Fireplaces, Heating Stoves, Flues and Chimneys - Cleaning ash from a Gas fireplace

I'm purchasing a house and while I was walking through it, I noticed that it had a Gas fireplace but there was ash in it.

I'm assuming the gas pipe has been clogged with ash and wanted to know what would be needed to bring the fireplace into 'working' condition.

Would a certified cleaner completely clean the fireplace? What can I do to reduce my costs and do it myself?

Thanks for reading.

Is it a gas fireplace insert or a wood burning fireplace with gas pipes used to start the fire? Normally you would not find ash in a fireplace insert.

Thanks for the reply czizzi.

I'm not sure if it is an insert or not. What would I look for to determine which one it is?

The house is a foreclosure and the previous owner is unavailable so we have limited information on the actual house. Any help would be appreciated!

A fireplace insert is one that is basically operated by a switch. They have ceramic fake logs in them and mimic a true wood fireplace. You walk up to the wall switch, flip it on and you have an instant fire.

Some wood burning fireplaces had a gas line run under the grates and utilize real wood to create a fire. The gas line is mostly to replace the need for starter logs, kindling and/or newspaper to start the fire. You light the gas and it starts the fire, when the fire starts and can sustain itself on its own, you turn the gas off.

If you purchase the home, have chimney cleaned and inspected as well as fireplace. You will find listings for local chimney pros in your area in the yellow pages.