Maintenance & Care
Annual service, cleaning, and keeping your hearth safe and efficient.
service frequency
- How often should a gas fireplace be serviced?
- Do gas fireplaces really need to be serviced every year?
- How often should a ventless gas fireplace be cleaned and inspected?
- How often should vented gas logs be serviced?
- How often should a gas fireplace insert be serviced?
- How often should a wood stove be professionally serviced?
- What routine maintenance does a wood-burning fireplace need each year?
- What maintenance does a linear or modern glass-media gas fireplace need?
- Do see-through gas fireplaces need any special maintenance?
- Do vented and ventless gas logs need different maintenance?
- What time of year should I schedule fireplace service?
- Does a fireplace I never use still need to be inspected?
- What happens if I never service my gas fireplace?
- Does skipping annual service void my fireplace warranty?
annual service scope
- What does an annual gas fireplace service include?
- What does a chimney sweep actually do during a cleaning?
- What is the difference between a chimney inspection and a chimney sweeping?
- What are Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 chimney inspections?
- How long does a fireplace service appointment take?
- Is a carbon monoxide check part of a gas fireplace service?
DIY vs professional
vent & chimney inspection
- I just moved into a home with a fireplace — should I have it inspected before using it?
- Do I need a chimney inspection when buying or selling a home?
- How often should the venting on a direct vent gas fireplace be inspected?
- What should I check on the outside vent cap of a direct vent fireplace?
- How do I keep birds and animals from nesting in my fireplace vent or chimney?
- Should I clear snow and ice away from my fireplace's outside vent termination?
- Do chimney caps need to be inspected or replaced?
- How long does a chimney liner last, and when should it be replaced?
- Does a gas insert's chimney liner need to be inspected or cleaned?
- What is a chimney chase cover, and when does it need replacing?
- Does a masonry chimney need waterproofing or crown maintenance?
glass cleaning
- How do I clean the glass on my gas fireplace?
- What is the white film on my gas fireplace glass and how do I remove it?
- Can I use Windex or regular glass cleaner on fireplace glass?
- What cleaner is safe for ceramic fireplace glass?
- How often should I clean my gas fireplace glass?
- Can the white haze on gas fireplace glass be prevented from coming back?
- Can etched or permanently cloudy fireplace glass be restored, or does the glass need replacing?
- How do I remove the sealed glass panel from a direct vent fireplace to clean behind it?
- Is it normal for gas fireplace glass to fog up when the fire first turns on?
- Why is soot building up on my gas fireplace glass, and how do I prevent it?
- How do I clean blackened soot and creosote off wood stove glass?
- How do I clean the glass doors on a wood-burning fireplace?
logs & embers
- Does the position of gas logs really matter?
- How do I put gas logs back in the correct position after cleaning?
- Can I rearrange my gas logs to change how the flames look?
- What happens if gas logs are positioned incorrectly?
- Where can I find the log placement diagram for my gas fireplace?
- What is the glowing ember material in a gas fireplace, and how should it be placed?
- How often should the ember material in a gas fireplace be replaced?
- Can I add extra embers, lava rock, or fire glass to my gas fireplace?
- How do I clean dust off gas logs without damaging them?
- How do I clean ventless gas logs, and why do they need cleaning more often than vented logs?
- Does the sand in a vented gas log burner pan ever need to be replaced?
chimney sweeping
- How often should a wood-burning fireplace chimney be swept?
- How often should a wood stove chimney be swept?
- Do gas fireplaces need chimney sweeping?
- Does a chimney with vented gas logs still need to be swept?
- How do I know when my chimney needs to be swept?
- Do I still need my chimney swept if I only burned a few fires this year?
- What is creosote and how quickly does it build up?
- Does the type of firewood I burn affect how often my chimney needs cleaning?
- Do creosote sweeping logs actually work?
- Can I sweep my own chimney?
- What time of year is best to have a chimney swept?
- Does a wood-burning insert have to be pulled out for chimney sweeping?
- Does the stovepipe connecting a wood stove need cleaning separately from the chimney?
- Does an outdoor wood-burning fireplace chimney need sweeping too?
batteries & ignition
- How often should I replace the batteries in my gas fireplace remote and receiver?
- Where is the battery backup on a gas fireplace, and when should I change it?
- Should I take the batteries out of my fireplace remote and receiver over the summer?
- Does an electronic ignition fireplace need different maintenance than a standing pilot?
- How do I clean the pilot assembly on a gas fireplace?
- Can spiders and insects really clog a gas fireplace pilot, and how do I prevent it?
parts wear
- What is a thermocouple and how long does it last?
- What is the difference between a thermocouple and a thermopile, and do they both wear out?
- Can a thermocouple be cleaned instead of replaced?
- How long does a gas fireplace blower last?
- How do I know when my fireplace blower is wearing out?
- How do I clean the blower fan on a gas fireplace?
- How long do gas logs last before they need replacing?
- Is it normal for gas logs to flake or crack over time?
- Can I replace just one damaged log in a gas log set?
- What parts of a gas fireplace wear out over time?
- When should the glass gasket on a direct vent fireplace be replaced?
- When should cracked refractory panels in a fireplace be replaced?
- Do gas fireplace flexible gas connectors ever need replacing?
- Do I need brand-name (OEM) parts for my fireplace, or are universal parts okay?
- How do I find my fireplace's model number for ordering parts?
- Can I still get parts for an old or discontinued fireplace model?
- What is the oxygen depletion sensor on a ventless fireplace, and does it need maintenance or replacement?
wood stove upkeep
- When should the firebrick in a wood stove be replaced?
- How do I know when wood stove door gaskets need replacing?
- How do I clean and maintain a catalytic combustor, and when does it need replacement?
- Do catalytic wood stoves need more maintenance than non-catalytic stoves?
- When should a wood stove baffle be replaced?
- How do I maintain a wood stove's exterior finish with stove paint or polish?
- What annual maintenance does a wood-burning insert need?
- Does a fireplace damper need maintenance or lubrication?
ash & firebox cleaning
- How often should I remove ashes from a wood-burning fireplace or stove?
- Should I leave a bed of ash in my wood stove?
- How do I safely dispose of fireplace ashes?
- Can I use a regular vacuum to clean up fireplace ashes?
- Can I vacuum out the inside of my gas fireplace?
- How do I clean the inside walls of a firebox?
- How do I clean soot off the brick or stone around my fireplace?
rust & moisture
off-season care
- Should I turn off the pilot light on my gas fireplace in the summer?
- How do I shut down my gas fireplace for the summer?
- How do I get my fireplace ready for fall and winter?
- Why does my fireplace smell like burning dust the first time I light it each fall?
- Should the damper be kept closed during the off-season?
- How do I keep dust and debris out of my fireplace during the months it is not used?
- Is it good to run my gas fireplace occasionally during the off-season?
outdoor winterizing
- How do I winterize a gas fire pit?
- Can a gas fire pit stay outside all winter?
- Should I cover my gas fire pit when it is not in use?
- Should I disconnect the propane tank from my fire pit for the winter?
- How do I winterize an outdoor gas fireplace?
- How do I keep rain and water out of a fire pit burner?
- How do I protect an outdoor fire pit's igniter from moisture?
fire pit care
electric fireplace care
- What maintenance does an electric fireplace need?
- How do I clean dust from the heater and vents on an electric fireplace?
- How do I clean the glass front of an electric fireplace?
- How long do the light bulbs or LEDs in an electric fireplace last, and can they be replaced?
- How do I clean and refill a water vapor (mist-flame) electric fireplace?
- Do electric fireplaces ever need professional servicing?
cleaning-media
parts-wear
gas-line-inspection
safety-upkeep
scenarios-renters
scenarios-new-construction
scenarios-older-homes
scenarios-second-home
scenarios-rental-property
service-frequency
chimney-sweeping
parts-wear-outdoor
outdoor-care
- How do I clean and care for the glass wind guard on a fire pit table?
- Is it safe to pressure-wash an outdoor fireplace or fire pit?
- Should lava rock in an outdoor fire pit be dried out or replaced after it gets rained on?
- Does an outdoor masonry or stone fireplace need sealing to protect it from freeze-thaw damage?