Why does my fireplace smell like rotten eggs even when it's off?
In Marshall, homes cling to steep hillsides in the French Broad gorge, where shifting drafts can blow out a fireplace pilot while gas keeps feeding — and you smell rotten eggs with the unit off. That's a leak. Don't flip a switch or strike a match. Get outside, then call your gas utility or propane supplier and us at (828) 545-0525.
Gorge drafts, tight lots, blown pilots
Marshall's steep mountainside lots and the cool, damp air funneling through the French Broad gorge make for tricky draft, and on an older standing-pilot fireplace a strong downdraft can snuff the pilot while the valve keeps trickling gas. The result is a rotten-egg smell — mercaptan, the odorant — with nothing lit. Because homes here run on a mix of natural gas and propane, that leak might be from a street meter or from a tank on your property; propane, being heavier than air, can pool low.
Don't investigate — evacuate
A gas smell is not the moment to relight the pilot or check connections. Leave every switch, the thermostat, and the garage door alone, no flame, no unplugging, and walk the household and pets out the door. From the road or a neighbor's, call your gas provider or the supplier on your propane tank, then 911, then us. Once it's safe we find the leak, pressure-test the line, and make the repair.
Licensed work on hard-to-reach homes
Marshall's tight, steep lots complicate gas routing, which is all the more reason it's licensed work — Steady Flame is a licensed gas contractor serving Madison County. We permit and pressure-test every line we touch and back the repair. If your pilot won't stay lit, have it serviced before it becomes a leak; and a persistent rotten-egg smell with the unit off is always an emergency. Call (828) 545-0525.
Fireplace help in Marshall
We install and service fireplaces throughout Marshall and the rest of Madison County — just 25 minutes north from our Asheville-area showroom.
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