Is it safe to relight the pilot myself, or should a professional do it?
In Arden, many homes in Royal Pines and Skyland have gas log sets sitting in open 1980s-90s masonry fireplaces — a standing pilot you can relight, but one exposed to every downdraft the open flue lets in. Relighting is safe homeowner work. If you've upgraded to a sealed insert, it may use electronic ignition with no pilot to relight at all. Either way, repairs are ours. Call (828) 545-0525.
Open fireplace or sealed insert
Arden's established neighborhoods were built with open masonry fireplaces, and a lot of them now hold a vented gas log set on a standing pilot. That open, damped flue is drafty by nature — it pulls heat out of the room and lets downdrafts snuff the pilot — which is why so many owners here convert to a sealed direct-vent insert. The insert fixes the draft and turns a decorative fireplace into a real heater, but it often comes with electronic ignition, so there's simply no standing pilot to relight afterward. Knowing which you have tells you whether relighting even applies.
Where homeowner stops
On a standing-pilot log set, relighting by the printed label is yours. The valve, the sensor, and any orifice cleaning are licensed gas work in Buncombe County, and we hold that license — the same crew that could convert that tired open firebox to a sealed insert. Stop and call rather than relight if you smell gas (out of the house first) or if the pilot won't hold after a try or two. We're 15 minutes south, close to our Emma Road shop.
From tired firebox to real heater
If your open-masonry gas logs feel more like decoration than heat, that's the honest truth of an open flue — most of the warmth goes up the chimney. Converting to a sealed insert fixes the draft that keeps snuffing the pilot and turns the fireplace into something that actually heats the room, backed by the manufacturer's warranty and our workmanship guarantee. See the inserts at our Emma Road showroom or call (828) 545-0525.
Fireplace help in Arden
We install and service fireplaces throughout Arden and the rest of Buncombe County — just 15 minutes south from our Asheville-area showroom.
Related questions
- How do I light the pilot light on my gas fireplace?
- How long should I wait before trying again if the pilot doesn't catch on the first try?
- How do I completely shut off the gas to my fireplace, and where is the shutoff valve?
- I rent my home — is it OK for me to light the pilot and use the gas fireplace myself, or should I go through my landlord?
- 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?