How do I check that my fireplace is safe to use before the first fire of the season?
Fletcher sits right on the natural-gas main, and most homes here have a 1990s builder-grade direct-vent gas fireplace, so the pre-season check is short and specific: clear the outside vent termination, confirm the glass gasket is snug, and watch the first burn for a crisp pilot and steady flame. Push both alarm test buttons before you settle in.
Builder-grade gas, on the main
Fletcher sits right on the Asheville-Hendersonville natural-gas main, and most homes in the 1990s subdivisions off Howard Gap, Cane Creek, and Fanning Bridge have a practical builder-grade direct-vent gas fireplace that's now run two or three decades. They're reliable, but the pilot assembly and burner orifices still collect dust and the odd spider over the off-season, so the first light can smell dusty as it burns off; that part is normal. A gas smell or fresh soot on the glass is not; either one, shut it down and call. Thirty-year-old units also start showing worn gaskets and tired igniters worth a look. Outside, clear the sidewall or roof termination of the wasp mud and leaves a Henderson County summer packs in.
Connected right, inspected right
Being on the gas main is a convenience, but the connection is still licensed work: a showroom or a handyman legally can't run or extend a gas line in North Carolina, and we permit and pressure-test every line we run. If you're adding a second fireplace or a fire pit as new I-26-corridor construction fills in around you, we pull the Henderson County permit and meet the inspector so it's on record for your home sale and insurance. The annual inspection reads draft under fire and CO at the vent, the part no walk-around reaches. Fletcher is about 20 minutes south of our Emma Road showroom. Call (828) 545-0525.
Fireplace help in Fletcher
We install and service fireplaces throughout Fletcher and the rest of Henderson County — just 20 minutes south from our Asheville-area showroom.
Related questions
- Does a gas fireplace need an annual safety inspection?
- How often should a chimney be swept to prevent a chimney fire?
- Is a bird's nest or animal in the chimney a fire or carbon monoxide hazard?
- Is a fireplace that hasn't been used in years safe to start using again?
- Why is my carbon monoxide detector going off when my fireplace is running?