Sweep & inspection
Caps & crowns
Flue relining
Masonry repair
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.
Gelco Chimney Cleaning in San Antonio Heights, CA | San Bernardino Chimney Sweep
We provide independent Gelco chimney cleaning and service across San Antonio Heights, and we do it with a foothill-specific focus most valley companies miss: uncapped flues here become wildlife nesting sites fast, and a blocked Gelco vent termination changes how your fireplace burns. That means our first move on a Gelco insert call isn’t just the firebox, it’s a camera check of the vent termination. Allen Prescott has worked Inland Empire chimneys for the better part of three decades, and his crew knows the difference between a routine cleaning and a forest-edge problem. Call (877) 516-7159 for a free estimate.
Why San Antonio Heights Residents Choose Us for Gelco Service
Gelco fireplaces are common in San Antonio Heights because the mid-century and custom ranch homes built from the 1940s through the 1970s often have masonry fireplaces or zero-clearance units that still see regular winter use. Homeowners at 1,200 to 1,800 feet elevation burn real fires through genuinely cool nights, so the equipment works harder than it does down in the valley. We service Gelco sales & service equipment daily: Renaissance inserts, VF vent-free logs, ZC zero-clearance fireplaces, and glass door assemblies. Our techs grew up in the Inland Empire, including the Kendall Drive corridor, and they understand what foothill burning seasons do to gas inserts and log sets. When you call, you get a crew that actually knows these units, not a generalist figuring it out on your hearth.
Styles & brands we work with





Common Gelco Chimney Cleaning Problems We Solve in San Antonio Heights
Here’s what we run into on Gelco equipment in this area, week after week:
- Soot-streaked glass and weak flame patterns from burning damp wood or partially-seasoned wood through long cool-weather burn seasons. The same fireplace that runs clean in a valley winter accumulates more creosote and soot at 1,600 feet when evening temperatures drop faster and fires burn longer.
- Wildlife nesting in uncapped Gelco flues is the single most common call we get in San Antonio Heights. Raccoons, squirrels, and birds move from the Angeles National Forest into residential chimneys when the weather turns, and a nest in a vent termination chokes airflow and can push carbon monoxide back into the house.
- Pilot and thermocouple failure on Gelco gas inserts after debris or nesting material partially blocks the vent. The thermocouple reads a weak or unstable flame, the pilot cycles off, and the insert either won’t light or shuts down mid-burn.
- Damper linkage and gasket wear in older Gelco inserts that have cycled through hundreds of foothill temperature swings. Hard starting and heat loss through a worn gasket are signs the unit needs service before the next burn season.
- Excess moisture and odor from vent-free Gelco log sets in original ranch homes where fireplace cavity clearances are tight. Older construction plus seasonal humidity at elevation makes ventilation a real factor.
Gelco Service in San Antonio Heights: What Local Conditions Mean for Your Equipment
Because San Antonio Heights homes back onto the Angeles National Forest, uncapped Gelco flues here routinely become raccoon and squirrel nesting sites. This is not a valley-floor pattern, it’s specific to foothill neighborhoods where the forest edge meets residential lots. So our first step on any Gelco insert call in San Antonio Heights is a camera inspection of the vent termination, not just the firebox. We’ve pulled nested material, leaves, and animal debris from units that burned fine a season earlier, and the fix often starts with clearing the termination and installing a proper multi-flue cap. If you live in the 91784 area and your Gelco has been smelling off or the flame looks lazy, the problem may be outside the house, at the top of the chimney. A camera check costs a lot less than guesswork.
Gelco Models & Products We Service in San Antonio Heights
We service the Gelco Renaissance series gas inserts, VF series vent-free gas logs, ZC series zero-clearance fireplaces, and Gelco glass door and screen assemblies for masonry fireplaces. Our approach on parts is direct: we stock OEM Gelco gaskets, thermocouples, and glass door hardware when available, and we use quality aftermarket equivalents for wear items like log sets and burners when OEM supply is delayed. That keeps San Antonio Heights turnaround practical rather than waiting on a manufacturer backorder. We recommend repair over replacement when the firebox and venting are sound. Replacement only makes sense when the unit is cracked, obsolete, or unsafe. You’ll get that answer straight, not a sales pitch for a new insert you don’t need.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterGelco Service Pricing in San Antonio Heights
Serving San Antonio Heights, CA — Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the San Antonio Heights area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage — if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.

FAQs – Gelco Chimney Cleaning in San Antonio Heights
Yes, and in San Antonio Heights that is the first thing we check. Squirrels, raccoons, and birds move from the forest into uncapped flues, and the blockage starves the burn and pushes odor back into the house. We confirm with a camera inspection of the vent termination, remove the nest, clean the unit, and usually install a cap so it doesn’t happen again. Call (877) 516-7159 for a service visit before the smell gets worse.
Yes, especially in San Antonio Heights where units sit unused for months and wildlife has time to move in. A Level 2 inspection checks the firebox, venting, termination, and clearances in a way a visual glance can’t. We recommend it on any Gelco ZC fireplace that hasn’t had Upland Gelco service or maintenance this year.
We can. Blackened glass on a Gelco log set usually points to incomplete combustion, a blocked vent, or soot buildup on the logs themselves. We clean the glass and logs, check the burner and air shutter, and then figure out why it happened. Often the root cause on a San Antonio Heights hillside home, like those needing Gelco service in Claremont, is the vent termination. Call (877) 516-7159 for an estimate.
Annually, before the burn season. Most San Antonio Heights homes burn enough through the cool fall and winter evenings that yearly cleaning and inspection catches creosote, wildlife debris, and thermocouple wear before they become a no-heat or fire-safety issue. Get on our fall schedule now and skip the rush.
Yes, and around San Antonio Heights it’s a real concern during Santa Ana wind events. A properly installed spark-arresting cap stops embers from leaving your flue and keeps birds and squirrels from moving in. We install multi-flue and custom caps based on your venting configuration. Call (877) 516-7159 and we’ll quote it from the ground up.
Service Areas Near San Antonio Heights
We run Gelco service across the surrounding foothill and valley communities. That includes San Antonio Heights service area, as well as Rubidoux, San Bernardino, Colton, and Rialto. We also cover Gelco service in Hesperia for the High Desert and Gelco service in Corona toward the Orange County line.
Book Your Gelco Service in San Antonio Heights Today
Burn season comes fast up here, and a clean flue isn’t a luxury, it’s just how you keep the fire where it belongs. Call (877) 516-7159 and we’ll schedule your Gelco cleaning and inspection.
Written by Allen Prescott, Owner at San Bernardino Chimney Sweep, serving San Antonio Heights, Gelco repair in Montclair, and the Inland Empire foothills.