Fireplace Maintenance: What to Do Every Year
Fireplace maintenance comes down to one rule: have the chimney or vent inspected and the unit serviced once a year, before the first fire of the season. Everything else is a short list of habits spread across the year. Here is that list, what the annual service covers for wood, gas and electric units, and the safety habits that go with it.
Why fireplace maintenance matters
Three reasons. Safety first: creosote, the tar that wood smoke leaves inside the flue, is what feeds a chimney fire, and a blocked or damaged flue lets carbon monoxide into the house instead of out of it. Then heat: a clean flue draws properly, so a wood fire burns hotter with less smoke, and a gas burner with clean ports lights cleanly and heats the way it should. Last, the life of the unit. A cracked crown, a missing cap or a worn gasket caught at an inspection is a small repair. Left through a few Illinois freeze-thaw winters, it becomes a rebuild.
The year-round fireplace maintenance checklist
Work through this once a year and the things that matter most are covered.
- Late summer: book the annual service. Wood fireplaces and stoves get a sweep and inspection; gas fireplaces, inserts and log sets get a burner and safety service. Late summer appointments are easy to get, and January ones are not.
- Before the first fire: look at the chimney from the ground. The cap should be in place, the concrete crown on top uncracked, and there should be no plants growing from the brick and no white staining, which means water is getting in.
- Check the damper. Open and close it fully. It should move freely, sit tight when closed and show no heavy rust. On a vented gas log set the damper stays clamped open.
- Clean the firebox. Shovel last season’s ash into a metal can with a lid and vacuum the corners, then look at the firebrick and mortar joints for cracks while it is empty. On a gas unit, leave the logs and the burner alone — the annual service cleans them — and clean only the glass, with a cleaner made for fireplace glass.
- Test the alarms. Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms on every level, near the bedrooms and in the room with the fireplace. Fresh batteries now, and replace any alarm past the date printed on its back.
- Stock dry wood. Seasoned hardwood has been split and dried for six months to a year; it is gray at the ends and light for its size. Store it off the ground under cover, and never burn treated, painted or glued wood, or household trash.
- Fresh batteries in the remote and receiver. A gas fireplace that will not light in November is often nothing more than a dead battery in the receiver box under the unit.
- Through the winter: burn clean. Hot fires rather than smoldering ones, the mesh screen closed (glass doors stay open while a wood fire burns unless yours are rated for closed-door burning), ash cleared when it builds up past an inch, and an eye on the warning signs: smoke in the room, a smoky smell, or a lazy yellow flame on gas.
- Spring: clean out and close up. Empty the firebox after the last fire and close the damper so summer humidity and smells stay out — unless you have vented gas logs, whose damper stays clamped open all year. If you burned most nights, book the sweep now rather than in the fall, so the creosote does not sit in a damp flue all summer.
- Summer: do the repairs. A cracked crown, tuckpointing (replacing failed mortar between the bricks), a new cap or a top-sealing damper, waterproofing, a new set of doors. Masonry work wants warm dry weather, and it wants to be finished before the season, not during it.
What the annual service covers
Wood-burning fireplaces and stoves. We sweep the flue from the firebox to the cap, then inspect the liner, the smoke chamber above the damper, the damper, the firebox and, outside, the cap, crown and flashing. Stoves get their door gasket, baffle and stovepipe checked too. You get a written note of what we found and what, if anything, needs repair.
Gas fireplaces, inserts and log sets. The burner, the pilot and the small sensors that keep the gas valve open are cleaned and tested, the gas connections are checked for leaks, the logs go back exactly where the maker intended, the glass gasket is inspected and the vent is checked for blockage and corrosion. A blower, if fitted, is cleaned and checked.
Electric fireplaces. Nothing burns, so there is no flue. They want a dusting of the heater intake and the flame mechanism, a look at the cord and outlet, and a check that the fan runs quietly. That is a five-minute job you can do yourself with the unit unplugged.
Our chimney and fireplace service covers the first two, and the visit is the time to mention anything the unit has been doing that bothers you.
How often, by type of fireplace
| Type | Once a year, by us | Between visits, by you |
|---|---|---|
| Wood fireplace or stove | Sweep and inspection of flue, damper, firebox, cap and crown | Dry wood, ash cleared, screen closed, eyes open for smoke or smell |
| Gas fireplace, insert or log set | Burner and pilot service, leak check, gasket and vent check, logs re-set | Glass cleaned, dust wiped, batteries in the remote and receiver, an eye on the flame color |
| Electric fireplace | Not needed unless something fails | Dust the intake and flame mechanism, check the cord and outlet |
Safety habits that go with it
Alarms. A smoke alarm and a carbon monoxide alarm on every level and within earshot of the bedrooms, tested monthly. Illinois law requires a carbon monoxide alarm near the sleeping rooms of any home with a fuel-burning appliance, and a fireplace counts.
The right fuel. Dry seasoned wood only in a wood fireplace: no treated lumber, no painted or stained wood, no wrapping paper, no trash. In a gas unit, only the logs and embers that came with it, placed as the manual shows.
A clear zone. Keep furniture, rugs, curtains and holiday decorations at least three feet from the opening, and nothing on the mantel that can fall into the fire. A sturdy screen or a set of glass doors keeps sparks in.
Never leave it. Do not leave a wood fire burning when you go to bed or go out. Keep a fire extinguisher where you can reach it.
Hot glass. The glass on a gas fireplace gets hot enough to burn skin within minutes and stays hot long after the flame is off. Keep small children and pets back.
Ashes. Into a metal can with a tight lid, kept outside on concrete or gravel away from the house, and into the trash only once they are stone cold, which can take days.
Gas. If you ever smell gas, leave the house without touching any switch, call your gas utility from outside, then call us. Never adjust, clean or repair the gas assembly yourself.
Signs you should not wait for the annual visit
Smoke or a smoky smell in the room, a fire that is hard to light or keep going, a pilot that keeps going out, a gas flame that has turned yellow and lazy, cracks in the firebox or the chimney, rust, white staining on the brick or a damp smell from the fireplace. Any of these is a reason to book a service visit now. Our guide to the five signs your fireplace needs repair goes through each one.
If the repairs are stacking up on an old unit, the same visit can start a different conversation. A modern gas or wood insert in an old masonry opening heats the room instead of sending the warmth up the chimney, and the showroom has them on display so you can see the size before deciding.
Common questions
How often should a fireplace be serviced?
Once a year, before the season. The national fire-safety standard, NFPA 211, recommends an annual chimney inspection, and gas units need their burner, pilot and connections checked on the same schedule.
Does a gas fireplace really need a yearly service?
Yes. It makes no creosote, but the burner and pilot collect dust, the sensors wear, the glass gasket ages and the vent can be blocked by a nest. Booking it in late summer is the easiest way to avoid a cold November.
I only light a few fires a year. Do I still need a sweep?
You still need the inspection. A little-used chimney may not need sweeping every year, but it collects nests, leaves and water damage just the same, and only a look inside tells you which.
When is the best time to book?
Late summer or early fall for the annual visit. Spring if you burned heavily and want the creosote out before the humid months.
Can I sweep the chimney myself?
A brush kit will clear light soot from a straight flue, but it cannot remove glazed creosote or show you a cracked flue tile. If you do brush your own flue, still have it inspected every year.
Talk it through in the showroom
A Fireplace Store and More is at 1202-B 75th Street in Downers Grove, open seven days. Bring a photo of the wall or the opening, or just the question. We size it, quote it in writing and install it with our own team. Book a showroom or in-home visit, ask for a written estimate, or call (630) 241-1919.