Are there rebate programs for trading in an old wood stove for a cleaner-burning unit?
Sometimes — but there's no active changeout in Buncombe County right now we can point to. In Arden's Skyland and Royal Pines neighborhoods, the bigger issue is usually a drafty open fireplace or a tired 1980s stove pulling heat out of the room. A sealed certified insert fixes that today, grant or no grant.
Drafty boxes, the real problem to solve
Arden's 1980s and 90s homes in Skyland, Royal Pines, and Glenn Bridge are full of open masonry fireplaces that were never efficient heaters — an open hearth can actually run a net heat loss, pulling warmed room air straight up the chimney. Where a stove was added, it's often an older, inefficient one from the same era. A changeout program targets old certified stoves, but the more common Arden fix is a sealed insert that turns a drafty box into a real heater — commonly 70 percent efficient or better — whether that insert burns certified wood or, since you're on the gas mains here, sealed gas. Either way you gain heat you were losing.
Where to look
If you're keeping wood and want to see whether a changeout is funded, EPA's Burn Wise page and Buncombe County's air-quality office are the two sources to trust. But don't wait on grant money to fix a fireplace that's costing you heat every night — the insert upgrade pays on its own. We're 15 minutes south of you and headquartered on Emma Road; the assessment is free. Call (828) 545-0525.
Fireplace help in Arden
We install and service fireplaces throughout Arden and the rest of Buncombe County — just 15 minutes south from our Asheville-area showroom.
Related questions
- Is there a federal tax credit for wood or pellet stoves?
- Is upgrading my old wood stove to a new EPA-certified stove worth the cost?
- Can I get trade-in or scrap value for my old stove or fireplace?
- Which wood stoves and inserts qualify for the federal tax credit?
- How much does a wood stove cost installed?