Intimate Flame Inc

Ryan and Rudy were fantastic every step of the way in replacing an ill-​fitting gas insert with one that complimented the original historic front on our fireplace. With the complications of our install situation, they came out multiple times during the planning phase to try different things and discuss options — and they really listened to us and delivered on our priorities!
The day of the install was not without challenges (love these old houses), but Ryan and Rudy worked to re-​route the electrical, get the insert installed, and create a custom inside surround that really lets the original tile/​stone on our fireplace shine.
The thermostatic switch on the insert fan ended up being faulty, and as soon as we notified them, they came right back out with the right parts and plan to fix it in very little time. A+ on service and quality across the board — a joy to work with these guys!

I can not say enough good things about Ryan and Rudy and The Intimate Flame. We’ve used them for two fireplace inserts: one valor and one kozy heat. I’ve also contracted Ryan to install chimney venting on a major house remodel. He really went above and beyond dealing with a city inspector: contacting the manufacturer of the conduit and getting a letter approving his method of installation to appease the nitpicking inspector.
His prices are much lower than competitors on the Peninsula, and he knows what he’s doing and always show up on time. He’s very responsive over email and via phone, and gets the job done right. A+ for these guys.

Our Valor gas fireplace, purchased from Intimate Flame 12 years ago, stopped responding to the remote. I stopped by the showroom to discuss potential problem areas. Rudy showed me how to check a sensor, then offered to check the entire fireplace since it had never been serviced. He arrived precisely on time, laid out floor protection for the equipment, cleaned each piece as it was removed, explaining what he was doing. The batteries in the sensor had corroded, Rudy cleaned it thoroughly and got it working. He could easily have sold us another sensor, or charged extra for the amount of cleaning 12 years of neglect required. He was professional, knowledgeable — and fixed the problem for the price originally quoted. I am reassured that we made a great purchase from a good company, and will not hesitate to call on them in the future.

WE just had a gas stove installed in a cottage in our back yard. Arrived on time and worked efficiently and left the place as they found it. Very happy with the price and quality of work provided. Stove is working great. Thank you

Really, whatever bad review they got. They always have an excuse? I am not the customer??? Really??? Why did I waste my time to write the review if I am not the customer???

Ryan and Rudy just guided us through the whole process of selecting and then installing a gas insert fireplace. Included in this process was refacing our existing fireplace with Marble, installing the gas line into the fireplace, and installing the electricity to support the operation of the fireplace insert and its fan.
Ryan was incredibly easy to work with through this process. He was very responsive and all went as he said it would.
My wife and I are beyond ecstatic over the result.
I would strongly recommend Ryan and Rudy to anyone considering covering their existing fireplace into an efficient, beautiful, and easy to operate gas fireplace.

I was recommended to Intimate Flame by a couple of industry vets so I knew they were good and well respected. Great prices and flexible with special requests. Both, Rudy and Ryan were very helpful and responsive. Highly recommended if you’re in the market for upgrading your fireplace. Thanks!!!

Recently bought a house with a cruddy fireplace insert. After talking with a few chimney sweeps and getting shady advice and kind of a run around, was referred to Ryan. He and Rudy came out, gave clear advice, fixed it up properly for us. Super nice guys too. Highly recommend.

Ryan was extremely helpful and creative in solving my problem. We bought our fireplace insert many years ago and began our search when The Intimate Flame was in Niles. Ryan didn’t own the business at that time, but he still had our file. I needed a replacement part for our fireplace and he guided me through to a great solution.
If you are hesitant to buy a gas insert — do it! The heat they produce is intoxicating and much less expensive (I think) than running the furnace. The ambiance can’t be beat and they don’t stink like a wood stove.
Our furnace is very efficient and works well, but we really missed our fireplace when it was broken. Thanks to Ryan we’ll have our beloved fireplace on tonight!

We had Ryan and Rudy install a new gas insert in our house in July, just started using it. Seems to work great and Ryan and Rudy are great people to work with, very professional and honest. Work was done on time and looks great. Great outfit to work with.

AWESOME CUSTOMER SERVICE! Ryan is a SUPER nice guy always very helpful and easy to work with! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND INTIMATE FLAME!
I had my gas fireplace installed several years ago and never used it because the contractor never installed an on switch. After procrastinating for years I finally went to Intimate Flame and Ryan suggested a wireless thermostat remote which he and Rudy just came and installed! It works perfectly! They even dusted and polished it all up for me it looks great but unfortunately he doesn’t do windows… lol
I wouldn’t use anyone else for my fireplace needs and if I ever need anything Ryan will be getting my business along with my referrals!
Ryan, Thank you so much, your the best!
Just my 2 cents I was reading some other reviews about price shopping and getting a «good deal» well that is all relative if you ask me; getting a good deal can mean a lot of things its not always about price. yes price is a factor but to me customer service is something you cannot put a price on.
Have you ever gone to a nice restaurant where the food was a little pricey but the service was exceptional or a restaurant where the food was exceptional but the service sucked which would you go back to. Personally I’m going back to where the service was exceptional and where I felt the most taken care of and appreciated as a customer! You are always going to find a good deal if you shop around but you will NEVER find this kind of service… again just my 2 cents!

I had some work done by Intimate Flame early in 2014 and can make the following general comments.
Very professional organization. Competent and thorough getting to the root cause of the problem. Focused on customer satisfaction and generating repeat business. I have no hesitation in recommending the company. Every one there was great to deal with.

Ryan is one of the most honest, helpful people out there. I have had different issues with a remote controlled fireplace. He walked me through troubleshooting it over the phone and eventually made the trip out and fixed our issue in a timely manner. Lately, I had another issue and we troubleshooted over the phone again and fixed it within a minute. He is not out to make a buck off of you, he is there to help and cares about his customers.

Ryan and Tim came on a Saturday morning which, by itself, qualifies as going the extra mile. But beyond that they took the trouble to make sure that I was aware of a variety of details pertaining to my new unit that a lot of people wouldn’t take the trouble to mention. This even involved telling me how I could save money by cleaning the unit myself rather than calling them out to do it for me! In addition, they were very careful not to damage the floor when placing the unit in the room. They have lots of experience, very knowledgeable. To top it off these guys were friendly and personable. Highly recommended.

I have a Harman pellet stove originally purchased from The Intimate Flame. A month ago the stove stopped working and Ryan refused to service it because of the distance from Fremont — I live in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Consequently I’m having a great deal of trouble finding a resource to repair this $ 4k pellet stove. Talk about being left high and dry!
Ryan did say he would like to help me, but in the end he did not. Even despite urging from the manufacturer, Ryan simply stopped returning my calls. Extremely poor customer service.
I’m surprised to see such high ratings for these guys — I’m glad other people have had good experiences. Personally, though, I would not do business with this company. Service after the initial sale is a hugely important factor when considering a pellet stove. These guys let me down in a big way.

Ryan was amazing. Very Informative and had the exact part I was after. I would recommend him to everyone.
Bryan

We used Intimate Flame for a gas fireplace insert. We originally went there to get a new pellet stove to replace our broken one after we visited Dublin Custom Fireplaces and did not even seem to peak any interest from the sales team there. When we got to Intimate Flame, Ryan enthusiastically showed us his line of pellet stoves and walked us through his process. We did not even think about gas inserts because we thought they were too expensive. But on a whim we asked. Ryan then, with the same enthusiasm walked us through the gas inserts and process and showed us the price was about equal. He visited the house and determined the size we needed. He even unsold us on a fan option as our house was too small to need it.
The installation was VERY professional, always there on the button (or in one case early before I was dressed, but he patiently waited). They came one day to remove and take away our pellet stove and clean the chimney. One more visit to install the gas line. The plumber they used is fantastic and am glad we now have his name. Lastly they came and installed the gas insert. Ryan supervised everything.
I heartily endorse and support this great team.

We went to Intimate Flame when we were researching fireplace doors and gas inserts. On the plus side, they are super convenient to our house, they have a nice selection (plus lots of brochures), and the owner was very knowledgeable and friendly.
After doing more research on-​line, we decided on some doors, which were widely available for much less than Intimate Flame’s price. I called Intimate Flame twice to see if they’d match the price; once the owner was gone for the weekend (the person that answered didn’t want to take a message; he asked me to call back the following week), and the other time I got their machine (during business hours). So we went ahead and bought on-​line, which worked out fine.
We’d certainly shop at Intimate Flame in the future, but you need to price-​compare before buying.

Hands down would recommend them to friends and family. Ryan and Rudy helped us install a fireplace we already bought and everything went smoothly. They are knowledgable, honest, professional, friendly, AND had fair pricing. I lost count of how many emails and calls I exchanged with Ryan, but he was always quick to get back to me with my questions and concerns. Before leaving, he even made sure to walk me through on how to use the fireplace which saved me some time with the manual. I agree with all the other reviewers in their 5 star rating — it is well deserved!

Back in early December, I wanted a gas fire installed by Christmas. Ryan was totally helpful and responsive. He suggested the fire to order, kept me informed when he received the fire, came to do the installation right on time, finished on time and, here’s the 5 star bit, when the remote control failed a few days later, came out after 10pm and replaced it!
You can’t get better service than that, and the fire is GREAT!