Swannanoa, North Carolina

Why does my gas fireplace's main burner light and then go out after a few seconds?

In Swannanoa, this comes up two ways since the storm. In the many homes rebuilt and renovated here, a brand-new fireplace that lights and quits is usually a startup or electronic-ignition issue, not a worn part. In the surviving Grovemont-era masonry homes, it's the classic weak thermopile that can't hold the gas valve open.

New units versus the survivors

Recovery from the storm damage put a lot of new fireplaces and stoves into rebuilt Swannanoa homes, and a new unit dropping its burner after a few seconds usually points to a flame-sense rod, batteries, or a startup adjustment on an electronic-ignition system — worth a warranty-minded look rather than a parts swap. In the older Grovemont and Bee Tree homes on standing-pilot gas, it's the familiar aged-out thermopile or a summer-clogged pilot.

River-valley damp is hard on the electrics

Swannanoa's valley fog, cold-air pooling, and damp air corrode masonry chimneys and, quietly, the low-voltage connections at the gas valve. Oxidized spade terminals bleed the millivolts the valve needs just like a dying thermopile does, so we meter the sensor open and under load and inspect the wiring before deciding what to replace.

Fifteen minutes east, Buncombe permits

Swannanoa is natural-gas country and 15 minutes east of our shop, so we get there fast with parts on the truck. We pull Buncombe County permits on gas work and pressure-test what we run. Gas repair isn't a DIY job in North Carolina. 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.

Fireplace services in Swannanoa General answer (all of WNC)

This answer for nearby towns

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