Gas Vs. Wood – How Much Maintenance Gas Fireplaces Need

What gas fireplaces don’t need as compared with wood-burners may just be their biggest selling point. But it is still smart to ask in the affirmative: how much maintenance does a gas fireplace need?

A common mistake among homeowners is to neglect gas fireplace maintenance because they are remarkably convenient. When it comes to fireplaces, however, safety should always come first. Providing the needed maintenance for your gas fireplace ensures the safe and efficient use of the appliance. In the Dubuque area, Dubuque Fireplace & Patio is the place to call for annual gas fireplace inspections and maintenance.

Gas Fireplaces Offer Convenience

There are various types of gas fireplaces to choose from–which experts at Dubuque Fireplace & Patio can help you with–and they all have a few convenient features that many prefer as compared to wood-burning fireplaces. Ultimately, it is undeniable that steps in the use and maintenance of wood-burning fireplaces are much more involved and complicated as compared with gas fireplaces.

Inconvenient Truths About Wood-Burning Fireplace Use & Maintenance

Logs as Fuel

To fuel a wood-burning fireplace, a great deal of physical labor is involved. A tree must be chopped down and cut into logs sized to fit your fireplace. The logs should be split and stacked so that they can dry out for 6 to 12 months or so. Once the logs are sufficiently low in moisture, they are ready to burn in the fireplace. When you haul logs into your home, there are various creatures that typically enter your home at the same time. They are mostly insects, but now and again there could also be furry four-legged creatures. Once the logs are burning, there is a potential for embers to pop into the room and possibly start a house fire, if safety features are not in place.

Log-Burning Produces Creosote

The messiness of fireplaces has to do with creosote. A combustion byproduct of wood fires, creosote is highly flammable, tar-like, and easy to remove from the chimney liner only some of the time. Creosote also greatly increases the possibility of chimney fires, which are always a great risk to a home. Wood fires create ash, as well, which must be safely removed on a frequent basis. Chimney cleaning is needed at least once per year when a wood-burning fireplace is used on a regular basis. Although chimney cleaning is a messy proposition, chimney experts like the chimney sweeps at Dubuque Fireplace & Patio are able to clean out creosote without causing a mess in a home’s interior.

So, How Much Maintenance is Needed for a Gas Fireplace?

Although a gas fireplace is clean-burning, can be turned on with the flip of a switch, and doesn’t produce creosote, annual maintenance is essential. According to experts, various components of your gas fireplace need to be checked annually. This way, the

threat of potential gas leaks can be greatly minimized, making it possible to enjoy your gas fireplace with peace of mind. Chimney sweeps have a checklist they work through to ensure that a gas fireplace is ready for safe, ongoing use.

Contact Dubuque Fireplace & Patio

Don’t give in to the temptation to take your wonderfully convenient gas fireplace for granted. Schedule annual gas fireplace maintenance with the trusted chimney sweeps at Dubuque Fireplace & Patio.

Call us at (563) 582-5156 today!