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What is a Zero Clearance Fireplace?

What is a Zero Clearance Fireplace?

Your newly remodeled family room would be just perfect if only you had a fireplace as a focal point.  Or tops on your wish list for your newly built home is an efficient gas fireplace. 

What you may be shopping for is known as a ‘zero clearance’ gas fireplace.

Zero Clearance refers to the fireplace needing little or no space between the fireplace and the combustible building materials surrounding it.  These models are built specifically to suit those conditions. 

Otherwise you’d have to go through ...

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Refrigerator Rebates

Refrigerator Rebates

Energy efficiency is the name of the day. So make money and get a refrigerator rebate or two by switching out your old fridge or freezer.  The Energy Trust of Oregon will pay you a $40 rebate for hauling out that old gear – and they’ll even take it away to be recycled

As for buying your new refrigerator, the Energy Trust will also give you $100 for models that are 30% more efficient than federal standards.  Yes, Oregon’s Energy Star program is ...

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Interested in getting natural gas service?

Interested in getting natural gas service?

If you don’t currently have natural gas service in your home and are thinking about acquiring service, we are a good place to start.

  The NW Natural Appliance Center can show you some great cooking and heating options for your home.  We’ll explain the new service procedure then get you matched up with a NW Natural New Service Representative who will guide you through the process. 

Using gas as a primary fuel saves you a bundle in energy dollars.  With a traditional gas ...

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Cooking with Gas

Cooking with Gas

Come on, you know you wanna….Ever thought about all those restaurant chefs busy tossing, flipping, stirring over those big beefy restaurant burners?  It’s the control that cooking with gas gives them – hot is hot, off is off….and all the temperatures in between.

While you may not want the hassle of trying to install a true restaurant range in your kitchen (can you say structure reinforcement, completely non-combustible walls and surfaces, massive venting?) many of today’s gas ranges come pretty close ...

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Electronic Ignition vs Standing Pilot Light

Electronic Ignition vs Standing Pilot Light

So which is better?  Does it make a difference in how my fireplace operates - and can I still use it in a power outage?

Gas fireplaces have traditionally used a standing pilot light to ignite the flames.  Because that system does not use external electricity, the fireplace works if the power goes out.

Newer generations of gas fireplaces use an electronic ignition system, requiring electricity to start up. 

In the event of a power outage, though, these fireplaces will work on battery back-up so ...

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Gas logs or a gas insert?

Gas logs or a gas insert?

There’s more than one type of appliance you can use to convert your woodburning fireplace to gas. So how do you know which one would be best for your home?

Gas logs reserve the open look of your fireplace and usually provide big, beautiful flames. They’re perfect for an occasional fire. 

  In most cases, they’re match lit, although there are remote controls which would mean you’d have a standing pilot light so you can ignite the logs with either a special wall switch or ...

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Regarding Ratta-tat-tat noises from your fireplace this time of year

Regarding Ratta-tat-tat noises from your fireplace this time of year

I can usually hear the panic in the caller’s voice.  “It came out of nowhere and my fireplace isn’t even on!  And then it happened again a few minutes later!  You’ve got to get out here right away!!”

I ask (after looking at the calendar):  “Does it sound like ‘ddrrrrtttt-ddrrrrrtttt’ and can happen every other day or so, or several times in a row?”

“Yes, yes!  What’s wrong with my fireplace?!”

Welcome to springtime, gentle readers, when love is in the air –  ...

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My natural gas barbecue won’t light!

My natural gas barbecue won’t light!

Barbecues aren’t terribly complicated so I know how frustrating it can be when you go out to use the grill for the first time of the season – and you push the ignitor, hear the click – and then, nothing.

It’s likely the fault of a mercaptan-loving spider. Mercaptan is the element that’s added to natural gas to make it smell like rotten eggs.

Tiny spiders are drawn to the scent of the stinky stuff and just love the close confines of ...

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