If your old chimney doesn’t have a chimney liner, or your existing clay tile chimney liner is damaged, call the experts at Fireplace & Chimney Professionals. We can take care of all your chimney liner needs.
10 Questions to Ask When You’re Getting a Chimney Liner
There are three principle reasons you may need a chimney liner:
- Because your chimney has no clay tile chimney liner (older chimneys may not)
- The clay tile chimney liner is damaged
- A chimney liner is required for optimal performance and safety because you are installing a new heating unit (stove or furnace) that will be vented into your masonry chimney.
A chimney professional will be able to show you a video of the interior of your chimney that reveals a damaged clay tile liner.
Your chimney professional should be able to give you a clear and detailed answer to the operational and safety benefits a new liner will provide.
Stainless steel liners used for venting solid fuel burning appliances, like wood stoves or wood fireplaces, must be insulated. Sometimes in order to fit a stainless steel chimney liner that is wrapped in insulation down an existing masonry flue, the chimney professional has to remove the existing clay flue tiles. It’s good to ask about this so you will be fully informed.
There are three basic categories of chimney liner: Heavy; high performance light; and light. The cost runs from highest for heavy to lowest for light, but naturally, the heavy category is the thickest and strongest, so you would expect it to cost more. You should know which category of chimney liner is being used and why the chimney professional has chosen that option.
As noted above, insulation is required for any liner used for venting solid fuel appliances. But there are advantages to having a chimney liner insulated even if it’s venting gas or oil appliances, especially if the flue being lined is on the outer wall of a house rather than in the interior. You should ask your chimney professional what his plans are regarding insulation and why.
HomeSaver liners have a lifetime warranty that covers even damage caused by chimney fires and can even be transferred to the subsequent owner of your home if you ever sell the house. Make sure the warranty you’re being offered is up to these leading industry standards. Most chimney liner warranties require that the installation of the liner is done by a chimney professional and that the liner is inspected annually.
The most widely recognized listing for a chimney liner is a genuine UL (Underwriter Laboratories) listing. Most HomeSaver liners have a genuine UL listing. Not all liners have a genuine UL listing, but most are at least tested to “UL standards” by organizations other than Underwriters Laboratory.
The most common alloy for wood and pellet appliances is 316Ti. 316Ti is also the most common for gas and oil because it is more resistant to the corrosive elements common to gas and oil flue gasses. Very high-efficiency gas appliances will require the AL29 4C alloy, which has the highest resistance to corrosion.
A chimney liner properly sized for the stove, furnace, or fireplace it will be venting should maintain or improve the venting performance (draft). If the liner is smaller than the recommended size because of structural considerations in the flue, it’s possible this will have an adverse effect on draft. It’s a good question to review with your chimney professional.
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