How do I get my fireplace ready for fall and winter?
Mars Hill is one of the colder spots we serve, and it splits between easy-use gas fireplaces in the university-area rentals and propane or wood heat out in the Spring Creek and Gabriels Creek valleys. Gas units need a service, fresh batteries, and a test burn; propane needs a tank top-off and connection check; wood needs a sweep and inspection before the first fire.
Rentals want the low-maintenance route
Around Mars Hill University the demand is for easy-use gas fireplaces — the kind a rental tenant can run with a switch and a landlord doesn't have to think about. A summer idle still lets spiders and dust clog the pilot and burner ports, though, so an annual service before the term gets cold keeps them lighting reliably. Wipe the glass, drop fresh batteries in the remote and the battery-backup ignition, and run a test burn. This is one of the colder spots we serve, so the season starts early — book ahead, and we'd rather catch a weak igniter in September than field a no-heat call in January.
Out in the valleys, it's propane and wood
The rural homes up Spring Creek and Gabriels Creek run on propane or heat with wood, and each needs different prep. Propane homes should top off the tank and have the regulator, connections, and burner checked before winter. Wood homes need a chimney sweep and inspection first — creosote is the leading cause of chimney fires, and a fall sweep is the single best thing you can do. Both benefit from millivolt or battery-backup ignition, which keeps gas heat available when a mountain storm drops the power. We pull the county permit on gas work; we're 30 minutes north. 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 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?