We have a 20 year old Napoleon gas fireplace and a couple of years ago the pilot started going out intermitmently. We called in another company the technician cleaned the fireplace and got it running but told us that our fireplace was old and parts were no longer available and we would probably need to replace it in the next few years. I was told a new fireplace would cost in the order of $6,000.
Within a year the pilot started going out again and this fall we called Natural Gas Technicians. Jeremy came out and did a diagnostic and it didn't take him too long to determine that the mercury switch was not working properly. He advised that Napoleon had a retrofit kit for the inner works of this particular fireplace that replaced the mercury switch with a thermopile. We advised Jeremy to go ahead and order this part and within a couple of weeks he was back to install it. The igniter on the new unit was faulty but Jeremy had a part in his truck to replace it and within a couple of hours we had an operational fireplace again.
We highly recommend Jeremy. He is prompt, professional, courteous and honest. When he was tallying up the bill for this work he deducted the time it took him to replace the faulty igniter which was not his fault or ours. He is also very tidy and leaves the work area as clean or cleaner than he found it.
I found it interesting that the previous company that serviced our fireplace told us that it would need to be replaced and yet Jeremy immediately advised that there was a retrofit kit for this fireplace. I guess the difference is that the other company sells and installs fireplaces and may have wanted to sell me a new fireplace rather than keep the existing one running.
Jeremy has given us hope that there are still some honest and reliable business people out there !
Jeremy has since breathed new life into our neighbours fireplace as well.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $1,000.00
- Company Response
Thanks David!
It is very rewarding to have great review from someone with a strong technical background! You saw how many tools and steps it took to take it apart, then do the exact opposite to put it together and complete the repair.Your service call touched on many common themes I hear everyday.
Firstly, that a "reputable" fireplace company had come out and said, "sorry there are no parts available for this old fireplace, but we would be happy to quote a new one". It is sad to say that many of these "reputable companies" have NO INTENTION ON FIXING YOUR FIREPLACE (YES I SAID IT!)!
If anyone would like to know about their fireplace, just call, email or text me your model and I can tell you all about it.Secondly, I don't have clients complain about my billing because I am very reasonable and explain everything I can upfront. Indeed the cracked ignitor was not your fault or mine, but it is my responsibilty and I take care of the incidentals when required-often unbeknonwst. Also I don't charge extra for "call backs" if it is related to the original issue.
I'm glad to have a replacement ignitor in the van to save a rescheduling for both of us!Thirdly and very important, I take extreme care in eliminating the possibility of any potential damage to property. Everytime I enter a home I am looking for obstacles, consciously preventing wall scuffs and floor scratches. Most effective in scuff/scratch prevention is always using a good quality drop sheet and using a tool bag instead of a tool box. I use a top quality ash vacuum-never a air compressor. Shoe covers and cotton gloves are also commomly used.
Thanks again for the referral to your neighbours and let me know if I can be of assistance in the future!
Jeremy