Gas insert vs pellet insert — which is better for my fireplace?
In Leicester, the gas insert — or wood — makes far more sense than pellet for a simple reason: many rural properties out here have limited electrical capacity and lose power readily, and a pellet insert can't run without a steady electricity supply for its auger and blowers. A gas insert on millivolt ignition needs no electricity to make heat, and most homes here are on propane, which it handles cleanly.
Power is the whole ballgame here
This is where pellet struggles most in our service area. A pellet insert is fundamentally an electric appliance that happens to burn pellets — its auger, exhaust blower, and control board all draw continuous power, and on a rural Leicester property with limited electrical capacity or frequent outages, that's a real liability. A gas insert flips it around: certain models run on millivolt ignition with no electricity required to produce heat, and even the rest keep burning through outages on battery-backup ignition. Out Sandy Mush and Turkey Creek, where cold-air drainage runs valleys 5 to 8 degrees below Asheville on clear nights, heat that doesn't quit is the point.
Propane, wood, and doing it once
Leicester is largely propane country with a strong wood-heat tradition, and a gas insert runs cleanly on LP once it's configured with the right orifices and pressures — licensed work we permit with Buncombe County and pressure-test, the step a showroom or handyman legally can't finish here. If you love wood, that stays a great grid-independent option too; but if you want that independence with almost no labor, a gas insert delivers it. Pellet only makes sense if your electrical is solid and bag-fuel economy is your priority. Call (828) 545-0525; we're 15 minutes west.
Fireplace help in Leicester
We install and service fireplaces throughout Leicester and the rest of Buncombe County — just 15 minutes west from our Asheville-area showroom.