Does Your Fireplace Need a Spring Cleaning?
It’s that time of year again – summer is on its way, and like many other homeowners, you may have already gotten a head start on the tradition of spring cleaning. Spring cleaning is a great way to breathe new life into your interiors and signifies a fresh start, or it’s a great opportunity to declutter your surroundings. When it comes to deep cleaning, it’s best to tackle the bigger projects first.
If you’re a new owner of a wood, gas, or electric fireplace, you may be wondering if your fireplace should be included in your spring cleaning agenda as well. Our answer to this question is a resounding yes!
In order to ensure that you get the most of your home’s fireplace, fireplace cleaning is a must. However, it is important to understand that each kind of fireplace has its own set of fireplace cleaning needs.
In this article, we will cover the need-to-know fundamentals about fireplace cleaning for electric fireplaces (like the ones in the Entice™ Series), gas fireplaces (like the ones in the Vector™ Series), and wood fireplaces (like the ones in the High Country™ Series).
Wood, Gas, and Electric Fireplace Guide
Wood Fireplaces
Some types of wood-fueled fireplaces include open masonry fireplaces, wood fireplace inserts, wood-burning fireplaces, and wood stoves. Of all these types, open masonry fireplaces are the only ones with an exposed fire that uses a chimney instead of fireplace venting. Therefore, open masonry fireplaces are considered to be the most inefficient type of wood fireplace.
To answer this need, Napoleon’s wood-burning fireplaces, inserts, and stoves have an enclosed design, are made to be incredibly efficient, and even exceed current standards when it comes to performance.
A few advantages of wood fireplaces include:
Giving natural warm lighting to your space
Produces pleasant aromas
Increases the value of the home
Costs less than gas fireplaces
Can be used for cooking
Gas Fireplaces
Aside from the main gas fireplace units, there are also gas fireplace inserts and gas stoves. Both of these are enclosed, do not emit smoke, and do not require a chimney. Instead, gas fireplaces make use of fireplace venting to get rid of what little waste is produced from its processes.
Typically, the fire of a gas fireplace is behind glass doors and this creates a rather similar ambiance and lighting to that of a wood fireplace; the main difference, however, is that gas fireplaces cannot be used for cooking.
The advantages of gas fireplaces include:
More constant heat than a wood fireplace
More environmentally friendly than the wood fireplace
Can run even during a power outage
Increases the value of the home
Electric Fireplaces
Electric fireplaces do not have real flames but are able to create a stunning recreation of a flickering fire using LED lights and refractors. Along with this stunning visual component, electric fireplaces typically have a heater to provide warmth. The only downside of electric fireplaces is that most cannot function during a power outage.
The advantages of electric fireplaces include:
The least amount of maintenance/fireplace cleaning is needed
Highly energy-efficient
Cost-effective
Various design choices available
No combustion byproducts are produced
Arguably the safest option
Fireplace Cleaning Fundamentals for Every Type of Fireplace
Wood Fireplaces
Debris can build up quickly in a wood fireplace. Therefore, during times of regular usage, it is advisable to clear out ashes and debris on a weekly basis.
On a yearly basis it is imperative to give your fireplace a deeper clean. The process involves the following steps:
Clear any bird’s nests that may have formed in the flue using a broomstick.
Next, clean the firebox (the area where the logs are burned.) Remove any loose ashes and debris using a fireplace shovel.
Next, clean the surface of your fireplace by using a wire brush and scraper. You can use a mixture of warm water and baking soda to remove stains.
Chimneys or vents of wood fireplaces must also be inspected for creosote and any buildup of this substance must be removed. Creosote is produced by burning wood – neglecting to clean your chimney or vents can produce a buildup of creosote which is the leading cause of chimney fires. In line with this, spring is the perfect time to call a chimney sweeping professional so that your chimney can be inspected and swept at least once a year.
Gas Fireplaces
Even if your gas fireplace is not being heavily used, it is recommended to regularly clean the unit every month to prevent dust and dirt from causing damage.
It is imperative that gas fireplace cleaning and inspection happens every year, at the end of the primary-use season. You can reach out to a Napoleon dealer to have the inspection done.
Spring is a great time to do basic cleaning of your gas fireplace - ideally before you have an inspection done.
Basic gas fireplace cleaning needs to be done to make sure that there is no debris or byproducts that have accumulated to ultimately become a fire hazard. Simply follow these steps:
Turn off the gas or the pilot light.
Vacuum up any debris in the fireplace.
Now it’s time to clean the glass of your gas fireplace. Open the fireplace.
Leave the glass on the fireplace hinges if it has them.
If there are no hinges, remove and set the glass safely onto a soft towel or sheet.
Use a fireplace glass cleaner and a soft rag to clean both sides of the glass.
Make sure to avoid ammonia-based cleaners (e.g. oven cleaners, Windex), avoid abrasive cleaners, and avoid using paper towels as they can scratch or damage the glass. Instead, use lint-free cloths.
Electric Fireplaces
Because electric fireplaces do not burn wood, nor do they emit any smoke or fumes through vents, they require the least amount of maintenance when compared to other fireplace types. The LED lights on electric fireplaces can last up to 10 years, meaning these won’t be a cause of frequent maintenance either.
Though there is no pressure regarding when to clean your electric fireplace, it is recommended that cleaning of dust and debris be done once a year.
Simply wipe the glass portion of your electric fireplace with a soft rug and glass cleaner spray. Then use a dusting mitt to remove dust from the top and sides of the unit. This would be a very lightweight addition to your spring cleaning checklist.
Upgrade Your Living Space with Napoleon
In this article, we discussed the various fireplace cleaning tips for wood, gas, and electric fireplaces. It’s clear that the three kinds of fireplaces have their own individual maintenance needs and different benefits to offer. When it comes to general maintenance, electric fireplaces, like those in the luxurious Entice™ Series, require the least maintenance!
If you’re interested in upgrading your living space and bringing the natural ambiance of a fire indoors, check out Napoleon’s collection of efficient fireplaces for the modern home.