Level 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.
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AfterOlympia Chimney Fireplace Services in Hempstead: What to Know First
Olympia Chimney fireplace repair in Hempstead typically runs $145-$385 for common fixes like damper replacement, gas valve service, or firebox repointing, and most jobs are completed in a single visit. We’re an independent Olympia Chimney service provider, which means we work on these units every week but we don’t answer to the manufacturer’s sales targets. You’ll get an upfront price before a tool comes off the truck, and the number on the invoice matches the number on the phone.
This page is for Hempstead homeowners who own an Olympia Chimney fireplace or insert and want someone who knows these units inside out. Call (516) 963-1068 and a live person answers, day or night.
What happens when you call
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A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
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You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
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A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
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You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
How Olympia Chimney Products Fail - and How We Fix Them
- Olympia Wood-Burning Fireplaces (Standard Line): The most common call we get in older Hempstead homes near Hofstra is a damper that’s seized or warped. These units use a cast-iron throat damper that sits directly above the firebox. Years of Nassau County humidity cycles rust the pivot pins, and the handle rod eventually snaps. The fix is a full damper assembly replacement, not a patch. We carry both OEM Olympia dampers and a heavier aftermarket option that outlasts the original in damp chimneys.
- Olympia Gas Fireplace Inserts (Vent-Free Series): The thermocouple and thermopile in these inserts degrade faster here than in drier climates. Hempstead’s salt air is the culprit. The symptom is a pilot that lights but drops out when you release the knob. Some companies will sell you a whole new gas valve. We test the millivolt output first, replace the thermopile if it’s weak, and only touch the valve if it’s actually failed. Saves you $300-$400.
- Olympia Direct-Vent Gas Fireplaces: These are known for glass gasket compression issues after about five years. The glass seal gets brittle, the fireplace pulls room air through the gap, and you get soot streaking on the glass that keeps coming back no matter how often you clean it. The real fix is a new gasket, properly seated. We’ve seen homeowners replace glass assemblies they didn’t need because no one checked the gasket first.
- Olympia Fireplace Inserts (Wood-Burning Models): The secondary burn tubes at the top of the firebox sag over time, especially in homes where fires burn hot and long through January. Sagging tubes cause lazy flames and excess creosote in the upper firebox. We can straighten early-stage sag. Once they’re badly warped, we replace them with the correct Olympia-spec tube set. This is one of those jobs where aftermarket parts are fine, but only if the gauge matches the original.
- Olympia Blower Motors and Fan Assemblies: On inserts and direct-vent units with circulation fans, the motor bearings wear out faster in homes with pets or carpet. Hair and dust get pulled into the motor housing, and the fan starts rumbling like a washing machine with a sock in it. Sometimes we can clean and re-oil. Usually it’s a motor replacement. We stock common Olympia blower motors or can have one within two days.
Our Olympia Chimney Fireplace Services Process
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You call, a person answers. That’s Wendell or one of the crew, not a call center. We ask what the fireplace is doing, what model it is if you know it, and we book a time that works. Live person, 24/7, no voicemail black hole.
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We show up in a marked truck, in uniform. We bring the common Olympia parts with us so we’re not running back to the shop. Before anything comes off the truck, you get the price. Not an estimate, a price.
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We diagnose on the spot. We pull the glass, the logs, whatever needs to come out, and we test. Thermocouple output, damper travel, gas pressure, gasket integrity. If the unit is fine and just needs cleaning, we’ll say so. If it doesn’t need doing, Wendell will tell you.
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Parts decision, your call. We lay out OEM Olympia versus quality aftermarket, with the honest trade-off. OEM keeps the warranty clean. Aftermarket sometimes outlasts the original. You decide, we install.
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We test the repair before we leave. Fire the pilot, run the blower, open and close the damper. If it’s a wood unit, we check the draft with a smoke pen. We don’t leave until it’s right.
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You get the 90-Day Done Right Promise in writing. If anything we touched isn’t performing, one call brings us back at no additional cost. That’s stamped on the invoice, every job, no exceptions.
What Olympia Chimney Fireplace Services Costs in Hempstead
You can’t get an honest chimney quote from a website, but here’s what we typically see in Hempstead:
- Standard fireplace cleaning and inspection: $145-$195
- Damper replacement (cast-iron throat damper): $210-$340
- Thermocouple or thermopile replacement: $130-$210
- Gas valve replacement: $310-$480
- Glass gasket replacement: $95-$160
- Blower motor replacement: $180-$320
- Firebox repointing or minor masonry repair: $280-$600
What moves the price is access, part availability, and whether the unit’s been neglected for a while. A fireplace that’s been used hard for ten winters costs more to put right than one cleaned every year. Your flue doesn’t care how the fire looks. It cares how it breathes. Call (516) 963-1068 for an exact quote. Estimates are free, and if you have a written estimate from another company, we’ll give you a free second opinion on it.
Why Hempstead Homeowners Call Top Hat Chimney for Olympia Chimney Work
We’ve been at this since 1999. Wendell Pike put his name on this company, and he still picks up the phone when it rings. That’s not marketing, it’s just how we run things. We know Olympia Chimney units because we’ve been inside hundreds of them in Nassau County homes, including plenty of older split-levels and colonials around Hofstra where the original fireplace is still working hard. We also service DuraFlex, HeatShield, and Gelco products, so we’re not a one-brand shop trying to sell you a whole new system. If your Olympia fireplace needs a part that’s backordered, we can usually cross-reference a compatible alternative and tell you honestly whether it’s as good. The 90-Day Done Right Promise covers every job, and the senior and veteran discount is just part of how we do business here.
FAQs
We’re an independent service provider, not an Olympia Chimney authorized dealer, so we don’t file warranty claims on your behalf. However, many Olympia fireplace components carry manufacturer warranties that remain valid when an independent professional performs the repair, as long as OEM parts are used. We’ll tell you if a part looks like a warranty item and recommend you contact Olympia directly with our repair documentation.
Yes. We stock the common Olympia parts like thermocouples, thermopiles, dampers, and blower motors on our trucks. For less common items, our regional supplier usually has them within two to three business days. We’ve never had an Olympia fireplace sitting cold for more than a week waiting on parts.
Usually it’s worth repairing, honestly. Olympia builds straightforward units, and a $200 thermopile replacement gets you years of service. Replacement only makes sense when the firebox itself is cracked, the heat exchanger is compromised, or you want to convert from wood to gas anyway. We’ll show you the camera footage and give you a plain-English verdict, every time, no exceptions.
Once a year, burn or no burn. Chimneys break in the off-season too. For gas units, annual service catches a failing thermocouple before you’re sitting in a cold house on a January night. For wood-burning units, it catches creosote buildup before it becomes a chimney fire. First-degree creosote is a brush job. Third-degree is a glaze. Catch it early.
The short answer is you pay more later. A stuck damper left alone rusts until the frame itself needs replacing, which triples the repair cost. A gas unit with a weak thermopile eventually stops lighting. A wood fireplace with heavy creosote risks a chimney fire that can crack the flue. Call (516) 963-1068 and we’ll get you on the schedule. It’s cheaper than the alternative.
Written by Wendell Pike, Owner, Top Hat Chimney at Top Hat Chimney, serving Hempstead and nearby areas.