Why does my fireplace smell like rotten eggs even when it's off?
In Fairview, many homes on these large wooded lots run on propane and burn wood — so a rotten-egg smell from a gas fireplace that's off means propane is leaking, and it can settle low rather than drift away. Don't touch a switch. Get everyone outside, then call your propane supplier and us at (828) 545-0525.
Propane country, and what the smell means
Fairview is classic propane country — large, wooded rural lots up Cane Creek and Garren Creek, many fed by a tank rather than a gas main, with wood heat popular alongside. Propane gets the same mercaptan odorant as natural gas, so a leak announces itself as rotten eggs or sulfur. Because propane is heavier than air, a leak from an off fireplace pools low — near the floor, in a basement or crawl space — instead of rising and clearing. That's why a persistent smell deserves respect even when nothing's lit.
Leave, then call the supplier on your tank
Don't investigate the source. Leave switches, the thermostat, and the garage door alone, skip the match and the indoor phone light, and get the family and pets outside. From a safe distance call the propane supplier whose name is on your tank, then 911, then us. Once the home's clear and safe, we locate the leak, pressure-test the line, and make the repair.
Licensed gas and propane, minutes away
In North Carolina, propane and gas work is licensed — Steady Flame is a licensed gas contractor about fifteen minutes east of our Asheville showroom, and we pull the Buncombe County permit and pressure-test every line we touch. If you also burn wood, keep up the fall chimney sweeps — creosote is the leading cause of chimney fires here — but a rotten-egg smell from a gas appliance is a separate emergency. Call (828) 545-0525.
Fireplace help in Fairview
We install and service fireplaces throughout Fairview and the rest of Buncombe County — just 15 minutes east from our Asheville-area showroom.
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