CALGARY- Fireplaces are roaring in homes across the city thanks to the recent cold snap, prompting a reminder that it’s important to get them serviced.
Just like a furnace, gas fireplaces draw in air from outside and can get dirty or plugged up, releasing dangerous carbon monoxide.
“The seal that goes around this glass door is your only defense between you and the carbon monoxide that thing produces, and a lot of people have fireplaces running on thermostats where they don’t even know these things are kicking on and off automatically, and they’re filling their basements full of CO,” explains Bill Luke from Heatsafe Industries. “They can be very dangerous.”
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He says a good indication that a fireplace is not safe is if the glass starts to get very black on the inside, or the flame changes colour.
“In a lot of the cases you’ll see a gas fireplace where the flame is a solid orange where you can’t actually see right through it. Your flame should be burning blue.”
Homeowner Darlene Nelson says she and her friends were surprised to learn their fireplaces needs to be serviced.
“My friends had no idea, they have been here five, six years and never had them done,” she says. “So now, they too are getting them done on a regular basis.”
It costs an average of $150 to get a fireplace serviced, but can cost more if you have a multi-sided model.
Click here for more fireplace safety tips.
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