How To Clean Gas Fireplace Burner Ports

10 Reasons to Install a Gas Fireplace

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There's nothing quite as romantic as the idea of building a roaring fire inside your home on a cold winter day. But the truth is that building a fire in a traditional fireplace takes a lot of time and effort, and you spend more time maintaining it than you do sitting by it, reading, napping and enjoying a nice glass of wine or cup of hot cocoa. That's where a gas fireplace comes into play. Not only are they as cozy and romantic as a wood-burning fireplace, but they offer a number of other benefits as well.

Save Money on Heating

One reason to add a gas fireplace to your home is to cut down your heating bill cost. First, you can cut off your central heating and only heat the room (or rooms) where the fireplace is located. Second, according to national averages, gas fireplaces typically cost less than 20 cents per hour to run, which is much less than it typically costs to run you central heating.

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Easy to Start

If you have a traditional fireplace, and you decide you want to build a fire, you have to gather wood, tinder, matches and other supplies. To turn on your gas fireplace, all you have to do is flip a switch or adjust a thermostat. Some of them even come with a remote control for those cold nights when you don't want to get up off the sofa.

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Never Goes Out

Here's a scenario you may have encountered if you have ever had a traditional fireplace: You start a warm cozy fire and sit down to watch a movie. You fall asleep during the movie and wake up a few hours later, only to realize the fire has died out, and the room is freezing. A gas fireplace only goes out when you turn it off.

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No Chimney Required

No chimney? That's not a problem. You don't need one for a gas fireplace. What you do need is a vent which is much easier and cheaper to install compared to a chimney. This also means you can place a gas fireplace almost anywhere in your house.

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Safer Than Wood

Both gas and wood fireplaces require you to be on top of any potential safety hazards, but there are many more to be on top of with a wood fireplace than there is with gas. You don't have to worry about sparks and embers flying or logs rolling out of the fireplace and onto your carpet or furniture.

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Little Maintenance Required

You'll need to check on your gas fireplace occasionally, and you may even want to have it inspected at the start of the cold season every year to make sure everything is in working order. But your general maintenance ends there. There's no need to chop wood or continuously add materials to keep the fire going.

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No Mess

Your gas fireplace doesn't make a mess either. There's no soot that builds up inside the fireplace over time. You don't have to worry about odors from lighter fluids, and there's no need to remove ashes from the firebox. As a matter of fact, most experts recommend you only clean the gas fireplace once a year, usually when you have it inspected.

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Environmentally Friendly

If you're worried about the environment and trying to be a bit greener, a gas fireplace is a great way to do that. Not only does the gas give off less emissions than other heating options in your home, but replacing wood with gas means less cutting down trees for firewood.

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Style and Comfort

Adding any fireplace to your home can enhance a room's comfort level, help you destress and create a romantic setting for you and your partner. The variety of styles of gas fireplaces available can also help add to your room's style and decor. Choose from modern or rustic styles. Have it placed in a wall or in the center of a room where you can walk all the way around it. You can also choose what's on the inside, such as realistic-looking logs, fireglass or lava rock.

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Add Value to Your Home

Not only is a gas fireplace good for your style and comfort, but it can also be good for your wallet. Research has shown that adding any type of fireplace to a home can increase its resale value up to 12 percent. So, if you know you're going to sell your home down the road, consider it a worthy investment.

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