Masonry repair
Sweep & inspection
Caps & crowns
Flue relining
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 Repair in Pasadena: What to Know First
We repair Gelco chimney components in Pasadena homes, and most jobs are done in a single visit once parts arrive. A Gelco chimney repair in Pasadena typically runs $350 – $1,800 depending on what’s failed, and you’ll get a written price before we start any work. This page is for Pasadena homeowners whose Gelco chimney cap, chase cover, or damper has rusted through, warped, or stopped sealing.
We’re an independent Gelco service provider in Pasadena – not a factory-authorized shop, but a chimney company that has pulled apart enough Gelco installations to know exactly what fails and why. If you’re hearing water drip into the firebox or seeing rust streaks down the chimney chase, call (626) 657-5513 and we’ll diagnose it in plain words.
How Gelco Products Fail – and How We Fix Them
- Gelco chimney caps with mesh screens clog and rust at the frame. We see this often on Gelco caps installed on Pasadena’s older Craftsman and Spanish Revival chimneys. The screen traps creosote and debris, moisture sits on the steel frame, and the corners rust through. When the cap fails, rain falls straight down the flue. We remove the old cap, confirm the flue tile is intact, and install a properly sized replacement – OEM Gelco when warranty matters, quality aftermarket stainless when the chase is standard.
- Gelco chase covers bow and leak at the corners. Chase covers on prefab chimney chases take direct sun and rain in Pasadena’s dry-wet cycles, and flat steel with no crown pitch will puddle. Gelco chase covers that were never pitched correctly will rust at the corners first. We fabricate or source a replacement with a proper center pitch so water runs off instead of sitting.
- Gelco top-sealing dampers lose their seal after a few seasons of creosote buildup. This is the most common Gelco-specific failure we diagnose in Pasadena. The damper’s silicone gasket gets coated with creosote on the underside, the seal degrades, and cold air pours into the house on winter nights. The fix is usually a thorough cleaning of the damper seat and either a gasket replacement or a full damper swap. Some Gelco damper models accept replacement gaskets; others need the full assembly.
- Loose Gelco cap legs on a crooked crown. Pasadena’s older masonry chimneys often have crowns that have settled or cracked, and a Gelco cap that was anchored to a bad crown will come loose. We re-secure the cap, but only after repairing the crown surface so the cap has something solid to sit on.
- Rust-through from unlined chimneys venting gas appliances. Gelco caps and dampers on chimneys that vent gas furnaces or water heaters in Pasadena get hit with acidic condensate. The condensate eats steel fast, far faster than on a wood-burning chimney. If your Gelco cap is rusting through in under five years, the real problem is likely the absence of a proper flue liner – not the cap itself. We’ll tell you that plainly rather than just selling a new cap.
Styles & brands we work with





Our Gelco Chimney Repair Process
- 1
Book the call. You call (626) 657-5513. A live person answers and schedules a Pasadena service visit.
- 2
On-site diagnosis. A background-checked, uniformed technician arrives within the window given and inspects the Gelco cap, chase cover, or damper – and the flue behind it.
- 3
Written price. We tell you what’s actually wrong, show you the damage when possible, and hand you a written price covering parts and labor before any tool comes off the truck.
- 4
The repair. OEM Gelco parts where warranty or fit requires, quality aftermarket stainless where a standard part does the job better for less.
- 5
Test and verify. We test the draw, check the seal, confirm the rainwater path, and fix any issue on the spot.
- 6
The guarantee. Every Gelco repair carries our 365-Day Done Right Promise in writing. If a covered repair fails within one year, we return at no charge.
See the difference
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AfterWhat Gelco Chimney Repair Costs in Pasadena
A Gelco cap replacement in Pasadena typically runs $350 – $700 depending on flue size and whether the crown needs prep first. A top-sealing damper repair or replacement ranges $500 – $1,200. A chase cover rebuild runs $800 – $1,800 when fabrication is required. The spread comes down to material thickness, access to the roof, and whether the underlying crown or chase needs repair before the Gelco part goes on.
What moves the price? Flue size, roof pitch, whether the old part is still manufactured, and whether the crown or chase is sound. We don’t quote a damper repair if the real problem is a cracked flue tile. You’ll get a written price before we start. Call (626) 657-5513 for a free estimate.
Why Pasadena Homeowners Call Flint Chimney Co Pasadena for Gelco Work
We’re part of the Garrison Partners family, founded in 2002, and we operate under The Garrison Standard – the same code every Garrison Partners location follows. That means an actual background-checked, uniformed technician walks through your door, a written price lands in your hand before work starts, and a written one-year guarantee backs every Gelco repair. No price moved at the door. No “while we’re up there” surprises.
If a Gelco part is discontinued or backordered, we can specify a proper alternative from DuraFlex, HeatShield, Olympia Chimney, or another of the trade brands we keep on hand. You’ll know exactly what’s being installed and why.
FAQs
No. As an independent Gelco service provider in Pasadena, we install and service Gelco components without affecting your manufacturer’s warranty on parts. We use OEM Gelco parts when a warranty is active and the part is available. If the part is discontinued, we’ll tell you plainly and present the aftermarket alternative with no surprise markup.
In Pasadena’s climate, a Gelco cap on a wood-burning chimney will typically give you 8 – 15 years. On a gas-vented chimney without a proper flue liner, you might see rust-through in under five years because acidic condensate eats the steel. If a Gelco part fails that fast, the cause is usually not the part – it’s what’s going up the flue. Call (626) 657-5513 and we’ll diagnose it honestly.
It depends on which Gelco damper model you have. Some models accept replacement silicone gaskets, which is a $150 – $400 repair in Pasadena. Other models are built as a single sealed assembly, and a failed gasket means a full damper replacement for $500 – $1,200. We’ll tell you which one you have and why the math lands where it lands – free estimate, no obligation.
A failed cap or chase cover lets water into the chimney chase or flue, which rots the framing, rusts the damper, and in a masonry chimney, cracks the crown. A damper that won’t seal means Pasadena winter nights with cold air dropping down the flue and higher heating bills. Neither gets better by waiting. Call (626) 657-5513 for an exact quote – estimates are free.
Yes. Most of the Gelco components we repair in Pasadena were installed by other companies or came with the house. We inspect the entire chimney – cap, chase, damper, flue – and repair what actually needs repair. The flue either draws or it doesn’t. Let’s find out which.
Written by Hank Delano, Owner, Flint Chimney Co Pasadena at Flint Chimney Co Pasadena, serving Pasadena and nearby areas.