Gas Insert Cleaning in San Jose: Why You Should Trust the Pros

Aug 5, 2025

Gas Insert Cleaning in San Jose: Why You Should Trust the Pros

Gas Insert Cleaning in San Jose: Why You Should Trust the Pros

When most homeowners think about fireplace maintenance, they often picture wood-burning fireplaces. However, if you have a gas insert, you might believe it requires no maintenance since it burns cleaner and creates less mess. The reality is that gas inserts still need regular cleaning and inspections to remain safe and efficient.

At Chimney Clean Company, we have served families with gas insert cleaning in San Jose, Redwood City, and San Mateo for over 35 years. Throughout the years, we’ve encountered many homeowners who attempted to clean their inserts themselves, only to call us later when something went wrong. Here’s a look at the professional steps involved in cleaning a gas insert and why it’s best to leave it to the experts.

 

Step 1: Shutting Everything Down Safely

Before starting the cleaning process, the gas supply and pilot light must be completely turned off. It seems straightforward, but errors can be expensive. 

For example, one Redwood City homeowner tried to open the glass panel while the insert was still warm, resulting in a cracked glass panel that cost several hundred dollars to replace. 

Why professionals matter: We know how to shut down the system correctly, preventing damage or gas leaks.

 

Step 2: Removing and Cleaning the Glass

Gas inserts have a heavy glass panel that traps heat. Over time, this glass can develop a white film from combustion byproducts. Our technicians carefully remove the panel and use special cleaners designed for high-heat surfaces. We also examine the gasket around the glass since even a small leak can reduce your system’s efficiency. 

DIY risk: Many homeowners opt for regular window cleaner, which can etch the glass and leave permanent marks.

 

Step 3: Cleaning the Logs and Burner

Gas inserts typically feature ceramic logs or stones that imitate real wood. These can gather dust, lint, and even spider webs, which can block the burner ports. 

For example, a San Jose customer called us when their flame appeared orange and uneven. The issue was blocked burner ports due to lint. After a thorough cleaning, the flame was strong and blue once more. 

Why this matters: Logs must be returned to their original positions. Moving them incorrectly can change the gas-burning pattern, leading to soot buildup or carbon monoxide concerns.

 

Step 4: Checking the Venting System

Even gas appliances emit some byproducts. Vents can corrode, collect debris, or become blocked. We check the entire venting system during every cleaning. 

Homeowner perspective: Without proper tools, you can’t see what’s going on inside your vent pipe. What appears fine from the outside may be hiding serious hazards.

 

Step 5: Final Safety Inspection

The final step ensures your insert is safe to use:

– Testing the ignition system

– Inspecting the gas line and connections

– Checking airflow and carbon monoxide safety

– Verifying that everything vents properly outdoors

This step provides our customers with peace of mind, knowing the job is done completely and safely.

 

Should You DIY or Call the Pros?

Here’s the reality: you could try to clean your gas insert on your own, but you’ll likely miss crucial steps that help keep your home safe. 

DIY risks: Damaging ceramic logs, breaking glass panels, and overlooking hidden vent problems. Dealing with spiders, cobwebs and insect nests.  Wrong tools for cleaning gas lines (a common place that insects like to crawl into and sometimes spiders lay their eggs in gas lines).

Professional advantage: A full cleaning along with a safety inspection helps prevent future issues and extends the life of your insert.

Many customers in San Jose have said, “We tried it once, but we’ll never do it ourselves again.”

 

Final Thoughts

Your gas insert is an efficient and comfortable way to heat your home, but it requires maintenance. Regular cleaning ensures safety, improves efficiency, and increases its lifespan. 

At Chimney Clean Company, we specialize in gas insert cleaning in San Jose and the Bay Area. With over 35 years of experience, we’ve handled it all and know how to do the job right. 

Call us today at (408) 265-1010 to schedule your gas insert cleaning. We serve San Jose, Redwood City, and San Mateo with trusted, professional chimney and gas insert services.

We clean your chimney before it becomes a danger to your home

Call Now!

Smoking back

There are many fireplaces that seem to smoke back into the house no matter what is done. In our experience, the most common cause is that the fireplace simply needs to be cleaned. This is especially likely if the fireplace has gotten worse over time, that is, the smoking back is worse now than it used to be.

Several other possible causes of smoking back are problems with the damper, chimney cap, grate, firewood, or structural problems with the chimney itself. At Chimney Clean Company, we do a full inspection with every cleaning, or we can also do just the inspection if the chimney doesn’t need to be cleaned. This inspection is designed to reveal any causes of smoking back.

Broken chimneys

In the Bay Area, many chimneys were broken in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Usually, these chimneys are broken at or near the roof line, although sometimes they can be broken further down, even at the ground level.

We are fully licensed masonry contractors. We rebuild broken chimneys. If they are broken at the roof line, this usually entails taking the chimney part of the way down brick by brick, installing steel reinforcing bars, getting an inspection from a city inspector, then rebuilding the chimney back up around the steel rebar.

Missing mortar or damaged bricks

Over time, many chimneys develop places that are missing mortar between bricks, or damaged bricks, either inside the firebox or on the outside of the chimney. These areas can usually be repaired, either by replacing the missing mortar or replacing the bricks themselves. Items such as these can be dangerous because they can allow flames, sparks or hot gases to enter the structure of the house.

Water entry

Sometimes the metal that seals the chimney at the roof, called “flashing”, will come loose or develop leaks. In this case, water sometimes comes into the ceiling of the room and causes water spots and stains on the sheet rock. This flashing should be repaired before the water causes more damage.