Our Services
Gas fireplaces cleaned, tested and repaired
Local pros, written prices and a 10% discount on services confirmed inside 72 hours of your free inspection.
How a standing pilot keeps the gas on
Many gas fireplaces with a millivolt control use a pilot flame that burns all the time. On these units the pilot heats two small sensors. A thermocouple tells the valve that the pilot is lit, and a thermopile makes enough current to open the valve for the main burner when you flip the switch. The pilot flame has to wrap around both for this to work.
One maker's service instructions list a pilot flame too small to engulf the thermopile, a dirty or loose thermopile connection and a failing sensor among the reasons the main burner drops out. We check the flame, clean the connections and test the parts before anything is replaced.
Cleaning fireplace glass without harming it
The glass on a sealed gas fireplace is often ceramic, and it scratches more easily than it looks. One maker warns against razor blades, steel wool and other metal scrapers, which can scratch the surface, leave marks on its coating and weaken the glass. Abrasive cleaners and ammonia-based sprays are also on that maker's list of things to avoid.
The same manual has both sides of the glass cleaned once the unit has run its first 10 hours, then as needed, always after the glass has cooled. During service we remove the glass the way the manual describes, clean it, check the gasket and seat it again so the seal is even all round.
Exhaust odor near the fireplace
When a carbon monoxide alarm goes off, get everyone outside first and make the 911 call from there. Nobody should stay behind to look for the source.
A fireplace that smells of exhaust while it runs, or leaves people with headaches in the room, needs checking before it is used again. One maker's troubleshooting guide traces exhaust in the room to spillage and lists the door seal, damage to the vent, the way the vent was installed and a room under negative pressure as causes to check. We work through each one and explain what we found in writing.
Getting to the controls behind the surround
Service on a gas fireplace happens mostly through its lower grille, control panel or front. The Florida fuel gas code says panels, grilles and access doors that have to come off for normal servicing must not be attached to the building. A remodel that tiles over the control access or fixes a grille in place makes every future repair harder.
If your surround has covered an access point, we explain what is needed to reach the controls before we start, and we never cut into a finish without your approval. When you plan a new surround, we can point out which panels have to stay removable.
