Swannanoa, North Carolina

Why does my ventless gas fireplace keep shutting itself off?

In Swannanoa, where storm damage has homes being rebuilt and re-fitted, a vent-free unit is prized because it makes heat with the power out. But that same unit still shuts itself off when its oxygen sensor reads a bad pilot flame — most often a dust- or cobweb-fouled one — not because your air has run short.

Backup heat that still has to pass its own safety

One reason vent-free sets are showing up in rebuilt Swannanoa homes is simple — on a millivolt valve they keep throwing heat when the grid goes down, and this valley has learned what days without power feel like. The catch is that the oxygen sensor built into the pilot has to stay clean to let the burner run. A fouled pilot will shut down your backup heat on the coldest night, which is the opposite of what you installed it for.

River-valley fog keeps the pilot dirty

Swannanoa's cold-air pooling and river fog leave a damp film that, along with the usual off-season dust and spiders, fouls the pilot flame the sensor watches. In the older Grovemont masonry homes the house leaks enough air that a real oxygen trip is unlikely — assume the pilot, and get it cleared before winter. On a freshly rebuilt, tighter home, keep the room-size Btu limits in mind instead.

Fifteen minutes east, Buncombe permits

Whether it's a new install in a rebuild or service on an older unit, we permit through Buncombe County and pressure-test as a licensed gas contractor. Swannanoa is a quick 15 minutes east of our Asheville showroom. 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)

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