This document is a homeowner's manual for the Boulevard Contemporary Linear Vent-Free Gas Fireplace Models VFLB(60,72)FP90(N,P)-1, manufactured by Empire Comfort Systems. The manual provides essential information for the safe operation, maintenance, and troubleshooting of these fireplaces.
Function Description
The Boulevard Contemporary Linear Vent-Free Gas Fireplace is designed to provide warmth and aesthetic appeal to any home. Manufactured by Empire Comfort Systems, a company with a long history of producing heating systems since 1932, these fireplaces utilize proven technologies combined with artistic design. As vent-free units, they do not require a chimney or vent pipe, making installation more flexible. The fireplace operates on gas and is not intended for use with solid fuels. It features a main burner and a pilot light, controlled by either a manual on/off switch or a handheld remote control. The unit also incorporates LED lighting for decorative purposes, with adjustable brightness and multiple color modes to enhance the ambiance. Safety is a primary concern, with the inclusion of an Oxygen Depletion Sensor (ODS) pilot system, which is designed to shut off the gas supply if oxygen levels in the room fall below a safe threshold.
Usage Features
The fireplace offers several user-friendly features for operation and customization:
- Lighting Instructions: The manual provides clear, step-by-step instructions for lighting the pilot and main burner. It emphasizes safety precautions, such as checking for gas leaks before lighting and ensuring proper ventilation during initial operation. The pilot can be lit manually or via the remote receiver switch.
- Remote Control Operation: A key feature is the Proflame Transmitter, a handheld remote control with an LCD display. This remote allows users to:
- Turn On/Off: Easily switch the fireplace main burner on or off.
- Flame Control: Adjust the flame height through six different levels using up and down arrow buttons. Pressing the up arrow button will increase the flame height, while the down arrow button will reduce it, eventually turning the flame off.
- Thermostat Operation: The remote can function as a room thermostat. Users can set a desired temperature, and the fireplace will operate to maintain that comfort level.
- Smart Thermostat Function: This advanced feature automatically adjusts the flame height based on the difference between the set point temperature and the actual room temperature. As the room temperature approaches the set point, the flame will modulate down, optimizing comfort and potentially saving energy.
- Temperature Indication Display: The remote's LCD can display the room temperature in either Fahrenheit or Celsius.
- Button Lock: A button lock function is available to prevent unsupervised operation, which is particularly useful in households with children.
- Low Power Battery Indicator: The remote control provides a visual alert on its LCD display when its batteries are low, prompting replacement.
- LED Lighting System: The fireplace includes an LED lighting system with a dedicated LED Brightness Button and LED Mode Button on the wall control.
- Brightness Adjustment: The LED Brightness Button allows users to cycle through High, Medium, Low, and Off settings for the LED lights.
- Mode Selection: The LED Mode Button enables users to switch between various automatic color change cycles (Rapid, Gradual, Pause Auto-cycle) and individual static colors (Deep Blue, Royal Violet, Cardinal Red, Sea Green, Forest Green, Tranquil Blue, White). The system remembers the last selected mode when turned on again, except after a power failure, which requires a reset.
- Decorative Options: The fireplace is designed to accommodate decorative crushed glass and other media. The manual specifies the use of clear, copper reflective, or bronze reflective glass for optimal visibility of the lighting system, with options to add small quantities of other colors as accents. It also allows for accent glass droplets, ceramic fiber logs, rocks, and pebbles, provided they are sourced from Empire Comfort Systems and do not exceed recommended amounts or restrict airflow.
- Barrier Screen Assembly: The fireplace includes a barrier screen assembly, which can be easily removed for servicing and replaced by lining up tabs with slots and locking it in place.
Maintenance Features
Regular maintenance is crucial for the safe and efficient operation of the Boulevard fireplace. The manual outlines several maintenance tasks:
- Annual Inspection and Cleaning: It is recommended that a qualified service technician perform an annual inspection and cleaning at the beginning of each heating season to prevent malfunctions.
- Periodic Cleaning (Homeowner Tasks):
- Glass Cleaning: The glass panel should be cleaned with ammonia-free fireplace glass cleaner when cool. Ammonia-based or abrasive cleaners should be avoided as they can etch or discolor the glass when heated.
- Burner Area Cleaning: Loose particles and dust should be removed from the burner, controls, and air shutter using a vacuum or brush.
- Air Intake Hole Inspection: The burner air intake hole should be inspected and cleaned to prevent sooting and poor combustion.
- Combustible Material Clearance: The fireplace area must be kept clear and free from combustible materials, gasoline, and other flammable vapors and liquids.
- Annual Cleaning/Inspection (Technician Tasks):
- Burner Port Inspection: All burner ports should be inspected and cleaned.
- ODS Pilot Inspection: The Oxygen Depletion Sensor pilot should be inspected for proper operation and accumulation of lint at its air intake holes.
- Flame Pattern Verification: The flame pattern should be verified for proper operation.
- Ignition Verification: Smooth and responsive ignition of the main burner should be verified.
- Pilot Maintenance and Cleaning: If the ODS pilot exhibits a large yellow tip flame, it indicates a need for cleaning. Users can use canned air to blow through hole A (referencing a diagram in the manual) to remove dust, lint, and spider webs. The manual explicitly warns against using needles, wires, or similar cylindrical objects to clean the pilot to avoid damaging the calibrated ruby. If the intermittent pilot fireplace stops working, the flame sensor (B) should be cleaned with a damp cloth, and if the ignitor (C) does not spark, it should also be cleaned.
- Control Compartment and Burner Maintenance: The control compartment and burner area should be vacuumed or brushed at least twice a year to keep them clean.
- Battery Replacement:
- Remote Control Transmitter: When the low power battery icon appears on the LCD, the 3 AAA batteries in the transmitter should be replaced.
- Receiver: If the receiver batteries are low (indicated by the absence of a beep when receiving an ON/OFF command), the 4 AA batteries in the receiver (located behind the wall plate) should be replaced.
- Manual Bypass of Remote System: In case of dead receiver or transmitter batteries, the fireplace can still be operated manually by sliding the three-position slider switch on the wall control to the ON position, bypassing the remote control feature.
- Glass Panel Replacement: Only glass approved by the manufacturer should be used for replacement, and this task must be performed by a licensed or qualified service person.
- No Embers or Lava Rocks: The manual explicitly states not to place embers (rock wool) or lava rocks in this fireplace.
- Water Damage: If any part of the fireplace has been under water, it should not be used. A qualified service technician must inspect the fireplace and replace any affected parts of the control system and gas control.
The manual also includes a section on "Television Considerations," advising caution when installing a television above the fireplace due to heat and recommending adherence to the TV manufacturer's installation instructions. It also notes that steel appliances may make expansion and contraction noises during start-up or cool-down cycles, and that initial operation may produce smoke and smells as oils, films, or bonding agents burn off, which is normal and requires ventilation.
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