Why does my fireplace smell like rotten eggs even when it's off?
In Swannanoa, homes are still being rebuilt and renovated after the storm, and gas appliances that saw floodwater — or new lines run during a rebuild — can leak if a connection isn't holding. On the natural-gas main here, a rotten-egg smell with the fireplace off is that warning. Don't touch a switch. Get outside, then call your gas utility and us at (828) 545-0525.
Rebuilds, floodwater, and gas connections
The recovery around Swannanoa has meant new fireplace and stove installs in rebuilt homes and repairs to older ones — and any gas appliance that was exposed to floodwater needs its valve and fittings verified before it's trusted. The Grovemont area's 1940s-60s homes with original masonry are being brought back, and a rotten-egg smell with a fireplace off means a connection somewhere is weeping the mercaptan-scented gas. It's the odorant doing exactly what it's there to do.
Damp valley, and what to do now
Swannanoa's river-valley fog, cold-air pooling, and damp air are hard on masonry chimneys and on gas fittings alike. If you smell gas, don't investigate: leave switches, the thermostat, and the garage door alone, no flame, no unplugging, and get the family and pets outside. From a safe distance call your gas provider or 911, then us — we're only about fifteen minutes east. We locate the leak, pressure-test the line, and repair it.
Licensed work, especially after a flood
In North Carolina, gas-line testing and repair is licensed work — and doubly important on a home that's been through high water. Steady Flame is a licensed gas contractor; we pull the Buncombe County permit, pressure-test the line and connections, and back the fix. Don't relight a flood-exposed fireplace on hope, and treat any rotten-egg smell with the unit off as an emergency. Call (828) 545-0525.
Fireplace help in Swannanoa
We install and service fireplaces throughout Swannanoa and the rest of Buncombe County — just 15 minutes east from our Asheville-area showroom.
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