Kirkland Fireplace

In the past I’ve had fair service from Kirkland Fireplace. Indeed after this service I asked the technician to have the service manager to give me a call. He told me the manager was out of office but he made a note of it on his paperwork and assured me I’d get a call the next day. Well its been few days and as I suspected no call. Too bad because I was going to compliment the technician on finally fixing the the (Berkshire) stove. The tech told me he was just out of training and it showed. Coupled with fact that the stove was probably older than him it was a challenge. He hung in there and got it working. When I called to schedule service I told the scheduler that I smelled a faint odor of gas and I discovered the pilot light was out. I didn’t try to light it, I just shut off the gas. I had to wait about 3 weeks for the initial scheduled appointment. On the first trip the tech said his meter didn’t detect a gas leak. He tried to light the pilot and it immediately went out. He told me what part he suspected had failed. But, he had come with no parts to fix the stove??? He said he was new to working on his own and they didn’t give him parts!! So this first appointment was a waste of both my time and his. You have to agree to a 2 hour window for each appointment, fortunately I am retired. I had agreed to have the stove cleaned but what good to me is CLEAN broken stove. I told him to forget about cleaning I just wanted the stove repaired. He assured he would arrange to have the scheduler call me again to setup the first available appt. A day or so after he left I again detected the faint smell of gas. The technician left gas on!!! I wasn’t going to mention this to the manager. For a couple of days I didn’t a call (go figure). I finally called left a message and got a call back. The same technician showed up 2 days later. He got work right away and spent about an hour replacing the part he suspected had failed. What a surprise, it didn’t fix the problem!!! Actually I was ok with that because he was honest about it. Then he told me he wouldn’t charge for the cost of that part (a pleasant surprise!!!). He repeated that I wouldn’t be charged for that part a few times. He went out to his truck and called some other techs or his service manager (I’m not sure who). When he returned he told me whoever he talked to said the problem was with a valve. A little more than another hour goes by while he does the replacement. He puts everything back together and turns on the stove. But something is still not quite right? Again the guy was completely honest in telling me he forgot to hook something up. Not problem for me, I know the guy is trying his best to do a good job. I wasn’t a helicopter client watching over his shoulder, but perhaps if I were I would have noticed he left the gas on his first trip. He finishes up and goes out to his truck to write up the bill. When he returns he has a sort of sheepish look on his face. He then says he has to charge me for the parts he used even though he misdiagnosed which part was faulty. He couldn’t reinstall the first part replaced because he clipped wires off. He said he had to charge for that part because it was out of spec or something to that effect. He said it should have been replaced anyway. I know the stove is at least 30 years old so that’s a possibility, but I don’t think he would have replaced it had he just replaced the faulty valve. I suspect that’s just something the manager told him to say to cover the cost of that part. About 2 years prior Kirkland Fireplace serviced the stove and they made no mention of replacing out of spec parts. If that was a problem why didn’t they insist on replacing that part then. I told the tech I would pay the bill even though I wasn’t happy with the explanation. I also told him I felt like I was paying for his learning curb. I guess that is not a fair criticism because he did only charge for an hour of labor. Maybe the service manager figured parts vs labor cost was a wash. I don’t know because he never gave me a call. An hour or so after the tech left I found 2 small screws on the carpet near the stove. It’s possible they fell out of his bag, I’ve no idea. I actually like the technician. Kirkland Fireplace is lucky to have him. But overall I can’t say this was a positive experience.

unknown

The pre-sales and sales experience we had with Kirkland Fireplace was good, we had received recommendations for them from several friends/family members as well as our home inspector when buying our current property.  We got a thorough explanation of the options (who knew there were endless numbers of faux log choices) and eventually settled on the basic log option and opted for the more advanced remote control which acts as a thermostat to turn the fire on/off automatically to keep the temp fairly steady.  This has allowed us to greatly reduce the use of the gas furnace and saved money on the gas bill.  
Scheduling the installation took a little longer than anticipated, but that was mostly due to our waiting until closer to to Fall/Winter to buy the fireplaces.  As I recall the appointment was made about 5-6 weeks out from when we made the initial deposit.
The installer, Tom, was awesome.  Not much for conversation but his craftsmanship and attention to detail were second to none, extremely precise, thorough and clean.  All good things when dealing with the routing of gas throughout the home.  In order to meet code it was necessary to replace about 20' of the existing gas line within the home and make it 1" line.  We also opted to pay a bit extra and have him run the gas up to the kitchen while he was there.  He did all that work, and also left a couple additional "T" junctions that would allow us to hook up a gas dryer and hot water heater in the future if desired.
The installations of the actual fireplace units were also clean and precise, everything worked as advertised and overall we were extremely happy with the installation.  The custom surround looks and fits like it was built into the house and they offered to powder coat it to match the stone work in the future if we decide to cover the existing brick-- it's currently black.
Post-install we've had a couple service calls; one for a fireplace that wasn't lighting consistently and another for a faulty remote control.  Both of these issues were resolved quickly without requiring any follow up visits.  The only slight downside is that scheduling took a little time but nothing to worry about and the follow up from the scheduling/service department was great in both cases; they were able to slot us in earlier than expected when an opening came up.

unknown

As I was staying warm and cooking food on my wood stove during the massive windstorm yesterday, I realized I had not yet written a review for Kirkland Fireplace.  
Start to finish, they did an excellent job.  They removed my 35+ year old wood stove and chimney pipe, and replaced with with a new EPA certified wood stove (Lopi Endeavor) and new chimney pipe.  They also removed my old hearth pad, which was replaced with a hearth pad that had to be custom-made because the size and shape of the previous one was nonstandard.  I had an excellent experience with sales, helping me through all of the options that I could consider.  The wait time for installation was relatively short (planning ahead and doing this in early Fall was a good idea).  The installation went smoothly, and everything looks great.  Most importantly, when the windstorm hit and all my friends were trying to stay warm and eating cold canned beans straight out of the can, I had to crack open some windows to let the house cool off, and the hot dinner I made on the stove was very tasty.
If you need wood stove or fireplace work done, definitely check out Kirkland Fireplace.

Eric, the technician,  is doing a very good  job. John Magnuson, the office contact, is very knowledge and could provide a good estimate. The repair work is on time within budget.  Lionel Sun

We were very happy with their service. The staff were fine. They did a fine job and they did it when they said they would do it and we're happy with the work.

Our Lopi gas stove's pilot light would not stay on and we needed annual maintenance.  The maintenance service is approximately $135+ tax and includes removing the logs, cleaning the inside, cleaning theceramic glass, changing the ceramic glass gasket, setting the flame to burn efficiently and placing new embers to the logs..
To fix the pilot light since our stove is over 20 years old I decided to have the thermocouple, thermopile and high limit switch
replaced.  The parts were about $78.00.  The switch to the thermostat was replaced and a pilot shield was built to insure the pilot stayed over the thermocouple.  Eric W. did an excellent job and this was all done in 45 minutes. 
Eric W. is very efficient even though this work required working in very tight place.  I would highly recommend this provider again.

I was able to take advantage of a cancellation and get a service call within a week of initial contact. Tom, the service man, was prompt and polite and, most importantly, really knowledgeable. He did what appeared to be a complicated job that required many trips up and down a very tall ladder. I was delighted that he was able to make our fireplace useable again, and I thought the price of the repair was more than fair.

The whole process went very well. If I would share any advice at all it would be that if you need your new fireplace installed by Christmas, contact KF before November 1st, we were just a tad late although Pat assured us that he would call if some earlier installation times became available.

It was a wonderful experience working with Craig from Kirkland Fireplace. We are upgrading our home and want to give it a more contemporary look. Craig spent a lot of time with us, showing us pictures of different fireplace designs and explaining how costly it would be to install those. We are very happy with the model that we chose in the end.

We bought our first fireplace insert from Craig at Kirland Fireplace in 1998. Compared to other fireplace companies we considered then, they were very reasonably priced. And they still are. We were pleased with the first installation so I went back to them to get a new one. Craig was still there and within a few days came to the house to view what we wanted done and take the needed measurements. He worked hard to make the costs as affordable as he could. We paid less for moving and reinstalling the old insert and putting in the new one than I was quoted elsewhere for just installing a new one. And the unit we got from Craig not only has a fan, but a remote controlled thermostat which I highly recommend. The other more expensive one had neither.

We scheduled the installation and we were fortunate to have one of their installers Tom do the work for us. The man is amazing. He completed the entire job by himself and did a great job with the gas and electrical hookups that were required, improving on the original installation. He even helped me relight my gas furnace which I can never do. That's definitely above and beyond service.

The issue we had more has to do with Travis than Kirkland Fireplace, but the face plate has an upper bar that heats up during use, and then bows outward. This makes the doors bow outward a little also, and it looks a little funny. We spoke with Kirkland Fireplace, who said it was quite unusual, and they supposedly called Travis. Travis told them it was a known issue that happened a few times and suggested we use extra magnets to keep the doors attached to the face plate. This prevents the doors from popping open, but doesn't stop the bowing in the first place. We called Travis and have left a message to get their direct comments about this, but it would seem if we spent they money on a brand new insert, we should get one that looks good from the start.

I would use Kirkland Fireplace again and would recommend them, but I would have some reservations recommending an Avalon or Lopi insert.

The shop staff were knowledgeable and helped me chose the right products. I also arranged for them to do the installation.
Scheduling was easy, and they shifted the install date when we hadnt finished prepping the fireplaces without any problems.
We had a pre installation site visit so they could measure the fireplaces and make custom screens. This went well, and we discussed the details of how the inserts would fit into our fireplaces.
The fitter arrived on time, calling beforehand to let us know he was on his way. The installation went very smoothly, and we are very happy with the inserts. BUT he did not have the custom sized screens that had been included in the purchase, and that had been measured for on the pre installation visit.
We were promised that these would be made and fitted within a week. I had to call the shop 2 weeks later, and am still waiting for a call back.
Installation only took about 4 hours for both fireplaces including altering our chimneys, and fitting the stainless steel chimney liners. Given the time it took, the installation costs seemed expensive ( $3000 for 4 hours work for one person? )

.

Slow to respond but the fitting work was excellent and the door quality was good.

The painting itself went well, and looked decent. However, I did this at the end of the last heating season. I used to doors a total of twice. With this season I used the doors ONCE, and the gaskets just fell off. I went in to have them fix their sloppy job, and they said "we don't offer any warranty on gaskets. They can last one fire, or 100. That's not up to us." I suggested that I thought it would be fair if they took half off the $45.00 replacement fee. They refused. Unfortunately they are one of the few companies that offer this service.

It went well. The installer arrived on time, did a good job and was very professional. Sales staff also were easy to work with.

They were great. Scheduling, timeliness, quality of installation were all good. The sales person and installer were friendly and courteous. It turned out well and the quality was good.

I found them to be unacceptable. The sales person is your sole contact and I liked that except that when he came out to do the estimate he told me that there was not any work that needed to be done previous to the installation. Which was not necessarily true, he did not tell me that the electrical needed to be hooked up to the fire place. So in order for the fire place to work the way it was intended to we would have to have Kirkland remove the insert, hire an electrician to do the electrical work then have Kirkland re-install it. When I called the sales-person to inform him of his mistake he was unwilling to help me with the problem. It wasn't until after much letter writing, complaints to customer service and refusing to pay the balance that they payed attention to my concern.

We experienced horrible customer service and product reliability once they had made the initial sale and collected a hefty down payment. The installer did not properly close the roof where the venting pipe was place and during a rain storm we had water streaming down the inside of our house. The installed fireplace did not work. A request for customer service was initially denied because they did not have enough field technicians to handle customer problems. Because this was to be installed before a large Christmas event, they finally agreed to send a technician out 12/23. The technician told us to call utility company which was basically just a run-around. Finally, we called KF to resolve the issue and they told us the manufacturer was at fault and a special pilot light protector piece had to be installed. Shoddy customer service all the way around. We never received any reduction on our bill or even a letter of apology for the missed holiday deadline. Don't recommend them.

I have referred them to other people, and they have been pleased too. They do excellent work. They were very good. They did the reface on the fireplace. They gave me better ideas on how to use it. They walked me through the whole process. They have very good people there.

Got a quote after an on-site visit, when I called to schedule the work they raised the price by $50. Thats less than 3% but I felt that they should honor their price as a matter of principal, (and honor). He finally relented but not until I had been roundly insulted. I would have gone elsewhere but they have a tech. that is so good. Had them do two river rock fireplace doors. Both flawless.

THE INSTALLER WAS VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE AND DID GOOD WORK. HOWEVER, HIS COMMUNICATION WITH US THE CUSTOMER WAS NON-EXISTENT. NEVER OFFERED TO SHOW US HOW TO TURN THE FIREPLACE ON. AFTER GROUTING THE TILE FACE HE NEVER SAID ANYTHING ABOUT NOT TURNING THE FIREPLACE ON FOR A WEEK TO LET GROUT CURE; GOOD THING WE ASKED BEFORE HE LEFT.

WHAT A PLEASANT, PROFESSIONAL OVERALL EXPERIENCE. FROM OUR SALESMAN JAMES, WHO CAME TO OUR HOUSE AFTER WORK, TO THE OTHER SALESMEN IN THE SHOP WHO ANSWERED MY MULTIPLE QUESTIONS, TO TOM THE PATIENT, METICULOUS INSTALLER, WE WERE WELL TAKEN CARE OF BY COMPETENT PROFESSIONALS. JAMES HAD MANY HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS (UNLIKE THE NICE, BUT BASIC SALESPERSON FROM THE BIG UTILITY OPTION THAT ALSO CAME TO OUR HOME FOR AN ESTIMATE.) THEY MAKE THE DOORS AND SURROUNDS AT THEIR SHOP. AND THEY DON'T USE CONTRACT INSTALLERS. (UNLIKE OTHERS.) TOM WAS WONDERFUL! THE FIREPLACE IS BEAUTIFUL, THE GASOLINE WORK GREAT, AND MOVED A SWITCH TO INSIDE THE FIREPLACE. HE LEFT NO DEBRIS BEHIND. I COULDN'T FIND ANY ASH IN THE LIVING ROOM AT ALL. AND HE PATIENTLY PUT UP WITH MY TWO CURIOUS BOYS AND MY ONE FRIENDLY GOLDEN RETRIEVER PUPPY. WE ONLY HAD ONE PROBLEM, THE INITIAL SURROUND WAS SLIGHTLY TOO SMALL. BUT THEY IMMEDIATELY CORRECTED THE PROBLEM, INSTALLING A NEW, CORRECT ONE IN JUST A COUPLE OF DAYS.

I WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THE GENTLEMAN WE WORKED WITH HAD. HE WAS HELPFUL AND SCHEDULED US QUICKLY FOR OUR INSTALLATION. WE HAD KIRKLAND FIREPLACE BEAT A COMPETITOR ON THE SAME SET UP BY OVER TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS. I WOULD USE THIS COMPANY AGAIN, ANYTIME.