Gas fireplace repair for Ocoee homes

The rating plate comes before any part

Every gas fireplace carries a rating plate, because Florida's fuel gas code expects appliances to be listed and labeled for the use they are put to. Heat & Glo's owner manual, for example, says its plate usually sits in the control area. It names the model, the serial number and the type of gas the unit was built for.

The plate also lists the pressure range and orifice size the burner was set up with. That is why a repair starts there. The same symptom on two fireplaces can call for different parts and settings, and a pilot assembly that fits one model can be wrong for the next.

Before any part is named, our technician reads the plate at your Ocoee home and matches it to the maker's instructions. The model and gas type then go at the top of your estimate.

Finding the right manual for your model

Makers such as Heat & Glo publish manuals by model and keep them in an online library. The right one depends on the exact model on the rating plate, and a single fireplace often has more than one document.

That maker's owner manual itself sends the technician to the installation manual for the air shutter setting and to the parts list for orifice sizing. A setting borrowed from a similar model can be wrong for yours.

Work is done from the documents for your exact unit, and the estimate cites the parts and settings they call for. If none can be found for the model, the estimate says so. These are the three we look for.

• The owner manual, for operation, safety notes and owner upkeep
• The installation manual, for air shutter, restrictor, log and ember settings
• The service parts list, for part numbers and orifice sizes

The air shutter and a sooty flame

The air shutter lets a measured amount of air mix with the gas before it burns. According to one insert installation manual, the shutter is set at the factory for the minimum vertical vent run, may be adjusted for longer runs and should be opened to give more air if sooting occurs.

That manual gives a table of settings by model and gas, and the owner manual's service list asks the technician to confirm the setting and check that the shutter is clear of dust and debris. A shutter that has been moved or clogged changes the flame even when every other part is sound.

It is a technician setting, made at installation and checked on service, not an owner adjustment. We compare the shutter on your Ocoee fireplace with the manual's setting for its vent layout, correct it where the manual allows and list any soot damage it has already caused on the estimate.

Backed by our workmanship warranty

For Ocoee homeowners, our gas fireplace repairs are backed by our workmanship warranty and by our 100% satisfaction guarantee. Before the visit ends, our technician runs the fireplace through its lighting sequence, as the manuals call for after service, and you get a written record of the work we did.

The appliance's own warranty is separate and belongs to the maker. Heat & Glo's terms, for example, set their own coverage and exclude damage from components the maker did not supply or approve and from repairs performed incorrectly. That is one more reason the parts on our estimates are the ones the maker specifies for your model.

If you have the original paperwork for the fireplace, keep it with the model and serial number, since it helps with any claim you make to the maker. We read both off the rating plate onto your estimate either way.