Who should service a gas fireplace — an HVAC company, a plumber, or a fireplace dealer?
In Swannanoa, where storm damage sent so many homes into rebuilds, the servicer for a gas fireplace is a licensed gas contractor who's also a hearth specialist, not an HVAC company or a plumber. New installs in rebuilt homes and older Grovemont masonry both need the trade that handles the firebox, the venting, and the gas together.
Rebuilds and old masonry, one hearth crew
Recovery from the storm raised real demand for new fireplace and stove installs in rebuilt Swannanoa Village and Grovemont homes, and the 1940s-to-1960s original masonry fireboxes that survived tend to be drafty and inefficient, good candidates for a sealed insert. A new gas unit needs a permitted line and a hearth tech to set it to the manufacturer's spec. An HVAC tech works the ductwork we don't touch, and a plumber runs pipe but doesn't reset a log set or verify a coaxial vent. One licensed hearth company ties the appliance, the fuel, and the venting into a single job. The river-valley fog and cold-air pooling here are hard on masonry chimneys, so the flue deserves a look too.
Natural gas, licensed, and 15 minutes out
Swannanoa is on natural gas, and because we're a licensed gas contractor, one crew cleans the firebox, pressure-tests the connector, and legally swaps a gas part, all under one workmanship guarantee. We pull the Buncombe County permit and meet the inspector, which matters on a rebuilt home's insurance and future sale. The showroom is just 15 minutes east on Emma Road.
Heat that outlasts the power
Swannanoa learned the hard way that when the grid goes down for days, central heat goes with it, and the homes that stayed warm were the ones with a working gas or wood hearth. A gas unit with millivolt or battery-backup ignition keeps throwing heat with the power out, but only if it's been serviced and set up right. That commissioning and upkeep is hearth work, one more reason the servicer should be a fireplace specialist, not a general trade. Call (828) 545-0525.
Fireplace help in Swannanoa
We install and service fireplaces throughout Swannanoa and the rest of Buncombe County — just 15 minutes east from our Asheville-area showroom.