What to Do if Your Gas Fireplace Smells Musty

Knowing how to deal with various fireplace odors in an emergency or everyday conditions is necessary knowledge for any homeowner.

The same holds true for knowing how to maintain and clean fireplaces. Although a gas fireplace is well known for its cleanliness, the ability to generate no mess, ash, and wood debris, proper care and maintenance is still required.

The smelling of musty odor from a gas fireplace may include the following reasons:

Moisture Build-Up

A distinctive “musty” odor from your gas fireplace may be a sign of moisture build-up, mold or alarmingly a gas leak.  You may want to check the humidity levels of the gas fireplace. It is regularly slightly above 50% in most states, and during rainy conditions can range anywhere from 75% to 90% humidity. If humidity is a problem, there seems to be a lack of cool dry air flowing through the chimney.

Whether you have a traditional or gas fireplace, the build-up can emit a lot of unpleasant smells. Ideally, you may want to try to open a few windows to get some fresh air into the building.

What to do if Musty Smells is Caused by a Gas Leak

If you have a situation where there is a gas leak in the gas fireplace, then you should do the following:

  • Ventilate the area by opening all the doors and windows.
  • Blow out any candles or pilot lights that may be lit around the home.
  • Turn off any electrical devices or appliances (phones, blenders, etc).
  • Do not start your car or any vehicles.
  • Vacate premises, if the smell overwhelms the entire house.
  • Call for help.

Remove Mold from Gas Fireplace

On the other hand, the “musty” smell may also be caused by mold and mildew build-up. Mold can form in fireplaces due to the mixture of moisture, darkness, and lack of cool-dry air.

A musty mold and mildew smell is one of the most headstrong smells to get rid of in your home. It is recommended that you call a chimney sweeper professionals to help if you have a mold build-up. The musty smell will persist, as long as the moisture remains embedded in the fireplace.

To routinely care for your gas fireplace, we recommend maintenance by a qualified technician every 8 to 12 months.

What to do if Mold is on the Outside of the Gas Fireplace Glass

As a homeowner, there are a few things that you can do if you notice that there is mold on the glass of the gas fireplace.

Things You’ll Need:

Directions:

  1. Turn off and allow the fireplace to cool down completely. DO NOT CLEAN WHILE HOT.
  2. Mix borax, warm water, dish soap and glass cleaner in a spray bottle.
  3. Spray solution and handle glass with care by wiping gently. Be sure to not scrub the glass too hard to prevent scratching.

With proper care and maintenance, your gas fireplace will have a long life-span and give you years of problem-free service.