The Fireplace & Chimney Authority Reviews 

Reply from The Fireplace & Chimney Authority

Dec 5, 2025

Dear Mr. Turcios,

It is regret that your experience with our company was less than stellar. A job that should have been fairly straightforward did, indeed, take far longer than it should have.

Like all companies, when it comes to custom products like your chase top, we have a preferred manufacturer that handles the fabrication. In this instance, our preferred vendor dropped the ball. Their expected delivery time was pushed back repeatedly. This is not an excuse but an explanation. We should have assessed the situation sooner than we did. That is on us and we apologize for not doing so.

As soon as we identified the significant problem with our standard fabricator, we shifted the order to our auxiliary manufacturer and delivered/installed the chase top as soon as possible. However, we still ended up with a job that took double the time it should have.

Once again, our apologies for all the delays from our fabricator, we should have addressed them much sooner to mitigate any delay. Trust that this is not our normal way of operating. We hope that you might give us another chance in the future so that you can see why we are a leader in the industry and have been for over three decades.

With our sincerest apologies,
The Fireplace & Chimney Authority Team

Reply from The Fireplace & Chimney Authority

Jun 23, 2025

Dear Mr. Plunkett,

FPCA takes our customer service extremely seriously. To that end, your review prompted a significant look at the situation as it played out.

To recap:
1/17: We arrived for a service call with the complaint that the "starter is difficult to use". Our technician serviced the unit which included cleaning off an extremely soot covered log set, rearranging the logs back to spec for better results, new sand, and new embers. Based on your request, the technician also recommended a different valve.
1/25: A technician arrived to replace the existing valve.
2/4: Technician arrived to adjust the pilot based on your complain that it was "too loud". Pilot was adjusted at no charge.
2/21: Technician arrived after receiving complaint that the unit made a popping sound after a couple of minutes and goes out. To accommodate the customer, technician replaced the brand new valve system.
3/11: Technician arrived to adjust logs since they "did not look as good as before the new valve". Sand and embers were added and customers custom grate was replaced as courtesy. Technician also adjusted the log set in the bedroom at the customers request "to look more like the downstairs fireplace". All were done at no charge.

Throughout this time period, you called and e-mailed several times with similar complaints about the pilot going out and or it being too loud. Eventually, it was explained that it could not be both ways and that that is why we don't adjust the pilot, i.e. the pilot is more likely to go out.
6/3: The last communication was that the remote was not working properly, and you wanted a refund for half the cost to change out the valve and that he would go somewhere else. After attempting to ascertain if you had changed the batteries, we received back an e-mail that you had. You ended the e-mail with "no worries, I moved on with another installer".

Throughout this process, we feel that we have done above and beyond the normal service up to and including multiple visits at no charge for issues caused by your requests. If you have found another service team, we wish you well. If you would prefer, you are welcome to give us a call at 630-279-8500 and ask to speak to our General Manager regarding this situation. He will get back to you promptly.

Sincerely,
The Fireplace & Chimney Authority Team