Congrats on the New Fireplace! Here’s What To Do First
It looks great, it matches perfectly with your décor and yes, everyone is going to love it. But before you start spending cozy evenings curled up in front of your beautiful new gas fireplace or insert, you need to run a quick “burn-off” cycle.
Why do I need to do this?
Ben Englund, former senior product manager with Hearth & Home Technologies, the maker of Heat & Glo fireplaces explains that fireplaces, just like grills or ovens, are manufactured with paints and oils that need to be cured or baked off. “If you don’t run through this cycle before you begin regular use, you run the risk of unpleasant odors happening whenever you turn on the fireplace,” he says.
- Englund suggests starting by opening windows in the room where the fireplace is located, and perhaps opening some other windows on the same floor to create cross-ventilation. Turn on overhead ceiling fans or other ventilation if possible. “Certain products have a stronger smell than others, so you want to make sure you’ve got the air moving around before you start,” Englund says.
- Turn your fireplace or insert on the “high” setting. If you begin to detect a strong odor or notice white smoke coming from the fireplace itself, don’t worry. “It’s not a leak or an exhaust issue; it’s truly coming from the surfaces of the fireplace,” Englund says.
- After three hours, turn the unit off. Let it cool completely.
- Once it’s cooled completely, turn the fireplace on again and run it on the “high” setting for an additional six to eight hours.
- Time to enjoy a fire! “These steps ensure that you’ve gone through a complete cycle of heating up and cooling down, which allows the metals to contract and expand,” Englund says. “Once you’ve done this, you’re ready to go.”
On your “fire-versary”
After the first year of use, it’s recommended to clean the inside glass of your fireplace or gas insert. “If you contact your local dealer, they can send someone out to check performance, clean the glass and confirm everything is running correctly,” Englund says.
Want more troubleshooting resources? Head here for articles, videos and checklists. Still stumped? Find a factory trained Heat & Glo dealer near you by entering your zip code in our dealer locator here.
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