Does high elevation affect gas fireplace installation or performance?

Propane and thin air on the big lots

Leicester is spread out — large rural properties up Sandy Mush, Turkey Creek, and Newfound Road, many of them on propane rather than a gas main. Propane runs hotter than natural gas and demands its own orifices and higher pressures, and Leicester's 2,100-foot elevation adds its own adjustment. An LP fireplace that isn't jetted for both burns rich, films its glass, and gives back less heat than it should — a real loss on the cold-air-drainage nights that run these valleys 5 to 8 degrees below Asheville.

We dial fuel and altitude as one setup and tune the flame before we leave.

Limited power, heat that doesn't need it

Some remote Leicester properties have limited electrical capacity, which is worth thinking about when you pick a unit. A millivolt gas fireplace — a Valor, for instance — needs no electricity at all to run, throwing radiant heat even when the grid is down, and wood heat is popular here for the same self-reliant reason. We install and service wood stoves and inserts alongside gas, so the recommendation fits the property, not the other way around.

Buncombe permits, 15 minutes west

We permit the propane or gas line with Buncombe County and meet the inspector — connecting fuel is our lane as a licensed gas contractor. Leicester is about 15 minutes west of our Asheville showroom. Call (828) 545-0525 for a free in-home assessment.