An electric fireplace is designed to make your home comfortable and cozy to live in. It provides warmth to a given floor space determined by the fireplace’s size and the heating element equipped in the fireplace. It also spices up your home’s appearance and ensures that you create a decor effect that will awe visitors — but how should you consider cleaning a unit?
In this post, you will learn:
- How to Clean the Dust out of Fireplace
- How Often Should You Clean the Fireplaces?
- General Precautions
- The Danger of Ignoring Maintenance for Your Fireplace
Electric fireplaces ensure that your home can look attractive through the summer and the winter months. It has options for turning off the heat during the summer, but you can still leave the flame effects on. This will ensure that you enjoy the realistic flame effects and the glowing log set in the ember bed.
Additionally, your fireplace ensures that your home is easier to maintain, a far-fetched reality with a traditional fireplace and gas fireplace. Gas lines make gas fireplaces inefficient and not as effective as electric fireplaces. These were expensive to manage, and the maintenance could cost thousands of dollars. They also require regular maintenance, which makes them a considerable investment in your home.
Even with a more significant amount of heat produced, wood-burning fireplaces still require tons of firewood every year, making them an unreasonable investment. They also release carbon monoxide which is a dangerous form of emission and harmful to the environment. The firewood became more expensive, and most people upgraded to electric fireplaces.
The electric fireplaces are low maintenance, but there are some things that you should do to put up appearances for your home. The electric fireplaces are the focal point of your home, and you must put much effort into making sure that your home appears clean and well-maintained.
Whenever you do general cleaning in your home, ensure that the electric fireplace in the bedroom is not left behind. It can tend to gather dust, which interferes with the attractive appearance that the fireplace has put up. As a responsible homeowner, you should work hard to get rid of all the dust. As time goes by, dust settles on the surface of the heater. This has a considerable effect on the rest of the fireplace as it significantly affects its appearance.
Knowing how to clean the dust out of an electric infrared stove heater is essential and helps maintain the appliance. As you go about cleaning the other places in the home, such as wiping the TV stand, replacing the water in your flower vases, and rearranging the home, you should remember to get rid of the dust accumulated on the surface inside your electric fireplaces.
The cleaning process is not very complicated and will only take a bit of your time. Knowing to read the signs of a fireplace that requires a little cleaning also ensures that not too much dust accumulates on the fireplace. This maintenance is very healthy for maintaining a home and ensures that none of the fireplace components ever run out of service due to damage caused by dust buildup. Rarely will you find a well-maintained fireplace running out of service or developing problems, which is why you should always take the time to learn how to clean the dust out of an electric fireplace.
It is considered very dangerous to overlook the fireplace whenever maintenance runs through the length of your home. This is because the dust that builds up can clog up the fireplace components, such as the heater. As this dust settles into these components, it leads to overheating, and this can be a cause for fire in your home.
The fan will not work well, and it will not distribute heat from the heating element to the rest of the home. This will drastically reduce the fireplace coverage, and you will notice a loss in the coverage area of your home due to the build-up of dust in the fireplace. Components that move can also be worn down by the dust particles’ abrasive nature and owing to the fan’s movement and other components of the fireplace.
These components will wear out very fast. They will then require replacement, which will be sure to cost you big. Avoid these costs by ensuring that your fireplace gets the attention and maintenance it deserves. It is definitely worth the investment you put into it, and you will not regret having cleaned the dust out of the fireplace. It also improves the room’s air quality as the dust removed from the fireplace’s air is dirty.
Dirty air is a health hazard and not recommended for any home. Someone who is allergic to your home will be the first to fall ill as a result of the dust accumulation, and unless you take proper measures, this is likely to get even worse.
Dust reduces the overall lifetime of service that you can receive from your fireplace and is something that you should regularly remove from the fireplace. Components charged electrically would also be affected by the dust that accumulates on them, leading to electrical faults and other incidents that will cost you even more as a homeowner.
Just as you take time doing maintenance runs on the other parts and aspects of your home, you should also give the fireplace the attention it requires. Following are some helpful tips that will help you better manage your fireplace, and with the information, you will learn how to clean the dust out of an electric fireplace.
How to Clean the Dust out of Fireplace?
Since there is no flame, cleaning the electric fireplace takes less time than other types of fireplaces such as traditional wood-burning fireplaces. You don’t need to invest many hours into the cleaning process, which makes the undertaking something you can manage even when your schedule is tight. You can still manage to go about the other activities that need your attention after spending a little time cleaning out the fireplace and eliminating the dangerous dust. There is usually a lot of dust that usually builds up within the outlet or inlet to the heater. You should remove this as regularly as possible to ensure that your fireplace works safely and efficiently.
Also, consider the following:
- Protecting yourself as you go about cleaning the fireplace: You can manage this by wearing a face mask or a surgical mask. The mask ensures that you do not inhale any of the dust and prevents you from getting distracted. You get to breathe freely and clean the fireplace without being in any hurry.
- Wear a face mask: You will be able to focus on the areas that you are wiping down, and as such, you can do a better job. The face mask also makes you feel confident about the entire adventure, and you will be able to do it without feeling like you are being hurried.
- Avoid inhaling the dust: Dust is not good for your health and whenever you wear the mask, ensure that you keep it on for the entire duration of the cleaning process. Please keep it on your nose and ensure that your nose and mouth are covered during the entire process. Do not lax the rules and wear the mask on your chin as you will end up inhaling a lot of the dust.
- Have your tools nearby: As you go about the cleaning processes, ensure that you have all the necessary tools nearby. Consult the owner’s manual for safe-to-use items. This will ensure that you complete the entire process in the shortest time possible and do an excellent job of it. Some of the fireplace’s internal portions will need to be opened to be accessed, and you should be ready to take apart some of the parts of the fireplace and later get them back together. A brush attachment, soft cloth, or a soft brush can also help dust the fireplace’s metallic components. This process should be simple and not complicated in any way.
More Things You Can Do While Cleaning The Fireplace
1. Towels and other clothes used for the wiping process should be available in plenty
This is to ensure that you do not use the same towel twice, and once it has gathered too much dust, replace it with another. This is what is known as actual efficiency and having a sufficient supply of towels is essential whenever you are cleaning your fireplace.
2. You should have a dustbin where you will deposit the used towels
This will ensure that you can do the cleaning in a shorter time and do it more thoroughly. You also keep your entire cleaning process more organized and target all the areas that need a thorough wiping of dust without running out of the required tools and accessories.
3. The inlet and outlet should be dust-free
As you go about cleaning the fireplace, ensure that these areas are well-cleaned. It would be best if you wiped off all the dust on these parts as they are some of the electric fireplace’s sensitive components. They are responsible for bringing in the air and taking out hot air, and whenever dust accumulates in them, their operational efficiency reduces.
Whenever you have them cleaned out and all the dust eliminated from them, you will be ensuring that nothing ever interrupts or restricts the flow of air into and out of the fireplace. The heating element gets to receive the freshest air from the outside, and it can do a better job with this kind of airflow.
An unrestricted airflow also ensures that you can cover the most expansive space floor possible, and you will be able to cover more square feet when you have all the inlets and outlets from your fireplace cleaned out. At the end of the cleaning process, your heating element is well-ventilated, and the blower can perform to its best and give you the kind of services you could be expecting from them.
In addition to the air inlet and outlets, there are other portions of the fireplace that need cleaning, and you should ensure that the dust on them is appropriately cleaned. The display screen, for instance, should be adequately cleaned to ensure that you can view the fire effect and the dancing flame effects without the effect being affected by the dust. The accumulation of dust makes the fireplace display less effective for making the correct impression on the audience, and your family might experience less than pleasant experiences.
You should thoroughly clean these surfaces to ensure cleaner and more vivid displays. It would help if you never ignored these places as they add to your home’s overall clean look and feel. Whenever you are cleaning the fireplace of dust, you should appropriately clean the displays and the projection screens. You must adequately wipe down the front of the glass panel with a glass cleaner and the rest of the fireplace exterior. You must adequately clean all the components of the fireplace.
4. For the electric fireplace insert, you should also clean the ember bed
This is also a good opportunity for you to change the electric log inserts. You must clean up all light bulbs as you maintain the fireplace. These are the glowing logs supplied in varied styles and when you are cleaning the fireplace, ensure that you upgrade the style of the fireplace gas logs. This makes it easier for you to make your fireplace look better, and the hassle of the appearance upgrade will be something that you will be thankful for.
How Often Should You Clean the Fireplace?
It would help if you cleaned the electric fireplaces several times a year and whenever you feel that their performance is slowing down. A lag in the performance is a likely indicator that there is a dust buildup in the fireplace. You can make use of this opportunity to change up the appearance and working efficiency of your fireplace.
Scheduling maintenance checks on the electric fireplace insert also indicates when there has been a massive accumulation of dust that needs to be cleaned out. This also ensures that you check on the rest of the fireplace components and whether they are working as you would have expected them to work.
Operational efficiency is essential for your fireplace, and in those seasons when it has been idle for a long time, you should always clean out the dust before you can resume using the fireplace. Long seasons of unused means that wind will not have blown the accumulated dust anywhere, and before you even think about turning on the fireplace, ensure that you get rid of the dust first. Dust and grime are fire hazards and should be gotten rid of.
General Precautions
Here are some of the things that you should watch out for as you prepare and go about cleaning your fireplace of the dust that has been settling on it over time. First, ensure that you switch off the electric heater and disconnect the cord from the power supply. Also, give the heater a bit of time to cool completely before cleaning it.
1. Get rid of all flammable materials close to the fireplace before cleaning
For the external surfaces that are dusty, wipe using a damp, lint-free cloth that has been rinsed in warm water. You should avoid using any harsh detergents and abrasive cleaners for your cleaning solution. This is an Important Fireplace fact.
2. You should also avoid spraying with any liquids
Wipe off all the water spots and grime that are formed by the dust mixing with water. Do not submerge the fireplace in liquid or water, which can cause damage to the sensitive electrical components embedded within the appliance. It would help if you did not use a damp cloth for the inside of the firebox but applied a dry cloth, duster, or a vacuum cleaner. This will ensure that the components’ working and operational integrity inside the electric fireplace are thoroughly cleaned. The internal compartments are sparkling clean and in good operational condition.
The Danger of Ignoring Maintenance for Your Electric Fireplace
Staying for long periods without maintenance runs and inspections on the state of your electric fireplace makes them less effective. They do not provide you with the service you require, and ignoring maintenance can lead to them not being as functional as possible. The fireplace also stops running and heating your home as well as it should.
The dust buildup causes the inside of the fireplace to be rusted, and the abrasive dust eats into the electrical components, which can lead to that instant spark that can cause a fire in your fireplace.
According to National Fire Protection Association requirements for heating appliances maintenance is essential and adds to your fireplace’s longevity and how much service it will provide you. Please do not ignore this and ensure that your fireplace gets the service that it deserves. This will keep it built up for longer and keep you warm, comfortable, and cozy.
When looking through a MagikFlame electric fireplace buying guide, you get familiar with the MagikFlame story. Reading several MagikFlame reviews gives you the best features of the fireplaces, and you get to learn how MagikFlame is built.
You get informed about available payment plans and financing for your new electric fireplace. It is also the best way to get the best electric fireplace. A clean fireplace is essential, and your flame gallery should stay clean and visible, not forgetting the photo idea gallery. Dimplex also provides quality fireplaces that need maintenance to keep them running efficiently.
