What should I do if I smell gas near my fireplace?
In Canton, where valley flooding has soaked hearths and gas appliances, a rotten-egg smell after high water is a genuine emergency: leave without touching a switch, get everyone out, and call your gas utility or 911 for natural gas — your propane supplier for LP — from outside. Water-damaged connections can seep. Once it's clear, call us at (828) 545-0525.
After the water, gas connections deserve a hard look
The Pigeon River valley has taken serious flooding, and submerged gas appliances are a hazard the rest of WNC doesn't share to the same degree. Floodwater corrodes valves, warps control assemblies, and loosens fittings, so a fireplace or gas line that survived the water can develop a leak weeks later. If you smell gas near an appliance that was ever underwater, don't relight it, don't test it, and don't assume it dried out fine — get everyone outside and call. It's the single most important gas-safety step in this valley.
Two fuels, and the fog that corrodes them
Canton runs on both natural gas and propane, so know which you have — natural gas rises and vents, while propane sinks toward crawlspaces and floor registers, and you call a different emergency number for each. The valley-floor morning fog and dampness rust dampers and chimney caps earlier than owners expect, and that same moisture works on the metal fittings inside a gas appliance. Even without an odor, any hearth or gas connection that's been flooded should be inspected and pressure-tested before it's put back in service.
Once it's safe, the licensed Haywood fix
After the utility or supplier has shut the fuel off and cleared the air, the repair and the post-flood inspection are licensed gas-contractor work in North Carolina — our lane, not a handyman's. We locate the leak, replace what the water ruined, pressure-test the line, and pull the Haywood County permit when the job requires it, so your insurance stays intact. Canton is about twenty minutes west of our Asheville showroom, and gas-smell calls run through the 24/7 line at (828) 545-0525.
Fireplace help in Canton
We install and service fireplaces throughout Canton and the rest of Haywood County — just 20 minutes west from our Asheville-area showroom.
Related questions
- How do I check my gas fireplace for a gas leak?
- Who should I call about a suspected gas leak — the gas company or a fireplace technician?
- Where is the gas shutoff valve for my fireplace, and how do I turn it off in an emergency?
- Can a gas fireplace explode?
- Why does my gas fireplace smell like gas while it's running?