Is it safe to relight the pilot myself, or should a professional do it?
In Fairview, this is propane-and-wood country — large wooded lots, many homes on propane, and plenty burning wood. On a propane standing-pilot fireplace, relighting yourself is normal, safe operation. A wood stove, of course, has no pilot at all. Where it stops being a homeowner job is any actual repair to the gas side — that's our licensed work. Call (828) 545-0525 if a propane pilot won't hold.
Propane pilots, wood fires
Fairview's big wooded lots out along Cane Creek and Garren Creek put most homes on propane or on wood heat, and the two behave nothing alike when it comes to lighting. A propane gas fireplace with a standing pilot is yours to relight by the label — routine seasonal operation. A wood stove has no pilot to relight; you simply build a fire, though the flip side is the creosote it leaves, the leading cause of chimney fires here without a fall sweep. If you run propane and the pilot won't hold after a couple of tries, the trouble is in the fireplace, not your technique.
Lighting is yours, gas is ours
Relighting a propane standing pilot is homeowner operation; the valve, the thermocouple, and any orifice cleaning are licensed gas work, and we're the contractor licensed to do it in Buncombe County. Propane is heavier than air, so a leak on a wooded Fairview property settles low near the floor — if you smell it, get everyone out and call from outside rather than searching for the source. A yellow, sooty flame instead of crisp blue also means stop and call. We're 15 minutes east.
Wood owners, don't skip the sweep
If your Fairview heat is wood, the pilot question gives way to a different one: creosote. The Cane Creek and Garren Creek homes that burn all season need a fall chimney sweep, because that buildup is the leading cause of chimney fires here. Propane owners get the annual gas tune-up; wood owners get the sweep — either way, book it before the cold. Call (828) 545-0525 or request a free assessment.
Fireplace help in Fairview
We install and service fireplaces throughout Fairview and the rest of Buncombe County — just 15 minutes east 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?