{"id":30273,"date":"2016-02-28T19:00:58","date_gmt":"2016-02-29T00:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/?p=30273"},"modified":"2017-01-05T13:48:16","modified_gmt":"2017-01-05T18:48:16","slug":"maintenance-for-ventless-gas-fireplace-logs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/?p=30273","title":{"rendered":"Maintenance For Ventless Gas Fireplace Logs"},"content":{"rendered":"

Good morning, everyone.\u00a0 Today’s post is not a sexy one or a pretty one, but reading it could save you hundreds of dollars and a big headache.<\/strong>\u00a0 I wish someone had told me what I am about to tell you.\u00a0 Did you know that the vent-free gas logs in your fireplace require maintenance?\u00a0 I sure didn’t.\u00a0 We purchased new logs for our great room’s fireplace when we moved in five years ago and have used them regularly each winter since then.\u00a0 However, a few weeks ago I noticed that there was black soot clinging to our very white mantel.\u00a0 I was baffled by this and decided to call the store where we purchased them.\u00a0 They informed me that gas fireplace logs require regular maintenance and that it sounded as if ours were past due for a check-up.\u00a0 They actually have a crew that services gas fireplace logs.<\/h3>\n

\"Why<\/p>\n

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\"Gas<\/h3>\n

I scheduled a service appointment and meanwhile, we didn’t use the logs.\u00a0 We have really enjoyed having vent-free gas logs.\u00a0 They give us instant warmth and instant coziness, and when it’s time to go to bed, we can just turn them off.\u00a0 If we were using real wood and had a real fire, then we would need to be concerned with smoldering embers and possible sparks.\u00a0 Having those concerns just might interfere with my sleep, and I sure don’t need that!<\/h3>\n

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\u00a0\"Gas<\/h3>\n

After I made the appointment, I took a really good look at our great room and realized that there was soot all over the ceiling, the woodwork, and the walls.\u00a0 It is so bad that we will have to get the entire room repainted.\u00a0 If we had known about that maintenance thing, it would have saved us the cost and trouble of getting the room repainted.\u00a0 Thankfully, the furniture just needs a good vacuuming.\u00a0 We are all about maintenance around here (one of the responsibilities of home ownership), and we just wish we had been more aware and more proactive.<\/h3>\n

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\u00a0\"Gas<\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

The service men were just delightful, and when they came, I interviewed them to find out how you can avoid this issue.\u00a0 This is what they told me:<\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

1.\u00a0 Be sure to read the manual<\/strong> that came with your logs.\u00a0 It should tell you about how to maintain them.\u00a0 They said this again and again.\u00a0 When in doubt, read the manual.<\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

2.\u00a0 They recommend that you have your logs cleaned<\/strong> every other year or every year if you use them a lot.<\/h3>\n

\u00a0\"Gas<\/h3>\n

<\/h3>\n

3.\u00a0 Do not rearrange the logs<\/strong>. This is critical.\u00a0 The way that they look in the manual is the way they are supposed to be arranged.\u00a0 That was another reason we had a soot issue.\u00a0 The logs had fallen over after we changed a battery, and we just placed them one on top of the other without realizing there was a right way and a wrong way.\u00a0 (We obviously chose the wrong way.)\u00a0 Logs usually come with a metal plate, like the one in the photo, attached to them.\u00a0 Save this as a reference to show you how they should be arranged.<\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

4.\u00a0 If there is a lot of dust or dog hairs in your home’s air, then the “air intakes”<\/strong> will\/can clog<\/strong>.\u00a0 The vent-free fireplace pulls in air from the room, and the cleaner the air, the better.\u00a0 (We don’t think this was one of our problems.)<\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

5.\u00a0 Don’t use the logs for more than four hours at a time.<\/strong>\u00a0 The logs produce moisture which can create humidity.\u00a0 The soot will cling to the humidity and then attach itself to your ceiling and walls.\u00a0 Using the logs for more than four hours at a time will also deplete the good oxygen in your home.\u00a0 The servicemen said to let the logs rest for about an hour after they have burned for four hours.\u00a0 Then it’s okay to turn them back on.<\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

6.\u00a0 It’s okay to open the vent when you use the logs<\/strong>, but the heat will escape just like it would when burning wood.\u00a0 However, this will cut down on the humidity build-up and oxygen depletion.\u00a0 Opening the vent would also allow you to burn them for longer periods of time because there would be an exchange of air.<\/h3>\n

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\u00a0\"Gas<\/h3>\n

<\/h3>\n

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7.\u00a0 If the logs have batteries, they will need to be changed<\/strong> both in the logs and in the remote (if you use one).\u00a0 Not all logs have batteries.<\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0\"Gas<\/h3>\n

8.\u00a0 Use a shop vacuum and a brush to clean the logs,<\/strong> and only do this when they are cool.\u00a0 (You can see the soot on the mantel, and this was after I cleaned off the first layer).<\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

9.\u00a0 They said again and again to refer to the manual<\/strong> that came with your logs.<\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

10.\u00a0 Have a carbon monoxide detector<\/strong> in the room where the logs are being used.<\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

11.\u00a0 Have a fireplace screen<\/strong> to prevent any accidents.\u00a0 (We need to get one.)<\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

12.\u00a0 And finally, no marshmallow roasting<\/strong> on vent-free gas logs.<\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0\"Gas<\/p>\n

I can’t tell you how happy I am to now have clean and safe logs.\u00a0 The men were loaded with information they were willing to share, they were careful to keep the area surrounding the fireplace protected as they cleaned, they were efficient with their time, they automatically checked for gas leaks, and to top it all off, they removed their shoes when they entered our home.\u00a0 Since spring is right around the corner, you might not be using your logs much longer this season.\u00a0 That makes it a good time to get them serviced so they will be ready to use next fall.\u00a0 I hope this information will help you all avoid having a sooty problem in your own homes.<\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

Take care.<\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Good morning, everyone.\u00a0 Today’s post is not a sexy one or a pretty one, but reading it could save you hundreds of dollars and a big headache.\u00a0 I wish someone had told me what I am about to tell you.\u00a0 Did you know that the vent-free gas logs in your fireplace require maintenance?\u00a0 I sure […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":30364,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30273"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=30273"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30273\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33705,"href":"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30273\/revisions\/33705"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/30364"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=30273"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=30273"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=30273"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}