Will a gas fireplace still work when the power goes out?
Swannanoa learned this the hard way. Storm damage sent the valley into days without power, and the homes that stayed warm were the ones with a hearth that didn't need electricity. As neighbors rebuild, this is the moment to choose it: a millivolt or standing-pilot gas fireplace lights with the grid down, no batteries required. You get radiant heat, just not the blower.
Rebuilding is the chance to get it right
Recovery has Swannanoa homeowners renovating and rebuilding, and demand for new fireplaces and stoves has climbed as a result — for a plain reason. When the grid failed for days, central heat died with it, and the houses that held warmth ran a wood or gas hearth that never needed a wall outlet. If you're rebuilding a Grovemont or Bee Tree home now, spec a self-powered unit: a millivolt valve makes its own current off the pilot and keeps making heat no matter how long the power stays out.
Older masonry, valley damp
Grovemont's 1940s-to-60s homes came with original masonry fireboxes, and river-valley fog, cold-air pooling, and damp air are hard on those old chimneys — rusting dampers and degrading flue liners over time. When we convert one to a sealed gas insert we can spec it millivolt and reline the flue, giving you power-optional heat and a chimney that meets standard. As a licensed gas contractor we pull the Buncombe County permit, pressure-test the line, and meet the inspector on the rebuilt system.
Fifteen minutes east, honest options
Swannanoa is only about 15 minutes from our Asheville showroom, so come see a Valor throw radiant heat with nothing plugged in. For total grid independence, an EPA wood stove needs no line and no batteries at all. We'll tell you plainly what each choice does and won't push you past the one that fits. 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.
Related questions
- How can a millivolt gas fireplace run without any electricity?
- What is the battery backup on an electronic ignition fireplace for?
- What is a standing pilot light and what does it actually do?
- Will a fireplace blower run during a power outage?
- What is a millivolt valve on a gas fireplace and how does it work?