Direct vent gas fireplaces have grown in popularity in recent years. With more realistic looking flames, a multitude of style options, and incredible ease of use, gas fireplaces allow families to enjoy the ambiance and warmth of a fire without the hassle and work associated with wood.
While gas fireplaces are more convenient and easy to use, they still have safety risks associated with them. A primary concern with gas fireplaces – especially in families with young children or pets – is the risk of burns associated with the hot glass fronts of the fireplace units.
New fireplace safety standards
Beginning on January 1, 2015, all newly manufactured gas fireplaces and stoves with glass fronts will be required to include an installed protective barrier. This will apply to all appliances that have a glass surface temperature of 172 degrees or higher when in use.
“While gas fireplaces, stoves and inserts are a great asset to any home, the glass can become very hot during operation and stay hot long afterwards, creating a potential burn hazard,” said Hearth, Patio, and Barbeque Association president Jack Goldman. “In the past several years, there have been reports of burns involving young children and others who may not been aware of the potential risk of touching the hot glass on gas fireplaces, inserts and stoves. While we believe these incidents are few, even one is too many. We believe the new safety standard will provide greater protection to young children and others with special needs.”
This new standard was originally approved in 2012 by the American National Standards Institute. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission worked with the fireplace and hearth industry to implement the standard in an effort to protect families from accidental burns. The standard will apply to all units manufactured after January 1, 2015. Retailers may continue to sell units manufactured before this date that do not meet the new safety standards.
Safety tips for families
If you have an existing gas appliance, there are a number of things you can do to protect yourself and your family from accidental burns. These common sense safety tips can help keep everyone in your home safe.
- Don’t leave children or pets unattended in front of a fireplace that is in use or has been turned off
- Teach children about fireplace safety and to never touch the glass of the fireplace
- Keep the remote control of the fireplace out of reach to prevent it from being accidentally turned on
- Install a switch lock to prevent children from turning on any gas appliances
Additional safety products
There are a number of safety products available to homeowners who already own gas appliances. Protective barriers or screens are the easiest and most common safety precaution. Safety screens come in a variety of styles and can be attached directly to the front of the fireplace or left as freestanding screens. Likewise, baby gates or barriers can be used to keep children and pets away from the fireplace when it is in use.
When installing aftermarket screens directly to the front of your hearth, please be aware that they may change the functionality of your fireplace. Check with a fireplace professional before installing something directly to the fireplace.
If you have questions about making your gas appliance safer, contact Lord’s Chimney today. Our expert staff is highly trained and ready to make sure you can enjoy your gas fireplace while keeping your family safe.
We know you care about keeping your family safe. One way to keep your family safe while at home is to minimize the likelihood of a deadly chimney fire. One way to minimize this risk is to make sure you do not allow creosote to accumulate.
Creosote is no laughing matter. The professionals at Lords Chimney can provide you with a wealth of information and service to give you that added peace of mind!
For homeowners with chimneys, there is one other thing that they worry about specifically – creosote. According to our team of experts here at Lords Chimney, more than 70% of the inquiries and concerns we receive from our loyal customers involve creosote in some form or fashion. So what exactly is creosote anyway?
If you look online you’ll see a lot of definitions filled with scientific jargon that would just confuse you a lot more than you may already be. But the definition from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry describes and defines creosote in a simple and uncomplicated way. According to the ATSDR, creosote is basically the chemical byproduct of burning. There are different varieties of creosote. There’s the Wood, Coal Tar Pitch, Coal Tar Pitch Volatiles and Coal Tar. But basically they are all referred to collectively as creosote.
Why should we worry?
Although seemingly harmless during the beginning stages, creosote can quickly become extremely dangerous when left alone. You see, since it is a byproduct of burning, this means that it would constantly be produced whenever there’s burning of any kind in your chimney system. Once it is produced, it sticks to various parts of the fireplace and chimney. If it accumulates further, it becomes this thick volatile layer that is one of the number one culprits of chimney and house fires.
What can we do?
The best thing we can do to prevent things from getting out of hand is to properly maintain your chimney. Schedule regular inspections and cleanings to make sure that creosote build-up never gets a chance to reach threatening levels, which, in turn, would guarantee safety for your home and your family. So what are you waiting for? Pick up a phone and schedule an appointment right now. You can count on us for quality and dependable chimney and fireplace services. Lords Chimney is ready to help!
It’s very important to keep up with dryer vent cleaning, as the built up lint is a fire hazard that endangers your house and everyone in it. Call Lords Chimney to schedule an inspection and cleaning of your dryer vents to help you maintain a safer and more efficient dryer.
If you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment, please give us a call at 281-497-4000! We look forward to providing you with a lifetime of high-quality, professional services!
The chimney liner of a fireplace is one of the most critical components of the operating system. According to the CSIA, problems in your chimney’s flue can present serious risks to your home and family, as it is no longer able to perform its primary function: to safely contain and vent the products of combustion to the outside of your home.
Every chimney needs a working liner to usher deadly carbon monoxide gases from your home.
The work we do at Lords Chimney varies, from installation, maintenance and repairs on chimney systems to dryer vent installation and cleaning.
That work all has some common ground, though: We’re caring for venting systems to help our clients enjoy safer and more efficient venting, better appliance performance and cleaner air.
Your Chimney isn’t the Only System Affecting Your Air Quality
Without regular dryer vent cleaning, lint can build up in your vents and begin to constrict the airflow, allowing heat to build up to dangerous levels, and creating the potential for a dangerous dryer fire.
We talk a lot about the negative effects of deferred maintenance on a chimney system, because it’s important to know what your chimney needs to function at its highest levels of efficiency and safety. A chimney that isn’t regularly swept and regularly inspected can result in improper venting, an increased chance of a fire hazard, even toxic carbon monoxide leaking into your living area.
Like your fireplace or stove, your dryer is a heating appliance. And like your chimney, your dryer vent system is working to vent the dangerous byproducts coming from that appliance.
Over time, your chimney develops creosote deposits that can hinder its ability to vent properly. In your dryer vents, lint creates a similar potential for blockage.
Without regular dryer vent cleaning, lint can build up in your vents and begin to constrict the airflow, allowing heat to build up to dangerous levels, and creating the potential for a carbon monoxide leak. Since carbon monoxide is colorless and odorless, it can be an invisible cause of illness — even death. (Which is why we also stress the importance of having a properly functioning carbon monoxide detector installed in your home.)
Lords Chimney technicians use state-of-the-art tools to properly clean your dryer vents and ensure complete and thorough results — we use video cameras to make sure those vents are cleared of lint, and gauges to check for proper air flow. And proper airflow means that dangerous byproducts like carbon monoxide are moving through the vent and out of your home, not into your living space.
If you have any concerns about the air quality in your home — related to your chimney or dryer vents — Lords Chimney can help. Give us a call to make an appointment with our CSIA-certified technicians!
