Ottawa Gas Fireplace Maintenance

If you have a natural gas or propane fireplace in Ottawa and haven't had it serviced recently, it might be time to consider doing so this year.

Over time, gas fireplaces become exposed to various environmental factors that can cause them to operate sluggishly or even become dangerous. Unlike furnaces, which are equipped with filters to keep dirt and debris away from critical components, fireplaces typically lack such features. This means they can accumulate dirt quickly, especially during the summer months. Many people in Ottawa turn off their fireplaces during the summer to save on energy costs, which makes sense in today’s economy. However, one downside is that insects, particularly small golden spiders, are attracted to the mercaptan smell and often build nests in fireplaces that have their pilots turned off.

These insects can cause problems when homeowners try to start their fireplaces. The gas pressure coming from the valve into the manifold is often not strong enough to dislodge spider nests. In fact, the spiders and their nests usually resist the gas pressure.

A routine maintenance service will ensure that spiders and their nests are cleared away. Additionally, a general inspection of other components, such as the gas valve, switch, and safety switch, is ideal to check, inspect, and clean as needed.

What We Check During a Fireplace Inspection and Cleaning:

1. Thermostat: Upon arrival, we inspect the thermostat to ensure it is operational. Fireplace thermostats function differently from furnace thermostats, as they operate under millivolts, not direct 24 volts. This means even a small amount of corrosion on the connections can prevent the thermostat from sending the correct signal to the fireplace.

2. Fireplace Operation: We make sure the fireplace is working and perform several tests to ensure that there will be no issues during maintenance.

3. Observational Inspection: Before beginning work, we conduct a general observational inspection to identify any potential concerns. If no immediate issues are found, we proceed with the maintenance.

4. Detailed Disassembly and Cleaning: We perform a detailed disassembly of the fireplace to clean, inspect, and test the individual components. The best way to clean a fireplace is to take it apart completely. Once disassembled, we clean the parts and then reassemble everything.

5. Glass Cleaning: No cleaning is complete without addressing the fireplace glass. Using special fireplace cleaner and techniques, we clean the glass and inspect the gasket around it.

6. Final Testing: After reassembling the fireplace, we ensure everything is working correctly and conduct additional tests, including a CO test, to confirm that the fireplace is not leaking carbon monoxide.

Service area in the Ottawa area includes: Ottawa, Orléans, Navan, Cumberland, Clarence-Rockland, Alfred, Vankleek Hill, Hawkesbury, Alexandria, Maxville, Cornwall, Chesterville, Winchester, Russell, Embrun, Morrisburg, Kemptville, Brockville, Osgoode, Manotick, Barrhaven, Nepean, Kanata, Stittsville.