Snowy nights are already just around the corner. Will your outdoor fire pits be ready?
How to winterize outdoor fire pits
Rain and snow inside your fire pit can make it difficult to light when you return to use it again. Keeping it clean and dry through winter are the most important ways to winterize.
- Remove debris from your fire pit so it doesn’t rust or clog up over winter.
- Cover your fire pit with a fitted weather-resistant cover. This keeps moisture and leaves out of your fire pit during winter. Choose a cover that fits the precise dimensions of your fire pit for best results
- Turn off gas to the feature and the power.
Return to your indoor fireplace: Got batteries?
Ready to bring your warm, cozy nights indoors?
In spring, you might have turned off the pilot light on your fireplace. Remember to turn it back on!
Or maybe, your heating control system needs a new set of batteries. Even if they still have charge, changing out batteries each year at the start of heating season is a good habit — that way, you don’t have to worry or think about it all winter.
Does your heating appliance have batteries?
If your gas stove or fireplace has a standing pilot (also called a “millivolt”), and it has a wireless thermostat or remote control, there are batteries in two places that now need to be changed.
If, on the other hand, your appliance has a wired thermostat, there are no batteries. If it’s not lighting, there’s a chance the wires might have been chewed up by a mouse or a vacuum.
Finally, if you have an electronic or intermittent ignition appliance, there are batteries in the remote that need to be changed.
How to change batteries in your heating appliance
The device that has the up-down button for temperature is called the remote or transmitter — and it transmits the air temperature to another device called the receiver.
The receiver is wired to the appliance gas valve, so it’s located where the pilot knob and gas valve are — usually underneath the unit.
It can have a 3-position switch:
- Set to ON, the appliance will operate until you reach in there and turn it to OFF.
- Set to REMOTE, the appliance will automatically operate to meet the set point of the remote/transmitter (or thermostat). Note: Sometimes after changing batteries you must re-sync the system by setting the switch to REMOTE, bring the remote close to this black box, and use a sharp point like a pen to press in the LEARN button, which is recessed. You should hear a beep.
- Set to OFF, the appliance will operate until you reach in and turn it to ON.
If you always have to light a pilot light at the beginning of the heating season, and it stays on all the time, there’s a good chance you have another box in the system with a set of batteries.
If you’re preparing your indoor fireplace for winter and don’t feel like doing it yourself, it’s a great time to have your unit cleaned and inspected!