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Natural Gas Technicians Inc/ The Fireplace Doctor
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Reviews for Natural Gas Technicians Inc/ The Fireplace Doctor

Average customer rating:
10 10 (60 reviews)

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kelsey82714
kelsey82714
0 reviews London, ON
10/10

Gas Stove Installation

Jeremy did a terrific job for us. Hired him to run a gas line and install a gas stove for us. When he came to do the job he pointed out that the company that installed our new furnace, central air and hot water heater just 3 years ago had left us with pipes and fittings which were not up to code. Jeremy explained the problems to us and brought everything up to code for us for a very reasonable price. We have since been reimbursed by the company that installed our furnace for the cost to bring everything up to code. Were very glad we had a knowledgeable person here to correct issues could have caused us serious problems. Photos are pre repair by Jeremy.

Approximate cost of services:
$1,000.00
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Company Response

Thanks for the stellar review!

Unfortunately I still see this scenario on a weekly basis. 

The issue is that any new gas appliance installation MUST meet current code standards. The gas code changed over 20 years ago to require copper gas line to be "TYPE G" and manufactured to the standard ASTM B837. In addition, the brass flare nuts on each end of the gas line were required to be manufacturered by "forging" process and NOT "milled" during manufacture. These requirements are spelled out in black and white in all the code books since the 2000 edition. I have had TSSA inspect specific instances of this and the Inspectors were enforcing this requirement as of 2002 - mainly to give a 2 year grace period to unknowing Gas Technicians. 

Well folks, we are now 20 years later and this is still happening.

Every homeowner should be aware of this and every Gas Technician SHOULD KNOW THIS! 

The big problem with the old copper formulation is the reaction to hydrogen sulphide in gas to create copper sulfidation in the pipes. This reaction over time builds a thin sulphide coating inside the pipe, which eventually flakes off and slows the gas flow to the appliance.  Similar to "clogged arteries " a reduced gas flow can cause many different safety and operational problems. 

How do you identify if the copper has been updated? THE APPROVED COPPER IS CLEARLY IDENTIFIED EVERY 20 INCHES IN PRINTED INK AS WELL AS LABELING INCISED INTO THE PIPE!

I would encourage every homeowner to ask to see these identification markings on every new copper gas line installation. 

To identify the flare nuts, a milled flare nut will have horizontal lines across it and a forged nut looks like one solid piece without discernable lines. This is important because the forging process makes a stronger nut, whereas the milled nut is weakened by the milling process and has the greater potential to crack and leak.

So back to the installation. To put a "tee" in for the stove branch line the "illegal" line would have to be disconnected and then reconnected , but of course I can not reconnect the "illegal" outdated gas line.

As a reasonable resolution to avoid issuing a infraction and delaying the stove installation, I replaced the outdated copper and nuts at a deep discount to the homeowner.  I suggested the homeowner contact the previous company for reimbursement.  Surprisingly, the company was apologetic and provided full reimbursement immediately. 

Sounds like a happy ending? Not quite!

These homeowners paid A LOT of money for a new furnace, air conditioner and water heater.  These appliance requirements are critical to the comfort and safety in all aspects of the home. The fact that a large, long established business that advertises all-over tv and radio can disregard the safety of gas lines is astounding! 
Was this a purposeful fraud or "accidental" incompetence? I guess their advertising forgot to mention that the colour of their trucks save you $$$ with either fraud or incompetence. 

If this information can help someone you know, please pass it along.

Cheers!
Jeremy 

Private User
Private User
Private User reviews Ajax, ON
10/10

Great work

Jeremy came out quicker than anyone else and my gas fireplace works better than ever now. Other places were going to be three weeks he came out in about 4 days. Cost seemed relative to other quotes based on the repairs and parts. Might take a minute to figure out the exact time he came come out but once its locked in he comes and finishes the job. Explained the method of trouble shooting and did his best to fix it as quick as possible - makes effort also to be clean with drop
Cloth shoe covers and general care for the area. Good guy !

Approximate cost of services:
$350.00
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Company Response

Thanks for the 10 of of 10!
I do take some time to schedule services because I try to keep 2 hour windows. Personally, I hate having to wait half a day or a full day for a furniture delivery and such - Arrggg!
I often text 20-30 minutes ahead of my arrival.
Floor protection with drop sheet and shoe covers are mandatory and are included with every service call.
Cheers!
Jeremy

Private User
Private User
Private User reviews Ajax, ON
10/10

Fireplace maintenance and repairs

Our fireplace was not working when we turned it on for the first time this year. We called fireplace doctor (Jeremy) who was very responsive and was able to schedule a service right away.
He was thorough and knowledgeable and had us up and running in under an hour. Price was very reasonable.
We would highly recommend this company.

Approximate cost of services:
$300.00
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Company Response

Thank you for the great rating!
Sometimes I may talk too much when I see interesting fireplace issues!
Something to keep in mind as a fireplace owner, if you have trouble starting the fireplace at the start of the heating season, it is very often a lack of maintenance issue. If the fireplace stops working after months into the heating season, it is often a part failure.
Best regards,
Jeremy

Durgan69
Durgan69
1 review London, ON
10/10

Service fireplace

Jeremy was on time and checked all aspects of the fireplace which would not stay lit. He diagnosed the problem and left me with a perfectly running fireplace.

The plan was to repair my older fireplace and only consider fireplace replacement if required when repairs become uneconomical.

I recommend The Fireplace Doctor because his service was excellent.

Approximate cost of services:
$200.00
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Company Response

Thanks for the great review!
Your fireplace was a classic example of how a older fireplace can be greatly affected by a small change in the pilot light flame. As much as I call myself a "doctor", I am more like a detective in my methodologies.
Thanks for having me investigate!

Best regards,
Jeremy

A pilot flame that is less intense (candling) than it should be will not be able to heat the thermalcouple and thermopile sufficiently. This can cause pilot outages and/or main burner going off by itself. The other company that previously tried to repair the problem, had replaced the thermopile (probably because of low millivolts), but really the issues are tied to the intensity of the pilot flame.

QUICK TIP FOR OTHER FIREPLACE TECHNICIANS;
Use a plumbing torch to artificially heat up the tip of the thermalcouple and thermopile BEFORE YOU START REPLACING PARTS!
Other issues with this fireplace were;
-glass window not hooked on properly.
-logs in wrong position.
-pilot assembly not fastened down, screw missing.
-copper gas line sulfidation.
IF YOU CAN'T RECOGNIZE THESE ISSUES , YOU SHOULDN'T BE WORKING WITH FIREPLACES!
Cheers!

Private User
Private User
Private User reviews Ajax, ON
10/10

Fireplace installation

Jeremy removed our old fireplace because the mercury switch was broken and not replaceable. He also added new drywall, vapour barrier and screws to mitigate a draft which was coming from our poorly constructed fireplace cavity. All is working and looking great and no more draft!! He was extremely careful in the removal process and none our existing ceramic tile was damaged. Phew!! He is very knowledgeable, explains what the job requires and completes it with high standards. He was punctual, professional and very cognizant of keeping our house clean (drop sheets, booties over their shoes and negative air vacuum) while the work was being completed). We highly recommend Jeremy for your fireplace renovations.

Approximate cost of services:
$4,000.00
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Company Response

Thank you for the great review!

Jeremy

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

Fireplace maintenance

Thank you Jeremy for coming out and servicing our fireplace! Our furnace had just broken down and we wanted to make sure our fireplace was in good working order before using it . Your quick service was greatly appreciated.
We were able to use our fireplace until the install of the new furnace several days later.
We will continue to recommend your company.

Approximate cost of services:
$200.00
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Company Response

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

rachelle in Toronto
rachelle in Toronto
0 reviews London, ON
10/10

Natural Gas Oven and Fireplace

Jeremy installed my natural gas oven and barbecue when I first moved into my house, which Ive never had any problems since. Years later, I had an issue with my fireplace, Jeremy had great communication and helped me over the phone for a quick fix for free that I was able to sell my house on time for closing because of his prompt service and excellent work. I will use Jeremy for all of my future homes because of his excellent skill. I highly recommend Jeremey to everyone.

Approximate cost of services:
$300.00
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Company Response

Hi Rachelle,

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

Jeremy

Private User
Private User
Private User reviews Ajax, ON
10/10

Gas Fireplace repair

Jeremy from The Fireplace Doctor came out to take a look at my gas fireplace & was able to fix it while he was here. I was very impressed with the service! He was very knowledgeable & professional. So happy that we have our fireplace back as the cold weather fast approaches!

Approximate cost of services:
$500.00
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Company Response

Glad to help!
Cheers!
Jeremy

Heather
Heather
1 review London, ON
10/10

Jeremy the Doctor

Jeremy just left our home after repairing our fireplace. The last reviewer called him a genius and we have to agree! Jeremy explained to us all the workings of our fireplace and helped us to decide on whether a repair or replacement was the best option. This man knows his stuff. His extensive background working with fireplaces made us feel so comfortable especially when dealing with gas lines! Thanks again Jeremy!

Approximate cost of services:
$150.00
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Company Response

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

Private User
Private User
Private User reviews Ajax, 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

The reviews on this page are the subjective opinion of the Author and not of HomeStars Inc.

More about Natural Gas Technicians Inc/ The Fireplace Doctor

Proudly providing "peace of mind" in London Ontario for 20 years.
Specialties include; installations, gas fireplace services and repairs. Gas line installs for bbqs, stoves, dryers, pool heaters, disconnects and reconnects.

Visit our websites; GasLines.com or TheFireplaceDoctor.com

CATEGORIES
Fireplaces and Gas Line Installation
WEBSITE
http://www.thefireplacedoctor.com/
YEAR ESTABLISHED
1996
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES
1
RETURN POLICY
30
PAYMENT METHOD
all
LICENSES
GT2, TSSA REG
LIABILITY INSURANCE
Yes
PROJECT MINIMUM
$100
BONDED
Yes
PROJECT RATE
$100 plus $25 per 15 minutes
WARRANTY TERMS
1 year
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