How do I get my fireplace ready for fall and winter?
Leicester is rural, wooded, and largely off the gas main — many homes here run propane or heat with wood, and some remote properties have limited electrical capacity, which makes a non-electric or battery-backup hearth genuinely important. Fall prep means a sweep and inspection on wood units, a tank and connection check on propane, and a service before the valleys turn cold.
Wood heat and the fall sweep
Leicester is rural and wooded, and a lot of homes here heat with wood — which makes the fall chimney sweep the most important thing on the list. Before the first fire, the chimney needs sweeping and inspecting for creosote buildup, the leading cause of chimney fires, plus cracked tile, a worn damper, and animal nests. Check the firebrick, make sure the damper seals, and have seasoned, dry wood ready. We do level 1 and 2 inspections per CSIA and NFPA standards. Wood heat is heat you own outright and total grid independence — but only if the chimney's clean and sound going into winter.
Propane, low power, and cold valleys
Where it's not wood, Leicester runs mostly on propane, so top off the tank and have the regulator and connections checked before winter. Some remote properties out toward Sandy Mush have limited electrical capacity, which is exactly where a millivolt gas unit or a Valor that needs no electricity earns its keep — heat that doesn't care about the grid. Cold-air drainage runs these valleys 5 to 8 degrees colder than Asheville on clear nights, so the season's real. We pull the county permit; we're 15 minutes west. Call (828) 545-0525.
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.
Related questions
- How do I shut down my gas fireplace for the summer?
- Why does my fireplace smell like burning dust the first time I light it each fall?
- How do I keep dust and debris out of my fireplace during the months it is not used?
- Should the damper be kept closed during the off-season?
- Is it good to run my gas fireplace occasionally during the off-season?