.
Longer Lifespan
Efficiency isn’t the only cost to consider when you have a fireplace. Damage to both gas and wood-burning fireplaces can result in expensive repairs or replacements. For example, you’ll need to invest in full structural repairs if you let a wood-burning firebox or chimney deteriorate.
With annual and as-needed repairs, you spend less and gain more.
How Often Do Wood-Burning Fireplaces Need Service?
In most cases, you should schedule an annual inspection for your wood-burning fireplace. You should also hire professional cleaning services for your chimney and hearth.
However, some wood-burning fireplaces have different specifications regarding regular maintenance. For example, you may need to schedule services for every 30-45 burns. If you use your fireplace more than two or three times a week, that could mean getting two to three inspections per year.
How Often Do Gas Fireplaces Need Service?
Gas fireplaces are generally considered easier to maintain than wood-burning fireplaces. For example, it’s easier to keep a gas fireplace clean than it is to keep a wood-burning fireplace clean.
That said, you should still schedule an annual inspection for your gas fireplace. This allows professionals to assess the gas lines and ventilation system. As-needed repairs can keep dangers like gas leaks at bay.
Signs You Need Additional Fireplace Maintenance
At the very least, you should hire fireplace specialists to inspect and repair your fireplace once every year. In some cases, you may not be able to wait until your next annual appointment to request fireplace services. Here are some of the signs that you need fireplace maintenance sooner rather than later.
Unpleasant Odors
Wood-burning fireplaces should produce the pleasant smell of, you guessed it, burning wood. Gas fireplaces should not produce any smell at all. If you start a fire in your fireplace and notice strange, unpleasant, or smoky odors, you should put out or turn off your fire and call for maintenance.
In a wood-burning fireplace, creosote can produce a smell similar to mothballs. Some gas fireplace odors are relatively harmless and occur when the flames burn off dust or debris. However, you should not smell gas when you burn a gas fireplace.
Visible Wear and Tear
The structure of your fireplace can start to show signs of visible wear and tear. For example, you might notice:
- Cracked or chipped bricks
- Flaking or damaged mortar
- Shifting or displacement in the firebox or chimney
- Cracked glass on a gas insert
- Problems opening or closing the damper
These are the kinds of structural issues you should address sooner rather than later. Addressing wear and tear early can increase safety and reduce fireplace repair costs.
Pilot Light Issues
In a gas fireplace, the pilot light is a small flame that generally remains on even when the fireplace is turned off. When you turn a gas fireplace off, the main burner releases gas, which ignites the pilot light and creates a fire.
If your gas fireplace won’t ignite or turn off on its own, there could be a few different issues at play. There could be debris caught between the spark igniter and the thermocouple. Alternatively, one or more of these components could be damaged.
Don’t leave a gas fireplace turned on when it doesn’t ignite properly. Turn it off and call for fireplace maintenance before you use it again.
Call Birch Heating & Cooling for Asbury, IA Fireplace Maintenance
No matter what type of fireplace you have, investing in fireplace maintenance can increase your safety and prolong the lifespan of the entire system. Schedule an inspection at least once a year. If you notice issues before your next annual inspection, schedule impromptu services to get your fireplace up and running.
Birch Heating & Cooling has been in the business of HVAC services and temperature control solutions since 1996. In that time, we have maintained a commitment to cutting-edge technology and sustainable practices. Contact us for fireplace maintenance and installation you can trust in Asbury, IA.
