Preparing for Winter

It's time to clean the inside of the gas fireplace glass window and light the pilot again. We're enjoying a beautiful Indian summer, but when we get back from our vacation it could be a lot cooler, and I thought we might be glad of the quick warmth of the fireplace. Our main heat source is a radiant floor system -- hot water flowing through pipes in the floor. It gives a very uniform heat with no draughts, but takes a long time to warm up the first time it's turned on.

The strange patterns on the glass are condensation, which evaporates a few minutes after the fireplace has been turned on.