{"id":1914,"date":"2017-11-30T10:53:07","date_gmt":"2017-11-30T10:53:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.realflame.co.uk\/blog\/?p=1914"},"modified":"2018-03-21T15:47:03","modified_gmt":"2018-03-21T15:47:03","slug":"essential-fire-maintenance-to-do-list-ahead-of-winter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.realflame.co.uk\/blog\/essential-fire-maintenance-to-do-list-ahead-of-winter\/","title":{"rendered":"Essential Fire Maintenance To-Do List Ahead of Winter"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Winter is just around the corner and, with temperatures dropping more and more, ensuring that your fire will be ready for the upcoming season is crucial. Regular maintenance is recommended and should never be underestimated, seeing as there are many advantages to keeping your fire working properly throughout the year.<!--more--><\/p>\n<p><img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1915\" src=\"https:\/\/www.realflame.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/1470051239-4632.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"373\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.realflame.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/1470051239-4632.png 790w, https:\/\/www.realflame.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/1470051239-4632-300x186.png 300w, https:\/\/www.realflame.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/1470051239-4632-768x477.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Your fireplace or fire needs to be ready to warm up your home when the cold really hits, so it\u2019s essential that you keep it in tip-top condition at all times. Take a look at our maintenance to-do list you should do ahead of winter:<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Check for Damages<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>First of all, you want to be sure that there is nothing visibly wrong with your fire or fireplace. Check for cracks, loose materials, and deterioration; should you find anything, ensure that the issue is dealt with immediately. The longer you wait, the worse it can get, which can not only turn out costlier but also prevent you from using the fire come winter.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re unsure what to look for or prefer the peace of mind that comes from knowing a professional will know what to look for, hire someone who can help you investigate the status of the fire!<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Clean the Fire<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>If you have a chimney, always clean it (or hire someone to clean it) before starting to use it again. This can help you to remove possibly dangerous materials, such as soot and debris. You should also clean any ash as soon as it hits the bottom of the grate, so as not to accumulate and push dust into your home.<\/p>\n<p><img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1916\" src=\"https:\/\/www.realflame.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/1471353123-4008_2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"328\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.realflame.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/1471353123-4008_2.jpg 870w, https:\/\/www.realflame.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/1471353123-4008_2-300x164.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.realflame.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/1471353123-4008_2-768x419.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Conduct a Fire Inspection<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Regular maintenance also means professional inspection before starting to use the fire again. After all, there might be something not quite right with your fire that you may not notice. A professional will be able to spot any potential issues within the fireplace or fire and fix them for you, which can also contribute to the health and safety of your home.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Keep a Clear Space<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>While this doesn\u2019t pertain to the fire itself, if you have a traditional fireplace, you should always keep combustible materials away from the fire. This can be anything from carpets to furniture. A guard, such as a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.realflame.co.uk\/fret-fronts-for-gas-fires\" target=\"_blank\">fret front<\/a> or a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.realflame.co.uk\/firegrates\" target=\"_blank\">firegrate<\/a>, can help keep children and pets away and help to prevent contact with combustible items.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Check Your Alarms<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>This is also a crucial step you should do ahead of winter. Replace any batteries in your smoke or carbon monoxide detectors, and test them to ensure they are functioning as they should and will work if needed.<\/p>\n<p><img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1917\" src=\"https:\/\/www.realflame.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/1470911824-4069_3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.realflame.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/1470911824-4069_3.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.realflame.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/1470911824-4069_3-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.realflame.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/1470911824-4069_3-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Making sure your fire or fireplace is ready to be used this upcoming winter is essential. For this reason, always make sure to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.realflame.co.uk\/blog\/is-now-the-perfect-time-for-a-fire-service\/\" target=\"_blank\">keep it serviced<\/a> on a regular basis and to perform these key points ahead of time. We strive to ensure your fire will always keep you warm, so we\u2019re always on hand to answer any questions you may have related to it; please don\u2019t hesitate to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.realflame.co.uk\/contact-us\" target=\"_blank\">contact us<\/a> today to learn more about our services and products.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Winter is just around the corner and, with temperatures dropping more and more, ensuring that your fire will be ready for the upcoming season is crucial. Regular maintenance is recommended and should never be underestimated, seeing as there are many &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.realflame.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1914"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.realflame.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.realflame.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.realflame.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.realflame.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1914"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.realflame.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1914\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1918,"href":"https:\/\/www.realflame.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1914\/revisions\/1918"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.realflame.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1914"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.realflame.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1914"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.realflame.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1914"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}