Why won't my gas fireplace light when it's very cold outside? (Leicester, NC)

Leicester, North Carolina

Why won't my gas fireplace light when it's very cold outside?

Around Leicester the cold tends to expose propane and low-voltage ignition issues, since these rural large-lot homes lean on tanks and wood, and cold-air drainage runs the valleys 5 to 8 degrees below Asheville on clear nights. A low tank vaporizes poorly on those mornings, and some remote properties have limited electrical capacity on top of it.

Propane on the rural lots

Out Sandy Mush, Turkey Creek, and along Newfound Road, homes sit on propane rather than a gas main, and liquid propane boils to vapor slowly when it's frigid. On a clear Leicester night, cold air drains down these valleys and settles, so mornings here run several degrees colder than town — exactly when a low or undersized tank can't keep the burner fed. Keeping the tank level up is the first line of defense.

Limited power favors self-reliant heat

Some remote Leicester properties have limited electrical capacity, which is one reason wood heat and simple millivolt gas systems are popular out here — a true millivolt fireplace runs its pilot and valve on the tiny voltage the pilot itself generates, no wall power needed. That independence is a strength, but a marginal thermopile in that setup still fails first in deep cold. It's licensed work to test and replace safely.

Fifteen minutes, and it's permitted

Leicester is 15 minutes west, and whether it's propane, a gas fireplace, or a wood stove, we pull the Buncombe County permit and handle the fuel side no handyman legally can. Call (828) 545-0525.

Fireplace help in Leicester

We install and service fireplaces throughout Leicester and the rest of Buncombe County — just 15 minutes west from our Asheville-area showroom.

Fireplace services in Leicester General answer (all of WNC)

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