Gas Fireplace Safety Tips for San Francisco Bay Area Winters
With the weather already becoming colder, it is important that you are confident your gas fireplace will keep your household warm as well as safe this winter season. Gas fireplaces are incredibly popular due to their heating efficiency, low energy costs, and environmentally friendly properties. Keeping in mind their low maintenance qualities, these safety tips will ensure your gas fireplace is ready to be used safely and efficiently.
1. Schedule Annual Inspections
A yearly appointment is a good rule of thumb when it comes to having your fireplace looked at, but you should have a licensed professional inspect your fireplace after any prolonged period of disuse. Do not put off scheduling your annual inspection with a licensed gas or fireplace technician, as this should be the first thing you do to prepare to use your fireplace this upcoming cold winter season.
Having your gas fireplace cleaned out of any old soot or flammable debris annually will prolong the lifespan of your unit and keep you in the know of any potentially hazardous holes, or cracks that will need repair before using it.
2. Safety Screen and Glass Cover Maintenance
All fireplaces should have an additional safety barrier or screen in addition to a glass cover. Keeping this screen clean and intact helps ensure no wondering toes or hands can come in direct contact with the hot glass cover.
Make sure your glass cover is free of any debris before lighting a new fire. Maintaining excellent condition of your fireplace cover and safety barrier will prevent any unwanted items from coming out or going into your fireplace.
3. Know The Boundaries
With the luxury and allure of a natural gas burning fireplace you’ll never have to worry about leaving the fire unattended, so make sure everyone present knows how close they can safely sit next to the gas fireplace. Remember to keep a watchful eye on any little ones who may have wandering hands, and talk to any house guests who might not yet know about fireplace safety.
All furniture and other home decor should remain at least three feet from the fireplace, depending on how big you keep your fire. Be mindful when you decorate and never hang any cloth materials directly over the fireplace to ensure they are not exposed to too much heat.
4. Keep the Burn Natural
Do not be tempted to try and dispose of any unwanted paper trash or other flammable items in your gas fireplace. Your gas fireplace is designed to burn only natural gas and is not cut out to properly ventilate any additional smoke, or soot that will result from burning any wood, paper or other flammable materials.
Opening and closing the glass cover or protective barrier while the fireplace is in use is always advised against, as this increases the risk of potential bodily burns, or embers of flames flying out of safety zones.
5. Check Your Carbon Monoxide Detectors and Smoke Alarms
Every home should have at least carbon monoxide detector and if you have a gas fireplace it should be located in the same room. Carbon Monoxide is odorless, and if too much of this gas builds up in your home it will have deadly consequences.
You might not have noticed it as they can sometimes look similar to your smoke alarms. So before lighting your first fire this season go around and test all the alarms in your home, and replace any batteries that are running low or are dead.
Learn More Gas Fireplace Safety Tips from the Experts at Creative Energy
If ever you have questions about maintaining your existing fireplace or are considering having a new fireplace installed, the experienced staff at Creative Energy would be more than happy to assist you. From conception to design, installation, and maintenance contact us today to get started. Better yet, stop by one of our San Francisco Bay Area showrooms in San Rafael, San Mateo, and Concord.