Private User
Private User
Private User reviews London, ON
10/10

Jeremy is a Genius

Jeremy is a professional talented natural gas technician. I had a very tricky problem with my fireplace, but he was able to troubleshoot, find the problem and fix it. I had 2 other big name companies out to try to fix it, but they couldn't fix it, but Jeremy was able to. I should have called him first.

Approximate cost of services:
$400.00
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Company Response

Wow, nobody has ever called me a "genius"!
Thank you for the GREAT review!
Some people like crosswords, soduko and wordL, but I like fixing gas fireplaces!
I suppose if compared to the other Technicians that couldn't fix it I may look like a genius and I'm modest too!
(:
I started in the fireplace business in the early 1990's and worked in various shops. It quickly became apparent that the Service departments were severely ill equipped to repair fireplaces as it was a steep learning curve and it was way more profitable to sell and install new fireplaces. For this reason I focused on repairs and continue to be a repair based business with little overhead costs and make a decent living in a niche market.
Of course I sell and install new fireplaces as well with expertise in replacing old fireplaces without damaging the existing marble/granite tile surroundings. This takes patience and care with very specific measurements and only specific fireplaces can fit in replacement applications. Manufacturers are thinning materials in fireplaces to save on the costs of steel and the weight of shipping, but also to artificially increase the heat output efficiency. Of course the output is greater when you chince out on the metal - shrinkflation anyone?!! Unfortunately a for consumers and Technicians, the misleading "higher efficiency" of materials has increased the surface temperatures of fireplaces and consequently increased the clearances to combustibles requirements. Why does this matter? A old fireplace with "zero clearance" requirements was framed with wood studs and drywall because the low surface temperature allowed for zero clearance to combustibles. New fireplaces with higher surface temperatures require 4-6 inches away from any combustibles, so the wood studs and drywall have to be replaced with non-combustible steel studs and cement board. And yes, that is very difficult to do without replacing the whole fireplace surrounding marble/granite tile. For this reason I purchased a truckload of the last production run of a specific fireplace that has the proper clearances for retrofits. Also I secured the purchase deal at the beginning of the pandemic so my prices are not affected by the inflation that everyone has seen this last year. I can replace most old direct vent fireplaces for $4000-$5000 which includes installation (in london, Ontario as of September 2022).
Anyway, if anyone needs fireplace services I do maintenance, repairs and install new/used fireplaces and all types of gas lines to stoves, dryers, bbqs, etc...
Also for Gas Techs out there looking for a change from furnaces and AC , we are looking to hire a new Technician that has a keen interest in fireplaces.

Cheers!

Jeremy