Can I add a remote control to a gas fireplace that only has a wall switch?
In Mars Hill, it comes down to one question: does your fireplace burn gas or wood? A gas fireplace — natural gas or propane — running off a wall switch can almost always take a remote at the valve. A wood-burning fireplace can't; there's no gas valve for a receiver to control. Plenty of homes out toward Spring Creek and Gabriels Creek are wood, so it's worth knowing.
A remote needs a valve
The whole trick of a fireplace remote is that it controls a gas valve electronically instead of a wall switch doing it. No valve, no remote — which is why a true wood-burning fireplace or stove can't be fitted with one, no matter the handset. If you're heating with wood out in the rural Madison County hollows and want push-button convenience, the real path is a wood-to-gas conversion: a sealed gas insert or a log set brings the valve, and the remote comes with it. That's a bigger project than a simple add, but it's the honest answer.
For the gas and propane homes
If you've already got a gas fireplace — common in the university-area rentals where easy, tenant-proof heat matters — the upgrade is quick. Most millivolt and standing-pilot units qualify; we match the receiver to your natural-gas or propane valve, and you gain on/off plus, on the fuller system, flame height, fan, thermostat, and timer control. At Mars Hill's elevation the thermostat mode is genuinely useful on a long cold night.
Licensed, either way
Whether it's adding a receiver or converting a wood firebox to gas, connecting the fuel side is licensed work in North Carolina — our lane, not a handyman's, and never a mail-order kit. Give us your make and model, or tell us it's wood, and we'll point you the right way. Call (828) 545-0525.
Fireplace help in Mars Hill
We install and service fireplaces throughout Mars Hill and the rest of Madison County — just 30 minutes north from our Asheville-area showroom.
Related questions
- How do I pair or sync a new remote to my gas fireplace?
- How do I use the remote control that came with my gas fireplace?
- Can I control my gas fireplace from my phone or with Alexa or Google Home?
- Can I connect my gas fireplace to my home thermostat, like a Nest?
- Where are the batteries in my gas fireplace remote and receiver, and when should I change them?