The fireplace in the interior of the house is an up-to-date and stylish functional element that not only provides warmth to your home but also brings coziness to the atmosphere. In order for it to please and warm you and your loved ones for many years, you should make an effort while purchasing and operating a fireplace. In particular, it is important to know how to properly organize the maintenance of the fireplace.

The purchase and installation of a fireplace are carried out once. Therefore, the nuances regarding its selection, installation, operation, and cleaning require special attention. Over time, the main parts and elements of the fireplace accumulate dirt, soot, and ash. Their layers develop, layering on top of each other every time the fireplace is in use. As a result, the air in the room is polluted with smoke, and the structure itself warms up worse.

In some cases, with a large layer of ash, there is a possibility of its ignition, which is fraught with a full-fledged fire. To avoid such situations it is recommended to regularly care for the fireplace, monitor its operation, and check the condition of important structural elements.

1. Regularly (after each use of the fireplace) remove ash residues from the combustion chamber, ash drawer;
2. Regularly clean the cladding near the fireplace combustion chamber from soot deposits and ash;
3. Periodically carefully clean the glass door from carbon deposits and dust;
4. Inspect and clean the vermiculite with a vacuum cleaner, handling the fragile part with great care;
5. Clean the chimney every 3-4 months.

The chimney is one of the key parts. The lack of its regular cleaning is fraught with the failure of the entire fireplace and even the outbreak of a fire due to soot deposits in the shaft. To avoid such unfavorable situations, you can and should clean the chimney yourself. A similar procedure can be performed every 3-4 months.

You may use special products to clean the chimney. These are special technical mixtures of reagents that release gases during combustion. Going up the shaft, reagents transform the soot and ash accumulated on the inner surfaces of the shaft into dry deposits. During the operation of the fireplace, these deposits crumble down, burning in the firebox.

After this procedure, it is necessary to clean the chimney with a special brush from top to bottom. To do this, get onto the roof and, having dismantled the head of the chimney pipe, lower the brush into the shaft and clean it. This process requires certain knowledge and skills, and therefore it is better to trust it to professional chimney sweeps. We advise inspection and maintenance to be performed before the start and at the end of the heating season.

You can avoid many problems and keep warm in cool evenings at the hearth if you follow the manufacturer’s recommendations.

Key recommendations:

• periodically clean the portals using specially designed compounds (unsuitable household chemicals and improvised solutions may leave streaks and scratches on the portal surfaces).
• clean the firebox and facing elements with materials with a soft texture (non-woven disposable towels, microfiber cuts, cellulose rags, a paintbrush with small and fine bristles);
• carry out, if necessary, polish and seal using professional products (pastes, polishes, wax), which are responsible for the aesthetics and attractiveness of the facing materials surfaces;
• inspect the furnace and cladding every three months in order to remove cracks and chips in a timely manner and reduce the risk of fire;
• inspect the seals on the glass fireplace door – if they are worn or damaged, replace them promptly.

It is much more pleasant to watch the fire through clean doors in the fireplace. But this is not the only reason why it should be kept in order. Proper cleaning and regular maintenance of the hearth is the key to better burning of wood, reducing the risk of soot ignition and long service life of the fireplace.

To get a great view of the flames, you can take advantage of professional advice and resort to proven methods of removing soot from glass:

• A small layer of soot can be removed from the inner surface of the door by lighting a fire and creating a strong flame so that the black particles are burned out under the influence of the high temperature and using the air wash or clean glass system (if the unit is equipped with such a system).
• A thick layer of soot can be removed from glass using ordinary paper – a small piece of napkin, newspapers should be slightly moistened with water and dipped in cooled ash. It is necessary to wipe the contaminated surface with it, then remove the residues with a dry and clean paper towel until the streaks disappear.
• Stubborn soot contamination from glass fireplace doors can be removed with special products. It is enough to spray professional solutions on a piece of cloth and wipe the glass with it to remove deposits from it. Apply it very carefully and avoid getting them on the rubber bands to prevent them from drying out.

We recommend removing soot from the glass on the door when it is cool. If you let moisture get on the heated glass, it may crack (despite the fact that fireplaces are equipped with high-strength tempered glass).

It is important to understand that the listed rules and recommendations will work only in cases with fireplaces that are installed correctly and in compliance with all safety requirements. In order for the home hearth to please the residents for many years, it is worth constantly monitoring its condition and sometimes contacting specialists for a preventive examination.