Fireplace maintenance is an important step in getting your fireplace to be as safe and run as efficiently as possible. The entire process doesn’t take very long, and you don’t need to hire anyone. Once you are done with the maintenance you won’t need to do it again for another year. Read on to find out the best fireplace maintenance routine for your home.
For a complete checklist of home maintenance tasks to do over the course of the year, visit my blog article titled Free Home Maintenance Checklist For All Seasons.
Maintaining a fireplace is a great start for increasing its longevity. A lot of what we are doing is maintaining a clean condition so the problems don’t slowly build up to a point where it gets overwhelming or dangerous. Let’s look at the things that need to be done for each type of fireplace.
Wood Fireplace Maintenance
A wood fireplace is the most common type of fireplace. Who doesn’t love the smell of a wood fire on a cold winter’s night? Burning wood for fuel can leave a buildup of carbon in the form of soot. This has the potential of getting to levels that can potentially start a larger fire than you were expecting. That’s where the fireplace maintenance routine we are about to do comes in.
Ash Bucket Kit
The ash bucket should be metal because you may be putting hot coals in it. This set comes with a metal ash bucket, metal dust pan, and a hand broom.
Chimney Sweep
The chimney sweep makes it easy to clean the soot and grime out of the chimney. Its best to do this job once a year, so get your chimney sweep to help make this an easier job.
Fireplace Tools
Make the daily task of cleaning your fireplace after it’s been used easier. This kit includes:
- Dust pan
- Broom
- Poker
- Tongs
- Stand
Fireplace Mortar Repair
Sometimes the fireplace forms cracks in the bricks and mortar. The fix is easy, but make sure you get a proper mortar repair because you need something that will withstand high temperatures.
The ash bucket is an important tool for fireplace maintenance. It makes the chore of cleaning the firebox quick and easy. Check out my favorite at the link below.
Chimney Sweep
Use this chimney sweep once a year, ideally in the fall. This kit hooks up to a power drill and flexes around corners, making the job quick and easy.
Fireplace Tools
Get a set of good fireplace tools. These are going to be helpful with each time you use the fireplace. This set has a variety of tools for various uses.
Fireplace Repair
Fireplace Mortar Repair is a tube of high temperature caulking. Use it to fill cracks in and between the bricks in the fire box, and elsewhere.
Clean The Fire Box
Cleaning the firebox should be cleaned after each use, or after every 2-3 uses max. It’s best to wait for some time after your last fire before handling the ashes. Give it about 12 hours or more to cool down after the fire went out so you don’t possibly burn yourself.
Do this step when conducting your annual maintenance on your fireplace and chimney. The easiest way to clean the firebox is with a hand broom and small dust pan. There are ash bucket kits that work well for this stage of maintenance, but any broom and dustpan can work fine. A shop vacuum is another option for cleaning out the ash.
If you have a yard it’s good to dispose of the ashes outside, perhaps in a compost pile. But if that’s not an option it’s okay to dump them in the garbage can.
Inspect The Fire Box
The maintenance from this point on can be done once a year. It is typically done in the fall when getting ready for the cold winter months when the fireplace will get most of its use.
Look inside the fire box for any cracks or holes. These can be areas that soot can build up and eventually catch fire. To repair this you want to first use a spray bottle and spray the area well with water. This will help loosen up any of the soot that is hanging around the opening.
Next use a rag to wipe down the surface. Wipe inside the crack if it’s big enough of an opening. You want to remove any loose debris that you can before going to the next step.
After the surface is clean, use a fireplace mortar repair like this Fireplace Mortar Repair Tube. You will need a calking gun to use this item. If you are looking for another option make sure it is rated for high temperatures, and is designed to stick to the surface that is inside your fireplace, like brick.
Clean The Chimney
Cleaning the chimney isn’t hard to do, but it can require being on the roof. If you don’t feel comfortable with this, it’s smart to hire a professional for this part of the job. Or you can use a chimney cleaner like this one that hooks up to your power drill.
The other option is to do this work from the roof. But before going up on the roof I recommend covering the opening of the fireplace with a piece of plastic. Cut a piece of painter’s drop cloth larger than the opening, and use some tape to keep it in place. This will stop any of the soot debris from getting into the house.
You will need a chimney sweep set to take with you on the roof. Once up there start by removing the spark arrester. This should simply lift straight up.
Use the chimney sweep in an up and down motion to scrape any soot that’s on the sides of the chimney. As you get to the end of the handle, you will want to add another handle attachment, making it longer. Do this until you reach the bottom of the chimney where the smoke ledge is.
After you are done with this stage you will want to remove the chimney sweep, and head back down. Go to the opening of the fireplace where you will want to clean up again.
You will want to reach past the damper to the smoke ledge where a lot of the soot fell to. Take the time to clean out all this excess soot, so you have a clean fireplace for the next time you use it.
Gas Fireplace Maintenance
Gas fireplaces don’t have as many tasks to maintain it. This is because the gas they burn doesn’t leave residue in the way a wood burning fireplace does. That being said, there are few things you can do to make sure your gas fireplace is running well for many years.
The first thing to do is to make sure the gas is turned off. This is an important step to take when working on any gas appliance, especially the fireplace. Next you will want to inspect the logs, and clean the gas igniters. These are the holes in the gas line where the flames appear when the fireplace is on. To clean them you can use some steel wool or a piece of fine sandpaper. Simply rub the wool on the igniter, cleaning off any possible buildup of dust or other debris that can hinder its performance.
Next make sure the glass doors are as clean as possible. To do so it’s best to take the doors off and lay them on a soft surface like a blanket or towel. Check the fireplace’s manual for the correct way to remove the glass doors.
To clean the doors you want to use a fireplace glass cleaner. The reason why you want to use a cleaner that is designed for fireplaces is because a conventional glass cleaner will leave minute amounts of residue that will gas off when the fireplace is heated up. These fumes can be harmful to you, which is why you want to use a specific cleaner for this part of the project.
Electric Fireplace Maintenance
Fireplace maintenance on an electric fireplace is minimal. The biggest thing to do is change the light bulb. This usually is accessible through a panel on the back of the unit. Start by turning it off and making sure it doesn’t have any power to the unit. Then remove the panel and light bulb. Swap it out with a light bulb of the same power level.
Once you replace the bulb, the only other bit of maintenance is to dust it off and clean it. This can be done with a wet rag and a bit of elbow grease. These fireplaces don’t require a great deal of maintenance that can be done every other year. The dusting may need to be performed more frequently, but to your own desires.
Once the fireplace is plugged in you can start it back up.
Fireplace Maintenance Cost
The cost to maintain your fireplace can vary depending on a few factors. The first is the type of fireplace you own. The fireplace type with the highest level of maintenance is a wood fireplace. If you want to do the maintenance on it yourself, you will be spending money up front for a chimney sweep and some fireplace tools. The chimney sweep is around $60, and an ash bucket set is about $50. Total cost for you to do it yourself is a one time fee of a little over $100.
If you have any other repairs to make on the fireplace you will need to purchase some fireplace mortar repair caulk. This is usually around $10 for a tube.
If you are interested in hiring someone to do the work it can be anywhere between $150 and $1000. This cost will depend on the level of work needed to be done, and the rate the worker charges you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it expensive to maintain a fireplace?
Fireplace maintenance doesn’t cost much money once you have all the tools you need. Wood burning fireplaces will require the most maintenance. The tools you should get are a hand broom and dust pan, and a metal container to put the ashes in. You will also need a chimney sweep with the right amount of extension handles. The only other main expense is if there are cracks you need to repair with Fireplace Mortar.
How often should a fireplace be cleaned?
The cleaning portion of fireplace maintenance should be annually, especially for wood burning fireplaces. A gas and electric fireplace doesn’t get dirty as easily as a wood fireplace, so you can get away with cleaning them every other year.
Are fireplaces high maintenance?
Wood fireplaces have the highest level of maintenance. Overall, The work done to maintain a fireplace is not extremely extensive, and can be conducted once a year maximum. It can be done by the homeowner, but there are fireplace maintenance services available to use as well. The steps listed above cover the main process for any type of fireplace you can own.
Conclusion
Fireplace maintenance is not a difficult thing to do. With the right tools, and a little time you are going to keep your fireplace in top working order. This isn’t something that needs to be outsourced to a professional, but it can be if you don’t have the desire to do it yourself.
I hope this article answered all your questions. If you have any other questions about home repair or maintenance, make sure you take a look at the blog articles here on Castle Remodel. And there is an archive of YouTube videos at the Kev’s Castle channel.
Happy Remodeling,
Kevin