As the heating season draws to a close, and before you lay the fireplace to rest, there are some maintenance items you should  perform depending on the type of fireplace you have. A full fireplace or stove cleaning ensures you are ready for the next season while making it more attractive to look at during the warmer months.

If you are not comfortable performing the maintenance or running short on time, you can always call in a professional.

NATURAL GAS OR PROPANE FIREPLACES

Doing these will ensure you are ready when cold weather hits:

Don’t skip your fireplace maintenance this year.

Clean your glass using cleaner specially formulated for gas appliances. Don’t use ammonia based household cleaners as they will etch ceramic glass when heated and leave permanent damage. If your glass seems to get dirtier quicker than usual or leaves funny streaks on the glass, it is a sign that a tune up is required by gas technician.

Check your gaskets around the glass to ensure they are still soft and pliable. With age they harden and no longer provide a tight seal to keep the exhaust gases in and leak room air into the fireplace hence decreasing its performance.

Book your annual servicing by a licensed gas technician as recommended in your owner’s manual to maintain a valid warranty. There is a series of tests they perform to ensure your fireplace is operating at maximum efficiency. Technicians usually have more availability in the spring  than fall, providing you more convenient scheduling. Any issues will be fresh in your memory helping technicians diagnose problems quicker.

WOOD BURNING FIREPLACE

Start by thoroughly cleaning your chimney with a chimney brush to remove corrosive creosote build up. If you are uncomfortable doing it yourself, call in a chimney sweep.

Wood burning fireplaces need more care than gas fireplaces do.

Then empty your ashes and clean your firebox with an ash vacuum or shop vac with a fine dust filter. While in the firebox, Inspect and replace any cracked or  broken firebricks or baffles. These protect the steel firebox from overheating and warping while improving the life of your stove.

 

Next, check the condition of door seals and change gaskets if they feel at all crunchy and have lost their spring. They are meant to create tight seal around door and keep air out for better control and efficiency. If the fire seems to burn hotter than usual on same damper setting, or if your glass is getting dirtier than usual, or burning through wood sooner, then gaskets may be the culprit.

Finally clean your glass using cleaner dedicated to wood fireplaces, or use a damp paper towel with some ash soot to scrub followed by a clean moist damp paper towel  and finally buff with a dry paper towel.

Once your fireplace or stove is prepped for the next season, start processing your firewood for next two seasons. Next year you only need to prepare wood for one season. Then you will be ahead of the game with guaranteed seasoned wood each year. The drier the wood, the more efficiently you extract heat from it when burning. Efficient burning saves wood meaning less chopping and stacking for you.

PELLET STOVES OR INSERTS

Always follow the manufacturer’s instruction in the owner’s manual for specific instructions as they vary by stove manufacturer. If in doubt, call us to book a professional cleaning and tune-up for your stove.

First, burn up all the pellets in the hopper and allow the stove to cool down. Then scrape the burn pot free of any clinker build up, remove the ashes, deep clean the firebox with an ash vacuum, removing baffles as needed. Next, check your gaskets to ensure they are still soft and pliable providing maximum sealing. If in question, replace. Follow up with a glass cleaning using a dedicated cleaner for wood/pellet stoves. Ammonia based house cleaners will etch the glass over time.

To clean the auger, open up the side panels to gain access. Service anything else within as recommended by the owner’s manual.

Finally, clean the venting with a chimney brush.

To ensure your next seasons supply of pellets,  order your pre-season priced pellets in the spring, taking delivery and storing in the summer.  Call us for details.

Fireplace Maintenance

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Testimonials

Looking Forward to Using Our New Fireplace!

The guys from Nordic Energy Systems were really good. We called them to install a new fire place/chimney. Going into the project I was a little bit worried. We had a brand new steel roof and I was afraid it might get messed up during the installation, but my fears were unwarranted. Everything looks great!

Neil L., Sudbury, ON

Nordic Energy
5
2017-06-15T20:42:12+00:00

Neil L., Sudbury, ON

The guys from Nordic Energy Systems were really good. We called them to install a new fire place/chimney. Going into the project I was a little bit worried. We had a brand new steel roof and I was afraid it might get messed up during the installation, but my fears were unwarranted. Everything looks great!

I can’t say enough about Nordic Energy

I can’t say enough about Nordic Energy. From the choosing of the stove to the explanation of how it works the store staff (Denis) was amazing. Where to start with the installation crew. Lucas (Logan) lol Rob and Jacob. What an awesome crew. Very pleasant and knowledgeable. They took such care with my home and in their detail to the little things. The job was never rushed and was done with care. Everything was explained so that it was clear and questions answered. I cannot say enough about Lucas and how he explained everything to me and how if he didn’t like the way things were working once the stove was set up he went back and made sure it was to his satisfaction. It speaks volumes to see someone take such pride in his work. Thanks so much for the amazing service to you all. I would give an 11 if I could. Will highly recommend your company. I will definitely be back for future business. Thanks so much.

Laura

Nordic Energy
5
2020-02-04T14:37:36+00:00

Laura

I can’t say enough about Nordic Energy. From the choosing of the stove to the explanation of how it works the store staff (Denis) was amazing. Where to start with the installation crew. Lucas (Logan) lol Rob and Jacob. What an awesome crew. Very pleasant and knowledgeable. They took such care with my home and in their detail to the little things. The job was never rushed and was done with care. Everything was explained so that it was clear and questions answered. I cannot say enough about Lucas and how he explained everything to me and how if he didn’t like the way things were working once the stove was set up he went back and made sure it was to his satisfaction. It speaks volumes to see someone take such pride in his work. Thanks so much for the amazing service to you all. I would give an 11 if I could. Will highly recommend your company. I will definitely be back for future business. Thanks so much.

We absolutely love the fireplace!

We wanted to let you know that we have used our fireplace a few times now. There were several evenings earlier in September that were chilly and gave us a good excuse to try it out.

We absolutely love the fireplace! It fits our room perfectly and provides just the right amount of heat. You suggested the perfect model for what we needed and wanted.

Thank you so much for the wonderful service provided by you and your team. We also appreciate your patience with us through the installation process, including the return trip to our house to get the fireplace in the right spot. Your efforts to make everything just perfect were much appreciated. Kind regards

A. Lavoie

Nordic Energy
2020-02-04T14:44:42+00:00

A. Lavoie

We wanted to let you know that we have used our fireplace a few times now. There were several evenings earlier in September that were chilly and gave us a good excuse to try it out. We absolutely love the fireplace! It fits our room perfectly and provides just the right amount of heat. You suggested the perfect model for what we needed and wanted. Thank you so much for the wonderful service provided by you and your team. We also appreciate your patience with us through the installation process, including the return trip to our house to get the fireplace in the right spot. Your efforts to make everything just perfect were much appreciated. Kind regards

A completely great experience every step of the way.

Your installers are superb.

Debra S.

Nordic Energy
2022-06-28T20:20:06+00:00

Debra S.

A completely great experience every step of the way. Your installers are superb.
5
2
Nordic Energy

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