Chimney Liners...

kevin coppinger_4

it is there boiler and they will know the specs for draft....btw, it should only be a 1/2 day job, unless it is a trick roof. I have a old 3 story colonial iand it took 2 guys 2 hours. kpc

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The Wire Nut

or Another Lesson...

Now that my boilers running full steam (sorry, couldn't resist the pun) I turned my attention to the chimney. Rather it took this long (almost 2 months) to get the sweep to my little valley.

He peeked, poked and measured. My clay lining is flaking off, and along with the detritus of combustion and has pretty much filled the space twixt the clean out and the thimble.

He wants to put in a 6" SS liner. It's the widest that will fit in the space.

The pipe from the V85 is 7". Will going to a 6" liner be an issue? He took the specs from the boiler nameplate and used that in his calculations.

My current chimney has a lot of draw, and I am using 2 dampers to keep the -.02 over fire.

He also wants $2100- for the job. He says it's a 2 man, all day job. Is this reasonable?

Thanks again!

Alex

Ken_40

Yo! Alex.

Wassup?

6" stainless liner ain't cheap. The cap may need to be custom too, adding well over $100 to the labor materials 'nut.'

It does sound high, but not by more than $4-500. If the roof is ladder-only (greater than 4:12 pitch [mountain goats could not stand on it])accessible, the "number" isn't that far out IMHO. However, if you have the ladder, no fear of heights and a ladder that will reach the chimney with 3' to spare? You could do it your self! Materials are dependent on total length of the run and whether or not a "standard, planer jane cap" can be used.

The diameter, going from 7 to 6" is probably within AGA venting standards, especially if an interior (as opposed to exterior) chimney, is what's there.

What are the following dimensions:

1) height from the thimble penetration to the flueway top lip, rounded to the nearest foot?

2) Horizontal distance from boiler oulet collar to chimney thimble (known as the vent connector aspect)?

3) the number of flueways within the existing masonry chimney?

4) Straight shot up, or minor/major "offsets"?

D107

QuestIon: if external chimney, does price include thermix

insulation around liner throughout chimney? Are any installers certified by csia.org or other professional chimney sweep organization?

The Wire Nut

Hey Ken,

Sorry we didn't make it up this year, but Layla's boss has become a workaholic all of a sudden and we haven't taken a week off in I don't know how long. We'll try again for next year, and by then Elias should be more appreciative of his surroundings and, of course, your heating system installation.

I can only estimate the height of the chimney as I'm not climbing out on the roof in this weather, and it's a mountain goat roof in the best of weather.

I would say it's about 24' from the thimble to the lip. That's 2 8' floors with about 8" between them, about 3' in the attic and then about 6' from the roof line to the opening. The thimble is really close to the basement joists so that may add 6" or so.

I've attached a photo of the exposed part of the chimney (foreground).

The distance from the center of the collar to the chimney is 41".

Just one flue-way (purpose built, I believe) and a straight shot up.

The chimney is built within the exterior wall. I suspect that when they rebuilt this stone wall in the 1960s they reduced the wall depth and built the chimney. It's brick and lined with "Flue Tiles" that are missing mortar and are falling into the ash dump.

I'm not sure if these guys are certified by any organization, but I don't have many options up here. There are 2 companies that work around here, and both are impossible to book! Sounds like an opportunity to me...

Is there anything other than SS I should be considering. I remember reading about some other liner, maybe corrugated that was meant for just this application...

Our love to Jaye too!

Thanks!

The Wire Nut

David,

I don't know about the Thermix or the certifications. I'm waiting for their formal proposal. Unfortunately there are only 2 firms up here and getting either one to show up is a miracle. I'm not sure what choice I have at this point, sad to say...

Thanks!

Alex

The Wire Nut

> it is there boiler and they will know the specs

> for draft....btw, it should only be a 1/2 day

> job, unless it is a trick roof. I have a old 3

> story colonial iand it took 2 guys 2 hours.

> kpc

>

> _A

> HREF="http://www.heatinghelp.com/getListed.cfm?id=

> 323&Step=30"_To Learn More About This

> Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in

> "Find A Professional"_/A_

The Wire Nut

Kevin,

Maybe Glenn will spot this and weigh in...

The guy wasn't sure on the time, between half to a full day depending on what conditions they found...

Thanks!

D107

where are you?

I'm a homeowner who's been helped alot by this site. If you go to www.csia.org they will list all the certified people in the state. That alone is no guarantee but it's a good start. Stainless steel 316L is good quality and it can be corrugated on the outside but smooth on the inside. Thermix insulation is suggested since --especially with gas but in general with the more efficient modern boilers with lower flue temps--you want to avoid condensation which could damage the lining and your boiler.

Good luck,

David

Dan_29

chimney liner

I had a new gas steam boiler installed last spring. It required a new chimney liner (stainless steel 7 inch-ovalized shape). I was charged $2150 for 35 feet of liner and a chimney cap on my three story Victorian. The installer indicated the job could take 1/2 day or all day depending on what he found in chimney while pulling the slinky through the flue. It took him a half a day (no surprise problems in the flue). I had 3 bids for the job, all bids were very close. The contractor I chose had a can-do attitude, showed up on time and wasted no time on the job. He came recomended by a prominent plumbing and heating contractor in my area.

My install was in May 2006,I suspect in the Fall contractors can pick and chose their work due to strong demand and little time until snowfall. Sounds like you do not have much to negotiate with.

Dan

The Wire Nut

Down in the Valley...

David,

I'm in NE PA, near Honesdale. Thanks for the heads up on the csia.org site. It listed a lot more sweeps then were in the phone book. The people I hired are listed, but under 2 names and they seemed to have a listing for each of the sweeps.

I suppose that I should get another quote, but given the season, the time factor, and that both you and Ken seem to think that the pricing is in range, or at least within the range you paid, I may just let them do it...

I'll ask about the Thermix, sounds like the right way to go...

As with so many places, just getting a call back from a contractor is a major miracle, so I might as well just go with the flow...

Unless, of course, I'm being led to the slaughter!

Thanks!

D107

so far so good

that they're listed. It's generally the individual that is certified so that's why the company has a few names. And at least one of them should actually be doing the work. I understand the dilemma we homeowners sometimes feel if we need to do a job quickly and feel that when demand for the service is high, we might lose the contractor if we ask for too much. It's a choice you have to make and live with. Generally I get three references and I understand you may be too pressed for time.

I would make sure the contract clearly specifies all the work done and materials used. Having gone through the process myself, I was advised by a few chimney people on and off the wall. You can look at the boiler literature to see what flue size they recommend; ultimately it is up to the chimney people to do the final measurement and flue size calculation based on the measurements that Ken mentioned before. I was advised that it also should be specified that all the connections inside the flue (the 'tee' etc.) should also be stainless steel.

David