Josh and I spend a good part of winter in front of our gas fireplace in the family room, warming our rear ends. A few years ago, Tarun gifted us with a fan in the fireplace and winters became a treat!
We eat, talk, text, and work while feeling the warmth from the fire. This season our fireplace started turning off whimsically. We called the repair guys and they said the next available appointment is in January. NEXT YEAR!
Now, I know not to whine about anything this year. 2020 is like Goddess Durga with ten hands, each with a different weapon.
Instead, I bundled up and watched YouTube videos about malfunctioning fireplaces, but I didn’t want to tempt fate by playing with a pilot flame and gas. This morning when Tarun pulled out the vacuum cleaner, we looked at each other and thought what’s the harm in cleaning the thing.
Armed with knowledge from YouTube on how to dismantle the front of the fireplace, we pulled out the grill on top and the bottom, removed the screen, and turned the levers to open the glass cover. Tarun handed me the vacuum cleaner hose and I sucked out the dust and cobwebs around the boxes, wires, and switches below the fireplace, reaching as far as I could. We abstained from puttering where the pilot flame hisses ominously.
After putting the glass, grills and mesh back in place, we flipped the switch and, voila! It turned on and stayed on...for hours!
Lesson learned - the vacuum cleaner is our best friend or sometimes dumb luck favors us?
Nope, not that...
Today is my Baba’s 95th birthday. This Pink Panther cartoon is what he would have drawn on toddler me while I slept - a perfect way to please his “fireplace bug”. I know he helped fix the fireplace and he is blessing us from his abode in the heavens.
You stay warm and happy too, Baba!
(Cartoon from the net.)