Masonry repair
Sweep & inspection
Caps & crowns
Flue relining
Gas fireplace serviceLevel 1 sweep and inspection to the NFPA 211 annual standard - flue, crown, cap, and flashing checked and photographed
Chimney sweep logs do not sweep chimneys. They loosen some creosote - which then falls where a brush and vacuum still have to collect it.
Fast, Reliable Gas Fireplace Repair Across Converse
Gas fireplace repair in Converse typically runs $185 to $420 for common fixes like thermocouple replacement, pilot assembly work, or damper adjustment. Most repairs are completed in one visit, and we schedule Converse appointments within a few days, not weeks. If your fireplace won’t light, smells like gas even when off, or the flames look weak and yellow instead of crisp and blue, call Ruben Castellano and the Alcott team at (903) 515-5079. We’ve worked on hundreds of Converse homes, from brick ranches off FM 1516 to newer subdivisions near Willow Ridge, and we know exactly which failure patterns show up in this town’s soil and housing stock.
Why Alcott Chimney San Antonio Is Converse’s Preferred Gas Fireplace Repair Company
Converse homeowners call us because we show our work. Before any repair begins, you get a written price. After the repair, you get a written guarantee covering the work for a full year under our 365-Day Done Right Promise. If the repair fails within that coverage period, the second visit is free. No fine print, no chasing us down. Ruben Castellano built this company in 2002 on a simple rule: tell the customer exactly what’s wrong, show them the evidence, and stand behind the fix.
Every technician we send to Converse is background-checked and identity-verified through the Threshold Standard. You’ll know the technician’s name and see their photo before we arrive. They’ll show a photo ID badge at the door. Every time, no exceptions. That matters when you’re home alone with kids or expecting a stranger in your living room. It’s why so many Converse customers recommend us to neighbors along Toepperwein Road and the older streets near Converse North Park.
We coordinate dispatch from our San Antonio office, but the crews who show up in Converse live and work in this metro area. They know the subdivisions, the soil, and the specific prefabricated fireplace units installed in homes built here between the 1980s and early 2000s. That local knowledge means faster diagnosis and fewer return trips. When a Converse homeowner calls about a gas smell from a factory-built fireplace, we already know what to look for before we pull into the driveway.
Styles & brands we work with
Our Gas Fireplace Repair Services in Converse
Our Gas Fireplace Repair team handles everything from pilot issues to full firebox rebuilds. Here are the services Converse homeowners request most:
Gas Fireplace Diagnostic and Repair
We diagnose and repair pilot lights that won’t stay lit, thermocouples and thermopiles that have failed, gas valves with faulty connections, and burners producing uneven flame patterns. In Converse, we often find that gas fireplaces in homes built in the 1990s have original components that were never serviced. A quick diagnostic visit pins down the problem, and you get a written repair price before we turn a single wrench.
Chimney Cap Replacement
Chimney caps on Converse homes take a beating from South Texas heat and the occasional hailstorm that rolls through Bexar County. Rusted or missing caps let rain into the flue, which corrodes dampers and fireboxes from the inside. We stock common cap sizes and can fabricate custom caps for odd-sized factory-built chimneys. Replacing a deteriorated cap in Converse typically runs $220 to $485 depending on the material and flue size.
Damper Repair and Replacement
A warped or stuck damper doesn’t just make your fireplace draft poorly. It can trap carbon monoxide inside your home when the gas fire is on, and it lets conditioned air escape up the chimney when the fireplace is off. We repair and replace dampers on both masonry chimneys and prefabricated units. In Converse, we frequently find damper linkage corroded from humid summers and infrequent winter use. Damper repair runs $165 to $390.
Prefabricated Fireplace Service
Most Converse homes built after 1985 have factory-built fireplaces installed in framed chases. These units require manufacturer-specific parts, not generic substitutes. Alcott carries and installs professional trade brands including DuraFlex, HeatShield, Gelco, Olympia Chimney, Famco, and Copperfield. When your prefabricated fireplace needs a new refractory panel, burner tray, or chase cap, we source the right part from the right manufacturer. No box-store workarounds.
What happens when you call
- 1
A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
- 2
You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
- 3
A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
- 4
You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Trusted Brands We Service in Converse
We service and install components from Olympia Chimney, DuraFlex, and HeatShield on a regular basis across Converse. Many of the 1980s and 1990s homes along Gibbs Sprawl Road and the subdivisions branching off Rocket Lane have factory-built units from manufacturers whose parts require exact matches. Alcott keeps a working inventory of common gas valves, pilot assemblies, caps, and liner components, and we can order specialty parts quickly. That means less waiting for Converse customers when a repair can’t be improvised.
Common Gas Fireplace Repair Problems We See in Converse Homes
- Gas smell from a fireplace that hasn’t been used in months. In Converse, this usually points to a small leak at the gas valve connection or a corroded flex line inside the firebox. It’s not normal, and it should be checked immediately. We locate the leak with electronic detection and show you the reading before repairing.
- Draft problems in prefabricated fireplaces. Factory-built units in newer Converse subdivisions rely on precise chase construction and an unobstructed cap. Warped dampers, rusted caps, or improperly sealed chase tops disrupt the draft and push combustion gases into the room. We diagnose the entire vent path, not just the firebox.
- Spalling refractory panels. The heat-resistant panels inside gas fireplaces crack over time, especially in homes where the fireplace gets fired occasionally during brief Converse cold snaps. Cracked panels behind ceramic logs are easy to miss visually, but they can expose the firebox shell to direct flame. Replacement with manufacturer-matched panels is the fix.
- Creosote buildup in gas fireplace chimneys. Even gas fireplaces produce acidic condensate that corrodes liners and caps. In masonry fireplaces that were converted from wood to gas, we often find old creosote deposits underneath that were never cleaned before conversion. That’s why we recommend a camera inspection before any gas repair on a converted fireplace in Converse.
Pricing for Gas Fireplace Repair in Converse, TX
Here’s what Converse homeowners can expect to pay for common gas fireplace repairs:
- Diagnostic service call: $89 to $149, credited toward the repair if you proceed.
- Pilot assembly replacement: $185 to $310.
- Thermocouple or thermopile replacement: $165 to $285.
- Damper repair or replacement: $165 to $390.
- Chimney cap replacement: $220 to $485.
- Gas valve replacement: $250 to $520.
- Refractory panel replacement: $300 to $650 depending on the unit.
- Full Level 2 camera inspection: $199 to $350, recommended before any major repair on a converted or older fireplace.
Every repair includes the written guarantee. No repair is started until you’ve approved a written price. And no repair is recommended based on a guess – if we say something needs attention, we’ll show you the camera footage or the meter reading that proves it. Call (903) 515-5079 for a free estimate on any gas fireplace repair in Converse.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterWhy Expansive Clay Soil Matters for Converse Fireplaces
Here’s something that only applies to Converse and the surrounding Bexar County corridor. The soil under much of this town is expansive clay that shrinks and swells with wet and dry cycles. During dry spells, the ground contracts and pulls away from slab foundations. When rain returns, the clay expands. Over years, that movement puts stress on everything sitting on the slab, including the chimney chase and the fireplace unit inside it. We’ve opened up fireplace walls in Converse ranch homes off FM 1516 and found clay flue liner tiles that had separated at the joints by half an inch. Nothing looked wrong from the outside. The homeowner had no idea the fireplace had been venting gas exhaust into the wall cavity behind the drywall.
That’s why visual checks aren’t enough in Converse. A camera inspection shows what’s happening inside the flue and behind the firebox. Ruben Castellano’s team runs a camera on every Level 2 inspection, and we give you a photo report you can keep. If there’s separation, you’ll see it in the images. If there isn’t, we’ll tell you that too.
Serving Converse, TX - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Converse area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQ – Gas Fireplace Repair in Converse
Yes. In fact, newer prefabricated fireplaces are some of the most frequently overlooked systems in Converse. Homeowners assume that because the unit is newer, it must be fine. But the chase that surrounds a factory-built fireplace is a framed structure covered in siding, and Converse’s humid summers trap moisture inside those chases. That moisture rusts the firebox, corrodes the cap, and breaks down the refractory panels. A Level 2 inspection with a camera takes about an hour and tells you exactly what’s happening behind the wall. Call (903) 515-5079 to schedule one.
A gas smell from an unused fireplace usually means there’s a small leak at a fitting, a cracked flex line, or a gas valve that isn’t seating fully. It can also come from a dead animal or debris in the chimney that’s decomposing and mixing with residual gas odor. Either way, it should not be ignored. We use electronic gas detection to find the source, show you the reading, and repair the leak before we leave. If the smell is strong, open a window and avoid using any electrical switches until a technician arrives.
Yes. Draft problems in older Converse ranches usually come from one of three things: a warped damper, a capped or obstructed flue, or clay liner joints that have separated from soil movement. We fix all three. In fact, we recently repaired a gas fireplace in a Converse subdivision off FM 1516 where a prefabricated Olympia Chimney unit had a failed draft due to a warped damper and a corroded chimney cap. We replaced the cap, reseated the damper, and verified the flue liner was intact with a Level 2 inspection, restoring proper venting and eliminating the gas smell the homeowner noticed during a winter cold snap. Draft repairs in Converse start around $165.
Yes, and it’s a common problem in Converse neighborhoods where homes were built in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Rust stains on the siding below a factory-built chimney usually mean the chase top is leaking, or condensation is draining out of the chase instead of evaporating. The fix often involves replacing the chase top, sealing the chase interior, and repairing or replacing the firebox components that got wet. Ignoring it leads to deeper rust and possible structural damage to the chase framing. Repair costs depend on how much moisture damage has already occurred, but chase top replacement in Converse typically runs $350 to $750.
If your fireplace was converted from wood to gas and the flue was never properly cleaned before the conversion, old creosote deposits inside the chimney can affect how your gas fireplace drafts and vents. Creosote is acidic and corrosive, and it can degrade the liner over time. In Converse, where occasional smoky fires from unseasoned Hill Country oak are common, we often find first-degree creosote that has hardened into third-degree glaze. That requires mechanical removal before any gas repair is done on the same chimney. The good news: a proper cleaning and a camera inspection tell us exactly what we’re dealing with. Call (903) 515-5079 and we’ll give you an honest assessment.
We Also Serve Cities Near Converse
Alcott Chimney San Antonio serves Converse and the surrounding communities, including Schertz, Cibolo, San Antonio, and Boerne. If you’re just outside Converse and need gas fireplace repair, call us at (903) 515-5079 and we’ll confirm coverage for your address.
Contact Alcott Chimney San Antonio for Gas Fireplace Repair in Converse, TX
If your gas fireplace won’t light, drafts poorly, smells like gas, or hasn’t been inspected in years, call Ruben Castellano and the team at (903) 515-5079 today. You’ll get a written price before any work begins, a written guarantee on every repair, and a technician whose name and photo you’ll see before they ever ring your doorbell in Converse. We’ve been doing this since 2002, and we don’t cut corners on safety, materials, or honesty. Your fireplace is either safe or it isn’t, and we’ll show you which one it is.
Written by Ruben Castellano, Owner at Alcott Chimney San Antonio, serving Converse since 2002.