What should I do if I smell gas near my fireplace?
Many Mills River homes sit on large rural lots served by propane, so if you smell rotten-egg gas, get everyone outside without flipping a switch and call your propane supplier's emergency line or 911 from well away from the house. Propane is heavier than air and pools low, so leave — don't go looking. Once it's safe, we're at (828) 545-0525.
Rural lots, propane tanks, a fuel that sinks
Many Mills River homes sit on large rural lots served by propane rather than a gas main — Horse Shoe, Banner Farm, and the valley in between. That shapes your response, because propane is heavier than air. A leak doesn't rise and vent; it drains toward the floor, the crawlspace, and the basement, where it can pool instead of clearing. If you catch a rotten-egg smell, especially down low, get everyone outside without flipping a switch and call your propane supplier's emergency line or 911 from well clear of the house.
Buried lines and outdoor features
The open Mills River valley is made for outdoor living, and plenty of local homes run buried propane lines out to a gas fire pit or patio feature as well as the fireplace inside. That's more line, more fittings, and more places a slow leak can begin — indoors near the appliance or outside near the tank and regulator. A landscaper or hardscaper who built the patio legally can't touch that fuel line in North Carolina. If you smell gas near the tank, keep everyone upwind and uphill while you make the call.
The supplier makes it safe; the fix is licensed
Your propane company will shut the tank off and confirm the air is clear, but connecting and repairing the piping to your fireplace or fire pit is licensed gas-contractor work — the tank is theirs, the house-side system is ours. We locate the leak, repair it, pressure-test the system, and pull the Henderson County permit when the work calls for it. Mills River is about twenty-five minutes south of our Asheville showroom, and the 24/7 number is (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 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?