Fireplace Experts in The Poconos

Enhancing The Poconos One House at a Time, since 1985

Providing Expert Fireplace, Chimney, and Masonry Services for Allentown and Stroudsburg, PA

expert fireplace services Allentown and Stroudsburg

Gas Fireplaces

Here’s what you need to consider when heating with gas.

Forget the kindling and the matches. Put away the bellows. Don’t worry about the damper. Cozying up to a warm fire has never been easier. Regency brings you ‘Fire at your Fingertips’ with our full line of gas fireplaces, inserts and stoves. Whether you want to heat a small sitting room, a newly finished basement, or an entire home, Regency gas appliances come in a range of sizes and styles to match your needs. And you don’t need an existing chimney for installation; all you need is proximity to the roof or an outside wall.

Gas models can go anywhere. You don’t need a standard chimney to vent your Regency gas appliance. With Direct Vent technology, all you need is an outside wall or unobstructed access to the roof. Gas vent pipe can be easily installed into existing homes at minimal cost. So if you want a fireplace or stove in your bedroom, your kitchen, or even your bathroom, we can make it happen!

Your best choice for zone heating. Most gas appliances are compact and require very little space for installation. This means that you can concentrate their power in the room that needs it most. While a central furnace works to heat an entire home, including the rooms not in use, a gas appliance from Regency, heats your living areas. Pretty simple concept.

No electricity required. Your Regency gas fireplace, stove or insert runs on the power of the pilot flame, and does not need any electricity (except for the blower). This keeps your energy costs down, and ensures safe and reliable operation even during power outages. And if the pilot flame should be extinguished, the valve will shut down and your fireplace will turn off, available safety feature.

Lower operating costs. Natural gas remains one of the least expensive fuels available. And Regency gas models are all heater rated, which means they boast high efficiency levels to deliver the maximum heat per BTU. Just in case the beautiful fire wasn’t reason enough to buy a Regency.

The perfect wood replacement. If you are thinking about getting rid of your old wood stove or fireplace, or you are getting tired of lugging wood into your house, then a Regency gas model is just what you need. Our stoves and inserts can be vented right inside your existing wood chimney, greatly reducing installation costs. It’s easier than you think!

The ultimate in controlled heat. Every Regency gas model comes with a basic on/off switch, located on the unit or mounted nearby on the wall. They can also be equipped with a wall thermostat (basic or programmable) for hands-free operation, or even a remote control for maximum convenience. Choose the system that best suits your needs.

Glass and metal surfaces get hot. Every Regency model is designed and certified as a heater, which means that they are engineered to deliver high efficiency heat to your home. The glass window and metal surfaces help conduct this heat, and will become extremely hot to the touch. Please take care when operating your fireplace, stove or insert.

The glowing embers … the snap of the wood as it catches fire … the curl of the flames … If you thought that wood stoves belonged in the basement next to the water heater, look again at Regency. Classic designs with elegant 24-karat gold plated finishing and large viewing areas make our wood stoves, inserts and fireplaces the perfect complement to your living room, kitchen or bedroom. Some models come with a cooktop surface to boil water or prepare light meals. And naturally, no electricity is required! There’s nothing like the look, feel and scent of a wood fire.

Regency offers everything you love about wood fires while helping you keep a lid on costs. That’s because the US Environmental Protection Agency certifies all our wood stoves, inserts and fireplaces to be clean burning, efficient and long lasting. You will use less wood and get more heat out of it than you would in an old stove or open masonry fireplace. You will also help preserve the air quality in your community. Here are some tips & tricks to heating your home effectively with Regency wood products.

Locate it where you live. Put the heat where you want it most, where you spend most of your time. This way, you will benefit from the heat when and where you need it. Putting it in your rarely used basement will overheat that floor, and reduce the heat available for your living areas. Choose the right size for your needs. Decide how much of your home you would like to heat with wood, and buy the stove that fits best. Regency models come in a range of sizes to help you make the right choice. Remember that bigger isn’t always better, since an under-fired stove will not perform up to its capabilities, and you risk overheating the room in which your appliance is installed.

Carefully select the wood you burn. The wood you burn plays a significant role in the overall cost and long-term performance of your stove, insert or fireplace. Your best bet is to use hardwood (i.e. oak, maple, beech, ash) that has been properly dried for about one year. The drier the wood, the hotter and more cleanly it will burn. Soft wood (such as spruce, poplar or redwood) or wood with a lot of sap (such as pine) doesn’t get as hot, and doesn’t burn as completely. There is also a higher risk of creosote buildup in your chimney (a leading cause of chimney fires).

It’s all in the loading. How long and how completely your fire will burn depends on how you build it. The optimum way is to keep logs stacked along the bottom toward the rear of the firebox, with the paper, kindling or embers toward the front where the air comes in. Do not pile wood up to the very top, leaving space between the top log and the secondary air tubes.

Good things start off small. Give your chimney time to warm up and draft properly by starting with a small fire at first. A big, roaring blaze in a cold chimney will produce a lot of smoke and put a lot of stress on the stove. Warm up slowly to keep your stove running in optimum condition for years to come.

You wouldn’t put alcohol in your gas tank, so do not put anything but dried hardwood in your stove. Pressure treated wood, stained or painted wood, mill ends and garbage burn unpredictably, and release a lot of chemicals that can damage the components of your stove and chimney (not to mention their contribution to pollution). Your lifetime warranty only protects you if you burn the right wood.

Master the art of draft control. By controlling the flow of air into the firebox, you can control the burn rate of your fire. The less air, the slower it burns, the longer the wood lasts, and the more heat you get.

Always keep the air shutter completely open when starting your fire, letting the logs catch before choking off the air.

Keep your appliance clean. Remove ashes regularly to allow for maximum air flow inside the firebox (all Regency stoves can be outfitted with an optional ash drawer). Use a damp cloth to wipe down the exterior and the optional gold trim. If needed, clean the glass with fireplace glass cleaner, available at your local hearth shop.

Protect your family. The surfaces of your wood appliance get extremely hot. If you have young children or pets, keep a screen in place to prevent accidental contact with the appliance. Decorative screens not only provide protection, but they also enhance the décor of your room.

Safety and maintenance. An annual estimate and cleaning by your retailer or a chimney sweep is highly recommended. Creosote buildup can lead to chimney fires, and loose flue pipes can lead to smoke leaks or worse. Arranging for an annual estimate of your appliance and your chimney will identify any real or potential problems you are facing, and will help you avoid serious damage to your appliance and your home.
Gas Model Maintenance:

NOTE: Always turn off the gas valve before cleaning. For relighting, refer to lighting instructions. Keep the burner and control compartment clean by brushing and vacuuming at least once a year. When cleaning the logs, use a soft clean paint brush as the logs are fragile and easily damaged.

Cleaning

Clean appliance and door with a damp cloth (never when unit is hot). Never use an abrasive cleaner. The glass should be cleaned with a gas fireplace glass cleaner. The glass should be cleaned when it starts looking cloudy. Note: Never operate the appliance without the glass properly secured in place.

The appliance and venting system must be inspected before use, and at least annually, by a qualified field service person, to ensure that the flow of combustion and ventilation air is not obstructed. Do not use this appliance if any part has been under water.

Immediately call a qualified service technician to inspect the appliance and to replace any part of the control system and any gas control which has been under water.

Verify operation after servicing.

General Vent Maintenance

Have an estimate of the venting system semi-annually. Recommended areas to inspect as follows:

  • Check the Venting System for corrosion in areas that are exposed to the elements. These will appear as rust spots or streaks, and in extreme cases, holes. These components should be replaced immediately.
  • Remove the Cap, and shine a flashlight down the Vent. Remove any bird nests, or other foreign material.
  • Check for evidences of excessive condensation, such as water droplets forming in the inner liner, and subsequently dripping out the joints, Continuous condensation can cause corrosion of caps, pipe, and fittings. It may be caused by having excessive lateral runs, too many elbows, and exterior portions of the system being exposed to cold weather.
  • Inspect joints, to verify that no pipe sections or fittings have been disturbed, and consequently loosened. Also check mechanical supports such as Wall Straps, or plumbers’ tape for rigidity.

Gold Plated or Brass Louvers

The 24 carat gold-plated or brass finish on the louvers and trim requires little maintenance, and need only be cleaned with a damp cloth. DO NOT use abrasive materials or chemical cleaners, as they may harm the finish and void the warranty. Clean any fingerprints off before turning the unit on.

Gold-Plated or Brass Trim

The 24 carat gold plated or brass finish on the trim requires little maintenance, and need only be cleaned with a damp cloth. DO NOT use abrasive materials or chemical cleaners, as they may harm the finish and void the warranty. Clean any fingerprints off before turning the unit on. If the top louvers start to discolor, check the door gasket seal and replace if necessary.

Log Replacement

The unit should never be used with broken logs. Turn off the gas valve and allow the unit to cool before opening door and carefully remove the logs. (The pilot light generates enough heat to burn someone.) If for any reason a log should need replacement, you must use the proper replacement log. The position of these logs must be as shown in the diagrams under Log Installation.

Note: Improper positioning of logs may create carbon build-up and will severely alter the unit’s performance which is not covered under warranty.

Door Glass

Your FPI fireplace is supplied with high temperature, 5 mm Neoceram ceramic glass that will withstand the highest heat that your unit will produce. If your glass requires cleaning, we recommend using an approved glass cleaner available at all authorized dealers. Do not use abrasive materials. Do not clean the glass when hot. In the event that you break your glass by impact, purchase your replacement from an authorized FPI dealer only, and follow our step-by-step instructions for replacement. Warning: Do not operate the appliance with the glass panels removed, cracked or broken. Replacement of the glass panels should be done by a licensed or qualified service person.

Wood Model Maintenance

It is very important to carefully maintain your fireplace stove, including burning seasoned wood and maintaining a clean stove and chimney system. Have the chimney cleaned before the burning season and as necessary during the season, as creosote deposits may build up rapidly. Moving parts of your stove require no lubrication.

Creosote

When wood is burned slowly, it produces tar and other organic vapors, which when combined with moisture, form creosote. The creosote vapors condense in the relatively cool chimney flue of a slow burning fire. As a result, creosote residue accumulates on the flue lining. When ignited, this creosote can result in an extremely hot fire.

WARNING: Things to remember in case of a chimney fire:

  • Close all draft and damper controls.
  • Call the Fire Department.

 

Ways to Prevent and Keep Unit Free of Creosote

  • Burn stove with the draft control wide open for about 10-15 minutes every morning during burning season.
  • Burn stove with draft control wide open for about 10 – 15 minutes every time you apply fresh wood. This allows the wood to achieve the charcoal stage faster and burns up any unburned gas vapours which might otherwise be deposited within the system.
  • Only burn seasoned wood! Avoid burning wet or green wood.
  • Seasoned wood has been dried at least one year.
  • A small hot fire is preferable to a large smouldering one that can deposit creosote within the system.
  • Check the chimney at least twice a month during the burning season for creosote build-up.
  • Have chimney system and unit cleaned by competent chimney sweeps twice a year during the first year of use and at least once a year thereafter or when a significant layer of creosote has accumulated (3 mm/1/8″ or more) it should be removed to reduce the risk of a chimney fire.

Latch Adjustment

The door latch may require adjustment as the door gasket material compresses after a few fires. Removal of the spacer washer, shown in the diagram below, will allow the latch to be moved closer to the door frame, causing a tighter seal. Remove and replace the nuts, washer and spacer as shown.

Door Gasket

If the door gasket requires replacement 7/8″ diameter material must be used. Regency uses AMATEX # 10-863KR 7/8″ dia. gasket. A proper high temperature gasket adhesive is required. See your Regency Dealer.

Glass Maintenance

Your Regency stove is supplied with 5 mm Neoceram ceramic glass that will withstand the highest heat that your unit will produce. In the event that you break your glass by impact, purchase your replacement from an authorized Regency dealer only, and follow our step-by-step instructions for replacement. Allow the stove to cool down before cleaning the glass, do not clean the glass when it is hot. Do not use abrasive cleaners.

Glass Replacement

Allow the stove to cool before removing or replacing glass. Remove the door from the stove and remove the glass retainer. Use caution when removing broken glass to avoid injury. When placing the replacement glass in the door, make sure that the glass gasketing will properly seal your unit. Replace the retainer, it should rest on the gasket not the glass, and tighten securely, but do not wrench down on the glass as this may cause breakage.

Do not use substitute materials. If your glass does break, do not continue to use your unit until it has been replaced.

Homeowner Resources

Roofing by Bruce IconRoofing by Bruce

2070 Milford Road, East Stroudsburg

3.6 48 reviews

  • Avatar Jamila Codrington ★★★★★ in the last week
    Highly recommend! Victor and his team did a great job repairing my chimney and completing a cleaning and inspection service. Friendly, knowledgeable and very patient with all my questions. Great company to work with!
  • Avatar Yevgeniya Pavlova ★★★★★ a week ago
    I had an issue with the pellet stove I inherited from the previous owners of the house. The stove was initially not installed properly, was drafty, and was not heating the house as it should, instead, letting a lot of cold air in. Roofing … More by Bruce had sent Robert, a stove technician, who is courteous, knowledgeable, punctual and very meticulous.
    The job was done perfectly, Robert fixed the installation issues, packed the stove opening with additional insulation, and explain to me the normal operating and maintenance procedures.
  • Avatar Brad Windhauser ★★★★★ 2 months ago
    They worked on my fireplace/chimney. We had an old wood burning insert, which they removed for us. They then installed a new damper and cap for the chimney. All were done efficiently and as promised with appointments. Robert was very friendly. … More Would recommend.
  • Avatar Deborah Devlin ★★★★★ 3 months ago
    A new chimney cap and terra cotta stack was installed by Austin and his crew today. We could not be more pleased with their outstanding job. They were on time and left our property clean. I highly recommend them for any of their services!! … More