Tips to Maintain Your Electric Fireplace
Electric fireplace is popular room heating equipment, which uses electricity to warm up the surroundings. The ability to function well with low maintenance, made these fireplaces preferable to the traditional wood burning fireplaces. Cleaning the ashes and replacing the woods is not at all required for these fireplaces. However, if you do not maintain them properly, their durability and efficiency can be affected. Hence, in order to increase the operational efficiency and life span of them, proper maintenance is essential.
Following are the maintenance tips for your electric fireplace to ensure safety while increasing its lifespan.
Check the power outlets: Check the power outlets into which your fireplace is plugged to ensure proper functioning. The outlet is supposed to handle enough load required by the fireplace and hence it is advised not to plug in any other appliance which may increase the load on the socket. Check and replace dysfunctional sockets periodically to avoid electrical shorts.
Also check the condition of wires and other electric components of your fireplace. If any of them are damaged, remove and replace them with new ones immediately.
Ensure dust removal: The outer surfaces of the fireplace should be cleaned and vacuumed regularly to prevent dust accumulation. Even the inside areas and the control compartment needs a periodic dusting with soft and dry cloth. The front panel of fireplace is generally made of glass and hence requires a glass cleaner to clean it. However, for cleaning the back side of the glass, mild liquid soap and water should be used.
Never try to use any abrasive cleaners on your electric fireplace as they may cause scratches on its surface. Clean it as gently as possible with mild cleaning solutions. Also make sure that the appliance is unplugged several hours prior to your cleaning.
Change the light bulbs regularly: Though changing the light bulbs will not affect the functionality of your fireplace, it is good to replace them in order to retain the natural look of burning woods. In general, an electric fireplace contains two or more bulbs and if any one of them burns out, the flame looks uneven. So, in order to maintain natural looking flame, it is essential to change the bulbs as recommended by the manufacturer or whenever they burn out.
Remove electrical hazards: It is essential to check for the objects around the fireplace which can cause electrical hazards. Make sure that the fireplace is placed away from the objects with water, like the fish tanks. Fabrics like door curtains and wall hangings can catch fire, and hence should not be used around these fireplaces.
Keep flammable objects away: Electric fireplaces are effective in warming up the rooms as well as the objects placed near to them. Hence, it is always safe to keep flammable objects away from the fireplaces as they may catch fire.
Replace old model: If you are still using an old model, there is a chance that it may consume more energy compared to a new one. Latest electric fireplaces are energy-efficient. Certain old appliances demand more maintenance without which they may look less attractive and work less efficiently. Moreover, the latest model electric fireplaces come with some extra features like blowing fan which expels the heat and warms up the space more quickly. Many electric infrared fireplaces are also available which emit heat with the help of infrared radiations. Therefore, in order to enjoy the added benefits available in the new models, it is better to replace your old and problematic fireplaces.
Proper maintenance always ensures consistency in the performance of your fireplace. It not only makes your fire place work well but also makes it look attractive for years.
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