How do I completely shut off the gas to my fireplace, and where is the shutoff valve?
Turn the fireplace's control knob or valve to OFF first, then close the manual shutoff valve on the gas supply line — usually a small lever within a few feet of the unit, often behind the lower louver, in an access panel, or in the floor or wall nearby. A quarter-turn so the handle sits crosswise to the pipe means fully closed.
Two levels of "off"
For everyday off, the appliance control — your wall switch, remote, or the knob turned to OFF — stops the burner, and on a standing-pilot unit turning the knob past PILOT to OFF also drops the pilot. For a true gas shutoff, you want the manual valve on the supply pipe feeding the fireplace. It isolates the appliance completely while leaving the rest of the house's gas on. That's the one you close before any service, before a long trip, or any time you want the fuel truly cut.
Where to look for the valve
On most of our installs the appliance shutoff is a straight-handled quarter-turn valve on the black-iron or CSST line right where it enters the firebox — reach it behind the lower louver or through the access panel. On older Asheville homes with a decorative gas log set, it's often a key valve: a socket in the floor or wall a few feet from the hearth that a removable key turns. Handle in line with the pipe means open; handle crosswise means closed. If your setup has a floor key valve, keep that key somewhere you'll remember.
If you smell gas, don't hunt for the valve
Rotten-egg odor is a different situation from a routine shutoff. If you smell gas, leave the house, and from outside or a neighbor's, call your gas or propane supplier and then us — don't flip switches or go searching. For normal shutoffs, if the valve won't budge, is painted over, or you can't locate it, don't force anything: call (828) 545-0525 and we'll walk you through it or come out. Whole-home shutoff at the meter or propane tank is the last resort, and we or your supplier should reset and relight afterward.
Related questions
- How do I turn on my gas fireplace?
- How do I turn the pilot light off completely?
- How do I turn on a gas fireplace with a key valve, and which way do I turn the key?
- Is it bad for a gas fireplace to be turned on and off a lot?
- Should I leave my gas fireplace pilot light on all summer or turn it off?
- How do I light the pilot light on my gas fireplace?
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