Gas log heaters are such a wonderful means of heating a home. Gas log fires in Melbourne provide the winter ambiance of a warm fire to watch, as well as heat that doesn’t take any effort to achieve. These heaters can be set on a thermostat to keep your home at a nice, even temperature throughout the day and night. Another benefit is that gas log heaters don’t require a lot of maintenance to keep them running efficiently and reliably year after year. However, it’s important to remember that maintenance and inspection are two different things.
As well as performing maintenance yourself, youshould have your gas log heater inspected by a licensed safety inspector each year to ensure that it’s safe. Safety technicians have the know-how to check that the gas pilot safety system, ignition, combustion and venting systems are all operating safely. They’ll also be able to assess the safety of the system from the colour of the flames it’s producing. Apart from this professional inspection, you can
Maintenance Tips
- Begin with safety −The first step in your maintenance routine is to turn off the gas at the pilot light and then at the main supply line. You should see a red valve that’s behind your unit along the supply line.
- Let the heater cool down − If you’ve recently used the gas heater, let the system cool down first.
- Carefully remove the glass door − You can place it on newspapers to keep it from scratching anything else, like tiles.
- Clean the flue − Use a flue brush sized for your flue and run it up and down the length of the flue to remove soot and debris.
- Clean the pilot tube −For this, you need a can of compressed air. This will get all of the soot and debris out that might clog the pilot.
- Take a photo of your logs − It will be easier to put them back after you’ve cleaned them if you have a photo of their proper placement. This advice is only for vented gas lot heaters. If you have a vent-free system, a licensed technician is the only one who should move the logs.
- Clean the logs − The logs should be cleaned by brushing with a dry paint brush.
- Clean the grate for the burner −You can use a putty knife for this task if you have some hard to remove soot or debris. Otherwise, you can simply use a vacuum attachment.
- Clean the glass − Window cleaner can effectively clean the glass of soot and debris.
- Open the side of the firebox −This will allow you to get near the fan and the vents. Use your vacuum toclean the vents and the fan. They’ll likely have pet hair and dust bunnies clogging them. You’ll also need to do the same under the back of the unit.
As the tips above show, it’s easy to maintain your gas log heater and enjoy reliable, warm, and ambient gas log fires in Melbourne.