When it comes to caring for your home and making sure it’s safe for you and your family, one task that often gets overlooked is the maintenance of your gas fireplace—something that should be scheduled about once a year.
However, there are times when creosote can build up faster than it normally would, and if that happens, your chimney will need to be checked more often. But how do you know if your chimney is in need of cleaning? Keep reading to learn about the signs that your gas fireplace’s chimney is dirty and in need of service.
Check Your Creosote Levels
We typically recommend leaving all gas fireplace services to the pros, as we have the training and experience needed for such tasks. Having your fireplace serviced before you will need it the most can keep creosote from building up to a dangerous level. However, there is a way for you to check the fireplace on your own to see if your creosote levels have gotten too out of control.
Equip yourself with a dust mop, goggles, a fireplace poker, and a powerful flashlight. Using the flashlight, peer up past the damper until you see the black surface of creosote—which is a sticky, tarlike substance that collects in the chimney as a result of incomplete combustion. Use your poker to scratch the surface and see how big of a dent your line makes. Any creosote level above ¼ of an inch think is dangerous, as the substance is extremely flammable.
Other Signs of a Dirty Chimney
There are various other signs that indicate your chimney is dirty or otherwise in need of service. For instance, if smoke fills the room when you light up a fire, or if you notice bad odors from the fireplace, these are not good signs and warrant professional services.
For superior Clearfield, UT fireplace services, contact Rentmeister Total Home Service.