On Leicester's rural properties, gas pits usually run propane and some homes have limited electrical capacity, so winterizing means minding both the tank and the ignition. Disconnect a portable cylinder and stand it upright outside, dry the burner and media, protect the igniter or battery module, and cover it. On a hard-plumbed line, close the appliance valve and leave the piping to us.
Propane and off-grid realities
Leicester's big rural lots out around Sandy Mush, Turkey Creek and Newfound Road mostly run propane, and some remote properties have limited electrical capacity — which is why many pits here use a battery spark or standing-pilot ignition rather than a powered electronic module.
However yours lights, keep that ignition dry: on a battery igniter, it's worth checking or pulling the batteries so a corroded or leaking cell doesn't ruin the module over a wet winter.
Cold-air drainage runs the valleys
On clear winter nights, cold air drains down Leicester's rural valleys and runs them 5 to 8 degrees colder than Asheville, so freeze hits harder and earlier out here. That gives water trapped in a burner pan more of the season to freeze, expand and rust.
Get the pit clean, drained and bone-dry before the cold sets in, and cover it breathable so condensation escapes.
The propane side is ours
Disconnect and cap a portable cylinder and store it upright outdoors; a buried-tank pit just needs its appliance shutoff closed, with the regulator and piping left to us — licensed work we permit with Buncombe County and pressure-test. We're 15 minutes west for a spring relight. Call (828) 545-0525.
Fireplace help in Leicester
We install and service fireplaces throughout Leicester and the rest of Buncombe County — just 15 minutes west from our Asheville-area showroom.