What is the best fireplace setup for zone heating to lower my heating bill?
Mars Hill splits in two for zone heating. Near the university, a sealed gas fireplace that lights at the flip of a switch carries in-town homes and rentals through one of the colder winters we serve. Out in the Spring Creek and Gabriels Creek valleys, where propane and wood already rule, an EPA wood stove or LP direct-vent unit heats the one room that matters.
In town: switch-on heat for the academic year
The university side of Mars Hill runs on convenience — rentals and in-town homes where nobody is going to split kindling. A sealed direct-vent gas fireplace is the zone heater that fits that life: flame at the flip of a switch, sealed combustion that's safe in tight rooms, simple controls that survive a rotating cast of tenants. Run it through the evening, keep the rest of the house cool, and the heating bill stops paying for empty bedrooms. At Mars Hill's 2,350 feet — one of the colder spots on our route — that evening-after-evening discipline adds up fast.
In the valleys: heat you own
Out Spring Creek and Gabriels Creek, homes already lean on propane and wood, and the zone-heating upgrade is about doing that better. The Regency Cascades F1500 wood stove — EPA-certified, 78% efficient, heats up to 1,500 square feet — covers the living level of a valley farmhouse and keeps working when the power doesn't. Wood is heat you own outright: no meter, no delivery truck, just the stack you put up in September. On the propane side, a sealed LP direct-vent unit puts nearly all of its heat into the room, and we set it up correctly as a licensed gas contractor — regulator, piping, and the right orifices and pressures, because propane isn't just natural gas in a tank.
We permit the work with the county and meet the inspector. Wood and chimney jobs typically take two to three days; most gas installs are done in one. The showroom is 30 minutes south at 629 Emma Rd in Asheville — call (828) 545-0525 for a free in-home assessment.
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.