What should I do if there's a propane shortage during a cold snap?
Around Mars Hill, the rural Spring Creek and Gabriels Creek valleys run on propane and wood, not a gas main, and it's one of the colder spots we serve — so tanks get drawn down hard in a snap. Call your supplier early, keep a cushion, and zone-heat the room you're living in.
Propane, wood, and a cold valley
Outside the Mars Hill University area, most homes here heat with propane or wood, which shapes how a shortage plays out. The cold sits deep in these Madison County valleys, so a tank you'd expect to last runs tight in a hard freeze, and the customers who get caught are almost always on will-call. Getting on the delivery schedule early — and moving to automatic delivery so your supplier tracks the level — is what keeps a gap from opening. Don't let the tank hit bottom, either: an empty LP system has to be leak-tested and every pilot relit before it's safe, a delay you can't afford mid-snap.
A wood stove is your backstop
Plenty of homes out Spring Creek already burn wood, and that's an advantage when propane's tight — a wood stove or wood fireplace is grid-independent, fuel-independent heat that doesn't care about a delivery schedule. If you split and season your own, it's the ultimate hedge against a shortage. On the gas side, a sealed direct-vent propane fireplace lets you zone-heat the living space and drop the central thermostat to stretch the tank. We install and service both, 30 minutes north; the appliance is ours, the tank and fill are your supplier's. Call (828) 545-0525.
Fireplace help in Mars Hill
We install and service fireplaces throughout Mars Hill and the rest of Madison County — just 30 minutes north from our Asheville-area showroom.
Related questions
- Can natural gas service be interrupted in extreme cold?
- Can propane freeze or stop flowing in very cold weather?
- At what tank percentage should I schedule a propane refill?
- What happens to my gas fireplace when the propane tank runs empty?
- Why does propane cost more in winter, and can I lock in a price?