Advice on Conflisting Chimney Inspections

JeffBrown

Howdy,

If anyone knows a better place for this to be asked please let me know.  I did not find a <a href="http://www.chimneyhelp.com/">www.chimneyhelp.com</a> out there :)



My issue is that I have had multiple chimney repair companies look at my chimney and I have gotten very inconsistent and conflicting reports.  I don't know who to believe or what does and does not need doing.

Inspection 1 indicates everything is fine with the two flues, but recommends that a few mortar joints in the firebox be repointed

Inspection 2 indicates that everything is fine except that per code and best practice that the boiler flue should be SS lined.  Currently there is only a clay liner that is deteriorated.  Boiler is an oil boiler converted to gas with a Carlin EZ gas gun

Inspection 3 indicates lots of problems ranging from an incorrectly built firebox with a bogus smoke shelf to SS lining both flues.  This guy stated that the clay tiles in the fireplace flue have shifted and opened up in the joints and the fireplace should NOT be used until this is corrected.  He also indicated that the boiler flue should be SS lined and a clean out door added.  There are other things as well suffice to say it was about $8,000

So what am I to think?  Were the first two guys imcompetent and didn't recognize all the problems that #3 found?  Is #3 trying to rip me off with unnecessary repairs?

it is a difficult situation because I know nothing about chimneys, we are dealing with fire and combustion byproducts so I don't want to choose the wrong solution, but I also don't want to spend $8000 if I don't have to.



Usually when I have a contractor come out for an estimate I know what I want.  "Hey, I need a deck in my back yard that's 15x12 with stairs".  With this chimney I am asking someone to come out and do an inspection and give me an opinion on something I really have no way to verify.  This is especially true since none of the 3 experts I've had out seem to agree on anything!

billtwocase

price/costs

is something we don't discuss here. As far as the failing clay liner, that should have had a stainless liner when your burner was converted to gas. Low stack temps cause condensation, and that is a problem. Has anyone tested the combustion on the boiler?  You should get another opinion just to compare it to guy #3

icesailor

Flue Shifting:

I think that #3 wants to shift excessive cash from your wallet ti his.

I would really like to see these "shifted" tiles. The first two were overwhelmed by #3's BS.

The flues could use liners, but I wouldn't go on the say-so of #3. I'd find comfort in what #1 and #2 said. I was a mason, before I became a Carpenter and then a Plumber. I've never seen a "shifted" flue tile. I've seen chimneys hit by lightning that were split all to hell. But the tiles were fine. A house I built was hit through the chimney.

I'm always amazed at the stories that some of these "experts" can come up with.You may or may not have issues with your chimney flues. I doubt that shifting tiles are one of them.

Paul Pollets

Chimney inspection

A flue can be inspected with a camera and light. Certain chimney specialists will have them. Damage to the flue tiles are common where I live because of earthquakes. Gas appliances require an aluminum liner and oil appliances a SS liner. A combustion or draft test unfortunately can't determine cracked flue tiles or bad mortar joints. A boiler will always perform at higher efficiency if there's a correctly sized liner. Some codes require an insulated liner if the chimney is exposed.

billtwocase

inspection

it should be inspected, and as Paul said, send in the camera. Liners do shift and collapse. I nearly lost my right hand 30 years ago due to a non-shifting liner. They do get thin, crack, shift, and collapse as years go by, and one that condensates, or a 3 sided one, are the worst

JeffM

clay liner repairs?

Since a few of you seem to have some clay tile liner expertise, maybe I can ask for a little advice that's slightly off of the original question here. I put a stainless liner in the flue of my chimney serving the gas boiler last year, but left the fireplace side alone. I'd like to be able to burn the fireplace once in a while, but a couple of different crews have looked at it and said that while the lower clay flue tiles are fine they end about 12 feet from the top of the chimney (total chimney height roughly 35 feet). Each has recommended knocking out the remaining clay liner and putting in a stainless liner, but I wonder if it's possible (and maybe cheaper) to just replace the missing tiles to extend the clay flue liner up to the top? I don't plan to burn the fireplace enough to justify the cost of a stainless liner and the labor to knock out the clay and install it, but if there's another way I'd be interested.

JeffBrown

one suggestion

Depending on the size of your existing flue and the size of your fireplace you may be able to install a SS liner without removing the existing clay tile liner.  It's possible that your fireplace may operate just fine using a smaller flue created by installing a SS liner that fits inside the existing clay liner.



I would obviously defer to whatever your chimney experts suggest but it's a possibility.



I don't know if you can install clay tiles into an already built chimney but I'd have to think the labor to do so would end up costing similar amounts of money to a SS liner....and you would still end up with a clay liner that will eventually need service...well maybe after you are dead but you get my point!