Is it safe to relight the pilot myself, or should a professional do it?
In Mills River, a lot of homes on these large rural lots run on propane — and out here the most common reason you'll relight is a tank that ran empty. After a refill, air gets into the line and the pilot may take several tries to catch and hold. That relight is normal homeowner operation. What's behind it, if it still won't run, is our licensed work.
The empty-tank relight
When a propane tank runs dry and then gets filled, the line has to purge the air before gas flows steadily to the pilot — so the first relight after a delivery often sputters before it settles, and that's expected. Give it a few honest attempts following the unit's lighting label. If the pilot still won't hold once fuel is clearly reaching the rest of the house, the trouble has moved past the tank and into the fireplace — a weak thermocouple or a fouled pilot — and that's a service call, not more relight attempts.
Safe to light, licensed to fix
Relighting is yours; the valve, the sensor, and the orifice are ours. In North Carolina, connecting and servicing that propane system is licensed gas work — the tank is coordinated with your propane supplier, but the appliance side, the regulator, and the piping are ours. Because propane is heavier than air, a leak settles low, so if you smell it, get out and call from outside rather than hunting for the source. Mills River's open valley is also prime outdoor-living country — if you're eyeing a gas fire pit before entertaining season, plan it for late spring. And heading into winter, top off the tank early: an empty tank in a cold snap means a relight when you least want one, sometimes a stubborn one while air clears the line. Pair that with an annual late-summer tune-up — a clean pilot before you depend on it — and the whole season stays quiet. We're 25 minutes south in Henderson County; (828) 545-0525.
Fireplace help in Mills River
We install and service fireplaces throughout Mills River and the rest of Henderson County — just 25 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?