Should I disconnect the propane tank from my fire pit for the winter?
For a fire pit running off a portable propane cylinder, yes — disconnect it, cap the valve, and store the tank upright outdoors, never in a garage, basement, or shed. For a fire pit hard-plumbed to a buried propane system or a home tank, don't touch the piping; just close the appliance shutoff valve. If you're not sure which you have, call us before you disconnect anything.
Portable cylinders: disconnect and store safely
If your pit feeds off a 20-pound (or similar) portable propane cylinder, taking it off for a long idle winter is good practice. It stops leaving pressurized fuel sitting on a corroding appliance, and it lets you store the tank properly: upright, valve closed and capped, outdoors and away from the house.
Never store it inside a garage, basement, crawlspace, or shed, where a slow leak could pool. Propane is heavier than air and settles, so enclosed storage is the real hazard — not the cold. The tank itself is fine outside all winter.
Hard-plumbed systems are ours, not yours
Plenty of our WNC pits — especially out in propane country like Fairview, Candler, and Brevard and up at the cabins — are hard-plumbed to a buried propane line off a permanent home tank. Those don't get 'disconnected.' You simply close the appliance shutoff valve for the season and leave everything else alone.
Loosening fittings, capping lines, or reworking that piping is licensed gas work in North Carolina, and it's ours — we permit and pressure-test every line we run. When in doubt, don't wrench on a gas connection.
Reconnecting in spring
However you shut it down, treat the first light of the season as a check. On a portable cylinder, reconnect it and check the connection for leaks with soapy water before you light — bubbles mean stop.
On a hard-plumbed system, reopening the shutoff and firing it is usually all it takes, but if it won't light, sparks without catching, or you smell gas, leave it off and call (828) 545-0525. A winter's moisture in the burner or igniter is the usual culprit, and we'll sort it fast.
Still deciding? Talk to a real installer.
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