Is it safe to relight the pilot myself, or should a professional do it?
In Candler, most of the outlying properties toward Hominy Valley and Pisgah Highway run on propane, where relighting a standing pilot yourself is routine, safe homeowner operation. Natural gas has reached some of the newer Enka-Candler subdivisions, and those builder-grade fireboxes often use electronic ignition — nothing to relight by hand. Once either needs a repair, that's our licensed work. Call (828) 545-0525.
Propane country, with new gas at the edges
Candler is mostly propane country — the wooded, spread-out properties toward Pisgah Highway and the reaches of Hominy Valley lean on it, and those homes typically run standing-pilot fireplaces you can relight yourself by the label. Where the town is growing fast around Enka, natural gas has reached some of the newer subdivisions, and their basic decorative fireboxes often carry electronic ignition — the pilot sparks only when you call for heat, so there's nothing burning to relight. The bowl-shaped valley traps air here, which is one reason owners favor clean-burning sealed appliances, and clean combustion starts with a healthy pilot.
The repair line
Relighting a standing pilot is homeowner operation, propane or gas. The mechanical side — valve, thermocouple, ignition module, clogged orifice — is licensed gas work, ours as the licensed contractor in Buncombe County. Because propane settles low if it leaks, a gas smell on a rural Candler property means get everyone out and call from outside. A pilot that won't hold, or burns yellow instead of blue, has moved past relighting into service. We're 15 minutes west.
Clean burning starts at the pilot
In Hominy Valley's natural bowl, air quality is a real consideration, and a healthy blue pilot and burner are part of clean combustion — a yellow, sooty flame is both a performance problem and an air one. An annual service keeps the burn clean whether you're on propane or the newer gas main. Book it in late summer, before the fast-growing neighborhoods all light up. Call (828) 545-0525 or request a free assessment.
Fireplace help in Candler
We install and service fireplaces throughout Candler and the rest of Buncombe County — just 15 minutes west 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?