What annual maintenance does a wood-burning insert need?

Heat that needs no wires

Leicester's big rural lots, its propane homes, and its remote properties with limited electrical capacity all point the same direction: wood heat. A wood insert asks nothing of the grid — it warms the house whether or not the lines are up, which is exactly why it's popular out here. That independence is worth protecting, and the way you protect it is the annual service. The stainless liner venting the insert collects creosote through the season, and on cold, clear nights when Leicester's valleys drain 5 to 8 degrees below Asheville, that insert burns long and steady, building deposits that have to be swept out before they harden.

What the yearly visit includes

We sweep and inspect the full liner run, check the cap and top-plate seal, look over the firebrick for cracks, test the door and glass gaskets, vacuum cold ash, clean the glass, and dust the blower. Many inserts have to be pulled partway out of the masonry so the entire liner can be reached — a proper professional service to CSIA and NFPA standards.

Because a wood insert is grid-independent heat, it's what keeps a rural home warm through the multi-day outages this area knows. Book late summer or early fall, ahead of the first hard freezes. Leicester is about fifteen minutes west of our showroom. We pull the Buncombe County permit when needed and service all major wood brands. Call (828) 545-0525.