| We understand that you are concerned about the sooting in your fireplace. In
order to prevent costly and unnecessary service trips by our technicians, we
would like you to assist us in trouble shooting the problem to determine
possible causes. |
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| Your professionally installed fireplace system complies with the rigorous
specifications of BOCA, UL and the manufacturer. The fireplace and chimney have
been installed by our certified installers and has been inspected and approved
by the local building department. Gas fireplaces are designed to operate by
drawing air from outside the house, so the units should not be sooting.
Typically, sooting is the result of other sources. |
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ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
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| According to an article in the Jan / Feb 1998 Home Energy, sooting has become
one of the hottest topics in the building industry today. This article explains
that the soft, aromatic candles that are very popular today are a leading cause
of soot. In fact, one study found that an ordinary vacuum was the culprit. Oil
lamps, candles and even the furnace system can cause a sooting problem. If the
problem is in other areas of the house from the fireplace, then the fireplace
can generally be eliminated as a cause of sooting. If the sooting is confined to
the room, or to the front of the fireplace then we can begin looking at the
fireplace. |
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LOOK AT THE GLASS
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| Look at the front of the fireplace. Are there streaks across a particular
section of the glass? |
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| If yes, then the gasket seal around the fireplace may have weakened, or the
glass may not be secured properly. By removing the glass in accordance with your
owner’s manual instructions, you can glue the gasket in the area that is loose.
Be sure to use a high temperature adhesive. |
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| If the glass panel was not secured properly, you can secure it by following the
glass and screen removal instructions of your owner’s manual. |
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CHECK THE LOG PLACEMENT
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| Check the placement of your logs. Are they sitting in the flames? The orange
flames should not touch the logs or this will result in a blackening of the logs
and the creation of soot. Carefully move the logs so that the flames are behind
or in front of the logs. |
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CHECK THE AIR SHUTTER
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| If your unit operates on natural gas, it should be 1/4 inch open to operate
effectively. As a last result you can adjust the air shutter by using a
screwdriver. Open the air shutter in 1/8-inch increments until the flames are
slightly blue at the bottom. Adjusting the air shutter will affect the height
and color of your flames as well as the amount of soot created. |
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| If you have an LP Gas unit, the air shutter on your fireplace should be in the
fully open position. LP Gas also results in higher levels of carbon than in
natural gas units. |
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ROUTINE CLEANING
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| Just as in a fireplace that burns wood, your gas fireplace will create soot as a
by-product of combustion. Depending on how often you use your fireplace, the
fireplace will have to be cleaned at least once a month to remove the soot
residue from the glass panels and interior of the fireplace. This can be done by
using your vacuum cleaner with the brush attachment in place. Be sure not to
scratch or chip the glass, as this will weaken the integrity of the glass and
may result in the glass shattering during operation. Williams Panel Brick also
stocks a large supply of special cleaners that remove soot quickly and
completely. |
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| We hope this letter has been beneficial and answered your questions about your
fireplace’s operation and safety. If you require additional assistance, please
contact us for a Service Authorization Form to schedule service. |
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| Williams Panel Brick offers a complete selection of glass doors, tool sets, gas
logs and other fireplace accessories. As a fireplace customer, we want to
provide you with a discount for your next purchase. Please see a Williams Panel
Brick representative for details. We look forward to seeing you in our showroom.
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