Gas fireplace repair and yearly service in Lake Pickett

If you smell gas near the fireplace

Natural gas and propane have no smell of their own. The fireplace manuals explain that an odorant is added so a leak can be noticed, and warn that the odor can fade, so gas may be present even when you notice no odor. Some gas is heavier than air and settles near the floor.

When there is a smell of gas, the manuals and the NFPA heating safety tip sheet agree on what comes first. Leaving comes before calling.

Only after the gas company or fire department says the home is safe should anyone look at the fireplace again. That look is work for a qualified service person.

• Do not light the fireplace or any other appliance
• Do not touch electrical switches or use a phone inside
• Get everyone out of the home
• Call the gas company or 911 from outside

Gas fireplaces in bedrooms and bathrooms

Florida's fuel gas code keeps gas appliances out of sleeping rooms, bathrooms, toilet rooms and storage closets, with exceptions. A direct-vent appliance may go there when installed to its listing and the maker's instructions, and vented gas fireplaces and vented gas fireplace heaters may be installed in rooms that meet the code's volume criteria.

Makers say on the label when a model suits these rooms. The lighting label on one insert, for example, states that it may also be installed in a bedroom or bed-sitting room.

For a repair this seldom changes anything, since fixing the existing unit with the maker's parts keeps it within its listing. It matters when a repair turns into a replacement. A new unit for a bedroom or bathroom in your Lake Pickett home has to qualify for that room on its own terms, so our technician notes the room and routes the choice to gas fireplace installation.

A burner that shuts off after running a while

A fireplace that goes out on its own is not always failing. Heat & Glo's IntelliFire Touch module shuts the fireplace down after nine hours of continuous operation without a new command from the remote or switch, and a Vermont Castings Group control has a similar safety timer set at the factory. After a long evening, that timer is the first thing to rule out.

Shutdowns after a short run point elsewhere. The IntelliFire Touch troubleshooting table links a unit that lights, runs briefly and shuts down to poor flame sensing, a contaminated sensing rod, logs set up wrong or a damaged pilot assembly. On natural vent units, venting faults belong on that list as well.

Homeowners in Lake Pickett who can say how long the fire ran before it went out save a step. We read any fault code and work through those causes in order, sending a venting cause to the venting service and pricing the rest.

What the free gas fireplace inspection covers

The free inspection is time spent on the appliance itself. It starts at the rating plate, where our technician reads the model, the gas type and the listing details. Where it is safe to run, the fireplace is then taken through its start sequence, so the step where it stops can be seen rather than guessed.

Visible parts come next. That means the glass, gasket and barrier, the logs and ember material, the pilot and burner as far as they can be seen, and the vent cap from the ground.

You then get a free written estimate that sets out what was found and what the repair or service would involve. There is no obligation, and work begins only with your go-ahead. For homes in Lake Pickett, the inspection and the estimate cost nothing, and the service is 10% off if you go ahead within 72 hours.