Local gas fireplace repair with a free inspection in Mount Plymouth Lakes

Gas log sets in a wood-burning fireplace

A gas log set sits in a fireplace that was built to burn wood, and Florida's fuel gas code treats it as a decorative appliance. It is listed to ANSI Z21.60 and installed by the maker's instructions. Apart from manually lighted natural gas sets listed to ANSI Z21.84, a set must light its main burner with a pilot, an ignitor or a direct ignition device and carry a flame safeguard that cuts the gas if ignition fails.

That makes a log set repair a matter of the set's own burner, pilot and safeguard, checked against its maker's manual and label much like any vented gas fireplace. The code allows these sets only in approved solid fuel-burning fireplaces, so the fireplace around the set is part of the picture too.

Existing log sets are repaired here, starting with the label, the ignition type and the safeguard. If a set is beyond repair or you want a new one, that work goes to our gas log installation service and appears as a separate option on your estimate.

Keeping the space in front of the fireplace clear

Heat leaves the front of the fireplace and warms whatever is close to it. The NFPA heating safety tip sheet asks for a three-foot clear zone, at least, between heating equipment, the fireplace included, and anything that can burn. One owner's manual marks a clear space in front of its units and warns that clothing, furniture, draperies and other flammable materials must not be placed on or near the appliance.

The manuals add details that are easy to overlook. Most of them are about what ends up on or around the unit.

The louvers and openings get a look on a maintenance visit, and anything stored or hung too close is noted. For Mount Plymouth Lakes homeowners who have added a mantel or shelf since the fireplace went in, the maker's clearance table for that model is the reference.

• Nothing placed on top of the fireplace
• No decorations or clothing hung on or around it
• Louvers and air openings left unblocked
• Candles and heat-sensitive items kept off the mantel and hearth

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 Mount Plymouth Lakes 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 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 Mount Plymouth Lakes, 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