Natural Gas Technicians Inc/ The Fireplace Doctor reviews (66)

Thank you for the great review! Jeremy

Thank you for taking the time for this important review! Your situation brings up important issues that most Homeowners don't even consider. In Particular, the importance of a secondary heat source and a reliable secondary heat source. A good secondary heat source is like a good insurance against a furnace breakdown. With the recent supply chain issues there have been many instances where Homeowners have had to wait weeks for furnace parts. In some cases, homeowners had to replace the entire furnace because replacement parts were not going to be available for months! A gas fireplace is a great secondary heat source, however there are different types of fireplaces that are more reliable than others. For instance, a MILLIVOLT fireplace does not require power because the pilot light generates the power independently of your house electrical system and can work during a power outage. A ELECTRONIC IGNITION gas fireplace can also be used as a secondary heat source, but is less reliable as it requires house electricity power to operate or specific batteries as a backup power source. In addition, mostly all electronic components are manufactured "overseas" and therefore subject to any supply issues. Increasing demand on our electrical grid may also cause future problems with ELECTRONIC IGNITION fireplaces. Regardless of type, gas fireplaces do require servicing and thank you for hiring us! Jeremy

Hi Rachelle, That is great news! Selling a home can be very stressful and a delayed closing or renegotiation and be costly. Congratulations! Jeremy

Glad to help! Cheers! Jeremy

Thanks Heather! I've been in this business soo long, I know all the problems that occur with your fireplace AND whats going to happen years down the road. You brought up a great point about what was the best option for you. I provide a wider range of options than my competitors can offer. Whether you want a new fireplace or a used fireplace, a new part or a used part. Heck, I even offer free parts sometimes and only charge the service call and labour. for instance, I pulled up on a service call yesterday and the home was for sale, great place, probably in the 1.5-2 million range. Wow, they had 4 gas fireplaces and 3 needed repairs! The showings start tomorrow so I was under a little bit of pressure. Their basement fireplace needed new batteries in the remote receiver. The upstairs fireplace needed a new fan and the main floor fireplace needed a mercury flame safety switch. Well the batteries and fan are easy peasy, but anyone in the industry knows that mercury switches are obsolete and hard to come by. Luckily I still have 5 (now 4) used mercury flame switches in stock! My clients were thrilled that everything was fixed same day and at a fraction of what a new fireplace would have cost. More importantly, their house is on the market and they don't have disclose any problems to potential buyers which would also result in a lower offer to purchase. So yes, I provide a variety of options for repairs that save people from buying new for $5000-$8000. Thank you for having me in your home and the compliment. Let me know if you need anything in the future. Cheers Jeremy

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

Thanks for hiring me! cheers!

Thanks Kristie, you are very kind! I do take replacing fireplaces very seriously. A lot of preparation sets me up for a successful installation and minimal mess. For instance, the Negative Air Pressure Kit that I attach to outside vent ensures that drywall dust and insulation fibres get sucked out of the house before it can float around and potentially cause health issues. Not to mention the usual floor protections, "tenting" while cutting and vacuuming between each stage of removal. All of these small actions make a big difference! Thanks again for hiring me! Jeremy

Hi Jeff, With my 26 years of millivolt fireplace experience I see the same repairs on a regular basis. Once you sent the picture of the controls, I knew there was really only 3 possible causes of your problem. And yes, I always use shoe covers and drop sheets to protect carpets and flooring. Thanks for the high recommendation! Cheers! Jeremy