Do I need a chimney inspection before installing an insert?
Yes — before a Mills River insert we inspect the chimney, and out here that starts with the fuel. Many of these rural, large-lot homes run on propane rather than a gas main, so the insert is usually a propane gas unit or a wood insert — and both need a liner sized to a sound flue. We scope it before anything gets set.
Propane country changes the appliance
LP burns hotter per unit than natural gas and needs the right orifice and pressure setup, or it soots. A propane gas insert still vents through a liner in your existing chimney, and a wood insert needs a full stainless liner run all the way to the top. The inspection tells us which flue we're threading — its size, its condition, whether decades on a rural lot have left it clear or nesting. On farmland and forest lots like these, chimneys that have sat idle a while are exactly where we find blockages.
Farmland flue, Henderson County permit
Mills River sits in Henderson County, so once the flue checks out we pull the Henderson permit and pressure-test any gas or propane line we run. The open valley here is great for outdoor living too, but the insert always comes back to the same first step: a look up the chimney. You're 25 minutes south of the Emma Road showroom.
Fireplace help in Mills River
We install and service fireplaces throughout Mills River and the rest of Henderson County — just 25 minutes south from our Asheville-area showroom.
Related questions
- My chimney is damaged — can I still install a gas insert?
- Does a wood-burning insert require a full stainless steel liner to the top of the chimney?
- Can a gas insert be installed in my existing masonry fireplace?
- Does a gas fireplace insert need a chimney liner?
- How do you measure a fireplace to know if an insert will fit?