Gas fireplace repair for Lake Avalon homes

Rock wool and a flame only in the center

Rock wool is the fluffy ember material some gas burners use for the look of the flame. How much to use and where it goes are set by the maker, and the instructions differ from one design to the next.

One direct vent manual has the rock wool pulled into small pieces and spread in one thin layer across the whole burner. If the flame then burns blue and only in the center, it says to check that the back holes of the burner are not covered, and to add rock wool to the center if they are clear. It also warns that too much rock wool makes the flame burn poorly and can cause sooting, while a Heatilator manual keeps rock wool off the burner ports and has it replaced every year.

Because the rules differ, the layer on your Lake Avalon fireplace is set by the manual for that model, not by habit, before the flame is judged. Replacement material goes on the estimate when it is needed.

The mesh barrier in front of the hot glass

The direct vent fireplaces in the manuals we have read come with a mesh screen or barrier in front of the glass. An insert owner's manual describes it as a barrier designed to reduce the risk of burns from the hot viewing glass, which must be installed for the protection of children and other at-risk individuals. Another maker's screen instructions add that the barrier is not a replacement for the glass.

Any safety screen, guard or barrier removed for servicing must go back before the fireplace is operated, according to those manuals. A damaged barrier is replaced with the maker's barrier for that appliance. The insert manual also warns that only fronts approved by the maker should be fitted, because unapproved doors or fronts may cause the fireplace to overheat.

Before a serviced unit is lit, the barrier is checked in its slots or tabs, the mesh is looked over and the front is compared with the ones the maker lists. A bent frame or torn mesh is written up with the maker's part, so the fireplace in your Lake Avalon home is not left running without it.

A check-up at the start of the heating season

Two vent manuals from one maker recommend that a qualified service technician perform check-ups at the beginning of each heating season, and an insert maker says its appliances should be inspected before use and at least annually. One maker's remote even shows a service reminder after a set number of burning hours.

The start of the season is also when owners remember what bothered them last time. A few notes make the visit more useful.

For homes in Lake Avalon, our technician reads those notes against the model's manual before the first fire of the season, so a small fault turns up while the fireplace is still off. The check-up and any repair it finds are priced as separate lines.

• A start that took several tries or clicked for long
• Soot on the glass or logs by the end of last season
• A pilot that went out on its own
• Any new sound, odor or change in flame height

After a remodel around the fireplace

Remodeling near a gas fireplace leaves traces inside it. Dust from sanding and cutting settles in the control compartment, on the burner and in the air passages, and the manuals already call for more frequent cleaning where dust is heavy. An owner's manual we work from notes that finishing materials and adhesives around the appliance can release odor when it runs.

The finish itself has to suit the heat. The matching installation manual publishes wall surface temperatures above its fireplaces and says to use finishing materials able to withstand them. It also notes that heat exposure can open cracks in drywall joints next to the fireplace.

After a remodel in your Lake Avalon home, our technician cleans the dust out before the fireplace is used and checks that the front and panels still come off. Anything the new work affects is listed on the estimate.