Do I need a bigger propane tank if I add a gas fireplace?
Black Mountain proper sits on natural gas, so most homes here add a fireplace as a branch off the main with no tank involved. The tank question really belongs to the propane homes up in Montreat's wooded coves — and even there, a fireplace's small draw rarely forces an upsize, though the valley's cold mornings make tank vaporization worth a look.
Downtown on the main, Montreat on tanks
In the town center, natural-gas service means a fireplace is just a permitted branch line — no propane tank to size. Head up into Montreat and the shaded Swannanoa Valley lots, though, and you're often on a stationary tank. Those homes already feeding a furnace from a 250- or 500-gallon tank absorb a fireplace's 20,000 to 40,000 BTU easily; it's the small cylinders and undersized tanks that get flagged for an upsize.
Cold-air pooling and propane
The valley's temperature inversions run Black Mountain and Montreat mornings 10 to 15 degrees colder than Asheville, and propane vaporizes more slowly the colder it gets. A tank that holds plenty of fuel can still struggle to boil it off fast enough on the coldest mornings if it's undersized — the flame frosts and dims. For a fireplace you'll run hard as backup heat, a larger tank's surface area is the fix, and your supplier sizes to your total household load.
Fifteen minutes east, one licensed crew
We're just 15 minutes from the showroom, so the assessment is easy: we confirm main versus tank, add up the load, pull the Buncombe County permit, and coordinate the tank with your propane company while we handle the licensed line and the appliance. They own the tank; we own everything that makes fire and heat. Call (828) 545-0525.
Fireplace help in Black Mountain
We install and service fireplaces throughout Black Mountain and the rest of Buncombe County — just 15 minutes east from our Asheville-area showroom.
Related questions
- What size propane tank do I need to run a gas fireplace?
- Can my fireplace share a propane tank with my furnace and water heater?
- Do I need to tell my propane company before adding a gas fireplace?
- Does my existing gas line have enough capacity to add a fireplace?
- How much does it cost to buy or lease a propane tank when adding a gas fireplace?