How should I shut down and protect a fireplace in a second home that sits vacant for months?
In Leicester, many rural second homes run on propane with wood heat common, and some remote properties have limited electrical capacity — so shutting down means managing a tank and a woodbox, not a gas-main pilot. Cold-air drainage runs these valleys 5 to 8 degrees colder than Asheville on clear nights, so a vacant house here sits cold.
Propane, wood, and thin power
Out in Sandy Mush and Turkey Creek, propane tanks and wood stoves do the work, and some remote Leicester properties don't have much electrical capacity to spare. Closing up means coordinating any propane shutoff with your supplier and cleaning every bit of ash from a wood firebox — ash holds moisture and rusts grates and dampers in a cold, empty house. If your gas unit runs a millivolt or battery-backup ignition, that same design is what will light it with the grid down when you return, which matters where power is thin and outages last.
Cold-air drainage and an idle flue
On clear winter nights, cold air drains down Leicester's rural valleys and runs several degrees colder than Asheville, so a closed-up house holds its chill deep into spring. An unused flue in that cold collects weather and wildlife fast — cap and screen the chimney, block and seal the damper, and use a chimney balloon on an open masonry throat. Take the remote batteries out so months of sitting don't leave leaked, corroded cells behind a unit you're counting on to light cleanly.
Fifteen minutes west
We're 15 minutes west in Buncombe County, glad to close a rural Leicester property in spring and reopen it in fall, and we pull the county permit for any propane or gas-line work. Have the connection, vent, and damper checked before the first fire — a wood or propane hearth on a remote lot that sat all summer is a prime spot for a nest you'd rather not find cold. 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
- Does a fireplace I never use still need to be inspected?
- Should I turn off the pilot light on my gas fireplace in the summer?
- How do I keep birds and animals from nesting in my fireplace vent or chimney?
- How do I keep dust and debris out of my fireplace during the months it is not used?
- Should I use a chimney balloon or flue plug to seal the chimney during the off-season?