Is it safe to relight the pilot myself, or should a professional do it?
In Clyde, the everyday enemy of a reliable pilot is moisture. River humidity in this stretch of the Pigeon valley corrodes dampers, flue liners, and pilot assemblies, and the dated 1960s-to-80s fireplaces common here feel it first. Relighting a standing pilot yourself is safe and normal. A pilot that keeps failing on a corroded old unit, though, is ours to service, not yours. Call (828) 545-0525.
Humidity is hard on hardware
Clyde shares the cold-air drainage and river dampness of neighboring Canton and Waynesville, and that steady moisture is rough on the older ranch-style fireplaces that fill these 1960s-to-80s neighborhoods. Damp air rusts the metal parts a pilot depends on — the thermocouple that proves the flame, the small orifice that feeds it — so a pilot that lights and then quietly dies is a common Haywood County complaint. Relighting by the label after an outage or a season off is ordinary. Repeated failures point to corrosion inside the assembly, and that's a cleaning or a part, not more relight attempts.
A good candidate for an upgrade
Many of these dated fireboxes are strong candidates for a sealed insert — a real, efficient heater that ends the drafty, moisture-exposed open-firebox problem. Whatever you run today, the law is the same: relighting is homeowner operation, but the valve and sensors are licensed gas work, ours as the licensed contractor. Smell gas, leave the house and call from outside; see a lazy yellow flame, stop.
Beat the damp with a fall check
Because river humidity is the culprit here, timing matters: a late-summer or early-fall service dries and cleans the pilot assembly, tests the thermocouple, and catches corrosion before the heating season leans on it. On the older ranch units especially, that yearly visit is what separates a reliable winter from a string of dead-pilot mornings on a corroded old assembly. Catch it early and most repairs are a single visit. We're 25 minutes west with common parts on the truck; request a free assessment or call (828) 545-0525.
Fireplace help in Clyde
We install and service fireplaces throughout Clyde and the rest of Haywood County — just 25 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?