How often should a gas fireplace insert be serviced?
Once a year for a Brevard insert, and here the driver is water as much as the calendar. Transylvania County catches 80-plus inches of rain a year, and that relentless moisture cracks crowns, spalls brick, and rusts metal, so the annual visit leans hard on the liner cap and termination where the weather lands.
Eighty inches of rain lands on top of the liner
A gas insert vents through a stainless liner that runs up the old chimney and terminates in a cap at the top, and in Brevard that cap and the crown around it take a beating from March through June's wet season. During service we inspect the termination for corrosion, check that the cap is intact and keeping water out, and look for spalled brick or crown cracks that let moisture into the chase. Crawl spaces and chimney chases here are notoriously prone to damp, so we also confirm nothing has rusted or degraded where the liner meets the appliance.
Propane country sets up the burner differently
Downtown Brevard has some gas service, but the cabins toward Connestee Falls and Sherwood Forest are largely propane. Propane insert setups use different orifices and run at a different pressure than natural gas, so at the yearly tune-up we verify the burner is dialed in for the fuel it's actually on. A mismatch shows up as sooty glass and lazy flames. We clean the burner and pilot, test the thermocouple, clear the blower, and pressure-check the connection. Call (828) 545-0525 to get on the schedule before wet season.
When the visit turns up more than a tune-up
Given how hard 80-plus inches of annual rain is on Transylvania County chimneys, an honest annual visit sometimes finds spalled brick, a failing crown, or a liner that moisture has compromised. When it does, we tell you plainly whether it's a small fix or something bigger, and we won't nickel-and-dime a lost cause or push the priciest option. Relining to fuel is licensed gas work we permit with Transylvania County and have inspected, unlike a mason who can build a beautiful chimney but legally can't connect it to gas. Call (828) 545-0525.
Fireplace help in Brevard
We install and service fireplaces throughout Brevard and the rest of Transylvania County — just 40 minutes southwest from our Asheville-area showroom.
Related questions
- How often should a gas fireplace be serviced?
- Does a gas fireplace insert have to be removed from the firebox for servicing?
- Does a gas insert's chimney liner need to be inspected or cleaned?
- How long does a chimney liner last, and when should it be replaced?
- What annual maintenance does a wood-burning insert need?