13 Dec Prep Your Fireplace for the Holidays
Are you excited for the holiday season? With the arrival of the holidays comes everything from cooking holiday treats to watching the snow fall, drinking hot cocoa, making gingerbread houses, or spending time with family or friends.
It could also involve getting your fireplace ready. Whether you have one or are hoping to install an electric fireplace before the holidays get here, you do have to do a bit of work before you can get to your toasty fire. Whether modern or traditional, you have to do what you can to make sure that your fireplace is up to snuff.
Whether it be gas, electric, or wood, you should be making sure that your fireplace is good to go this holiday season before advancing to step two (which is starting a fire).
You might want to install a smoke and carbon monoxide alarm in order to be extra safe. Always make sure that any animals or children are staying at least three feet further back from the fire. They should not be left without supervision.
Also be sure that any fabrics, toys, furniture, drapes, and more are well away from any fire or heated appliance. You never want to start a fire. Of course, do not store liquids in the room that are flammable or explosive in nature.
Electric fireplaces.
Make sure it’s unplugged before any cleaning or examination is done. You should have a traditional fireplace examined and then annually cleaned as needed before starting up a fire as well to be safe. These types of fireplaces are very low maintenance. Just prep it by unplugging. Then use a soft (dry) cloth to dust it. Take smudges off glass with water mixed with dish soap. Don’t use commercial glass solutions. They could be flammable. Clean the filter, change the light bulbs, and replace power cables if they seem worn. An electrician-installed circuit breaker may also be a good idea.
Wood Burning
When it comes to a wood burning fireplace, you want to be inspecting the chimney first. Find problems first before the first fire of the season ever gets lit. Use a flashlight, checking the damper is working. Open it, checking out the interior. Note whether there are nests or blocks or any build up of the creosote– a black tar residue that can cause a chimney fire if you’re not careful.
Too much build up may require a professional cleaning to take care of. Repair bricks and mortar that are damaged too to be sure structure is intact. Firewood should be stacked in a dry place. Use a chimney balloon if you like to cut back on cold drafts and boost heating efficiency.
Gas
A professional inspection for any gas fireplace is a good idea. With so many small parts, you need a professional to come and verify that it’s sound of structure. They’ll also find and repair problems involving the glass, framework, or the log set and make sure everything’s running correctly.
The glass screen and interior should be cleaned as the directions indicate before the pilot light is ignited. Get dust out of the blower and vacuum the bottom by the gas piping. At the end of winter, put out the pilot light, putting the shutoff valve to closed.