If you own a fireplace, you know that you need a chimney inspection and sweeping annually to keep it safe and efficient. However, if you have a pellet-burning appliance, you’ll need this service annually too because they are made of pressed wood. But what about a gas-burning appliance, and gas logs? Because they aren’t producing smoke from burning wood, doesn’t it make sense that these wouldn’t need servicing?
If this is a question that you’ve been asking yourself, it’s important to understand that it is still very important for you to service your gas logs on an annual basis. At Owens Chimney Systems, we are certified and we can service your gas logs to ensure safety and efficiency.
What Happens With Gas Logs
The problem with burning gas is that the burn can actually be too efficient, as strange as it might sound. After all, maximum efficiency is what we’re all looking for, right? However, the outcome of this efficiency is that there is more hot air coming back into the house, rather than up the chimney, which in turn makes the chimney cooler than it needs to be. Because of this, the emissions from the gas fireplace will more likely condense on the walls of the chimney.
Water vapor will condense inside the flue. The molecules that are floating around your house are also combined with this, and that water vapor now contains substances that make it acidic and corrosive. This can have a variety of effects such as peeling wallpaper, blistering paint, interior staining, and eroding mortar joints and bricks. So now your chimney problem has become a home interior problem.
Another issue with gas logs is incomplete combustion can occur. This is because your chimney needs to pull air in so that necessary draft exists. Because the chimney is cooler than if burning with wood, there won’t be enough combustion air for maximum efficiency. A dangerous side effect of this is carbon monoxide is produced, and carbon monoxide isn’t being directed up the chimney as it needs to be. This dangerous gas, which is both colorless and odorless. It also causes serious health effects such as dizziness, nausea, severe headaches, and even loss of consciousness or death.
What To Do
If you have gas logs, the first step towards proper care is to call in the professionals from Owens Chimney Systems to evaluate your system. If there are issues, our CSIA certified sweeps are highly qualified to find the solutions. Whether it is reworking connector pipes between the chimney and the furnace or making sure that your flue liner is correctly sized and insulated, we’ll find a solution. You can trust our team to get the job done right!