What do I need to do to get my gas fire pit running again after it sat unused all winter?
In Clyde, shared Pigeon Valley cold-air drainage and river humidity rust dampers and corrode fittings, and at over 2,600 feet the off-season is long. After a winter idle, dry and inspect the burner pan and connections for corrosion, gauge the propane, clear the spider-clogged ports and venturi, and check the hose before the first fire.
River humidity is corrosive
Clyde shares the cold-air drainage and river humidity that run through Canton and Waynesville, and that damp air rusts dampers and degrades masonry chimneys here as a matter of course. A fire pit's steel burner ring, orifices, and regulator corrode the same way when they sit uncovered through a wet winter. Dry the burner pan out, clear its drain holes, and inspect the metal for rust before you bring fuel into it. A regulator with corrosion inside is a replacement, not a wipe-down.
A long, cold off-season
At 2,612 feet with cold-air pooling, Clyde's heating season is long and a pit's idle stretch is longer, giving spiders extra time to pack the venturi and mice extra time to chew the hose. Brush the burner ports, blow out the venturi tube, and look over every inch of the flexible line. Haywood County runs a mix of natural gas and propane, so on the many tank-fed pits here, gauge the tank and re-spread the lava rock evenly.
25 minutes west, Haywood permit
We're 25 minutes west. A buried or hard-piped gas line is licensed work we permit with Haywood County and meet the inspector on. If a fitting is corroded or the flame won't hold, don't force it. Call (828) 545-0525 and we'll handle the gas side.
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
- What should I check before lighting my gas fireplace for the first time each fall?
- How do I winterize my gas fire pit at the end of the season?
- How do I light the pilot on my gas fire pit?
- Should I leave the propane tank hooked up to my fire pit between uses?
- How do I use the push-button or electronic ignition on a gas fire pit?

