Do I need to relight the pilot after my propane tank runs empty or the gas is shut off for service, and is there air in the line to work through?
Yes on both, and in Swannanoa many of these relights are happening in rebuilt homes. After the storm damage this valley absorbed, a lot of gas was shut off during repairs — and yes, once it's restored the pilot has to be relit, with air in the line to purge first. If the system was worked on, verify it's sound before you light.
Reconnecting After the Rebuild
Swannanoa's recovery has put a lot of new fireplaces and stoves into rebuilt homes, and it's also meant gas shut off for stretches during renovation. When you bring a system back after work like that, relighting the pilot is the last step, not the first — the line should be verified and pressure-tested before service is restored. New installs will mostly be modern electronic-ignition units that light by switch and may fault a few cycles against the air; older Grovemont-area homes from the 1940s through '60s still run standing pilots you relight by hand.
A Damp Valley Is Hard on Pilots
The Swannanoa river valley pools cold air and holds fog and damp much of the year, and that moisture rusts dampers and corrodes pilot components over time. So on an older home, a pilot that won't hold after an interruption is as likely to be a corroded thermocouple as trapped air. Give the relight a fair number of tries as the line clears; if it still won't stay lit, stop forcing gas into the box and have it looked at.
Fifteen Minutes East, Fully Licensed
We're a licensed gas contractor 15 minutes east of our Asheville showroom, pulling the permit with Buncombe County — the right hands for a system that was disturbed during a rebuild. For any propane place that ran empty, the supplier's leak and pressure test comes first. Call (828) 545-0525.
Fireplace help in Swannanoa
We install and service fireplaces throughout Swannanoa and the rest of Buncombe County — just 15 minutes east from our Asheville-area showroom.
Related questions
- How do I light the pilot light on my gas fireplace?
- How long do I hold the pilot knob down when lighting it, and why won't it stay lit if I let go too soon?
- How long should I wait before trying again if the pilot doesn't catch on the first try?
- Is it safe to relight the pilot myself, or should a professional do it?
- How do I turn the pilot light off completely?