Wood-burning insert vs gas insert — which should I choose?
In Leicester, the details of your property point the way. Many homes out here run on propane, wood heat is popular, and some remote places have limited electrical capacity — which is a real argument for a wood insert or a gas insert that needs no electricity to run. Choose gas for on-demand ease, wood for the cheapest independent heat. Both seal a drafty open firebox into an efficient heater.
Fuel, wood, and low electrical capacity
Leicester is rural — large properties, many on propane, and a strong wood-heat tradition. A few of the more remote homes also have limited electrical capacity, and that steers the choice. A wood insert needs no power at all to make heat, which suits an off-the-beaten-path property perfectly, and cordwood cut on your own land is heat you own outright. If you want gas, Valor builds inserts that throw radiant heat with zero electricity — no blower, no circuit board — set up to run on your propane tank. Either way you're not dependent on the grid to stay warm.
Cold hollows, and heat that holds
On clear winter nights, cold air drains into Leicester's rural valleys and runs 5 to 8 degrees colder than Asheville. That's exactly when you want an insert that keeps producing — a wood insert loaded overnight holds coals till morning, and a millivolt or battery-backup gas insert keeps radiating even with the power out. Both seal the firebox and add a correctly sized stainless liner, turning a heat-losing open fireplace into a real heater. Gas connection is licensed work; we pull the Buncombe County permit and pressure-test the line.
Fifteen minutes away
We're 15 minutes away in Asheville with both inserts lit at the showroom. Call (828) 545-0525 for a free in-home assessment.
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.
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