Should I leave the pilot light on at a cabin that's empty for weeks at a time?

Off in the off-season, on when it earns its keep

A standing pilot sips a small but steady amount of gas. Over six empty weeks at an unoccupied cabin, that adds up on a propane tank you're paying to keep filled — and there's no one there to notice if a draft blows it out. Turning it off in spring and relighting in fall is the traditional routine and there's nothing wrong with it.

The counterpoint: a lit pilot puts a little heat in the burner assembly, which helps keep the moisture and the spiders out. We see it every fall — spiders and dust move into the pilot orifices over a quiet summer and the thing won't light clean when you finally need it.

Electronic ignition makes the question mostly disappear

Most units we install now use electronic ignition — IntelliFire, Napoleon's battery-backup spark — so there's no standing pilot burning while you're away. It fires on demand when you flip the switch. That's genuinely the better setup for a seasonal cabin: nothing running unattended, and Napoleon's battery backup even lights when the grid is down, which after Helene is not a small thing.

Propane country and freeze protection

Cabins around Fairview, Candler, Brevard, Cashiers, and Lake Toxaway run on propane, and freezing pipes are the real off-season risk. A wall thermostat set around 50 on a direct-vent unit — or a Valor that needs no electricity at all — keeps the place above freezing between visits. If you'd rather shut everything down completely, drain the plumbing instead. Either way, get the fireplace serviced once a year, late summer or early fall. Call (828) 545-0525 and we'll set your cabin up for whichever plan fits.