Please help! hvac guy used aluminum chimney liner for two Gas-Fired Water Boilers + 2 h2o heater
I believe I made a mistake and trusted the wrong professional to do our chimney liner. I've read the boiler manuals and can't find anything about acceptable liners but when I googled the appliance the search result showed this next to the link for the pdf of the same appliance manual:
"Weil-McLain recommends the following to prevent possible damage. a. Line chimney with corrosion-resistant metal. LINER. STEEL. 'AS b. Provide drain trap to ...68 pages"
Should I have him remove the aluminum liner and redo it with a steel one, at all costs?
He said it was difficult to get the liner down through the chimney. I've since read that aluminum liners are so thin and fragile that I can't imagine how it was not punctured in that process.
The above question is my main question but I have a couple other concerns with this guy's work:
— What first alerted me that he cuts corners is illustrated in this picture here — on the right side is the 4" pipe where the two water heaters come into the Y that he though he needed. He simply covered the one unused part of the Y. When I questioned it afterward he said thats fine becasue sometimes they put in T pipes to allow for cleaning.
— He used tuckpointing mortar both in the basement around where the pipes go into the bottom of the chimney and up top around what looks like a new ceramic tile coming through the new chimney crown. When I said the mortar in the basement was already he cracked he said it was unavoidable that always happens to which I replied it dried to quickly and the way to avoid cracking is to wet it so it cures more slowly to which he agreed.
— He only used silicone around the new liner cap to keep out water and left two of the six screw holes above the plate where I assume it is meant to fasten to the liner. He said those missing screws don't matter because there are screws under the plate. How in the world will this be water tight and how do i trust his work at all, especially that the liner wasn't crushed or punctured? PLease advise - I would so greatly appreciate it!
Comments
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Code permits the use of an aluminum liner for a category 1 gas appliance(s). We use the option of stainless steel just because it’s more durable, but that’s our choice, not a requirement.
IDK why the Manual uses the word “steel” unless it’s in the context of referring to the vent connector which is the part between the appliance and the chimney. IDK if there even is such a thing as a flexible steel liner available.
The fact that your contractor used a Y and capped the unused opening is of no concern.
No one can speak as to the condition of the liner that he installed since we can’t see it, but it seems to me from the content of your post that you might be looking for something to find fault with.
Bob Boan
You can choose to do what you want, but you cannot choose the consequences.
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SS is better than aluminum but most around here put in aluminum because of $$$. If you put aluminum and read the mfg instructions, I think you are supposed to have it inspected yearly.
The alum is pretty flimsy
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My one and only liner project was 45' of 10" stainless steel.
As I read up on it, aluminum liner was out because of 65 years of previous coal burning would susposally destroy aluminum but not SS. FWIW
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Thanks for the comments! I'm definitely looking for fault. When people cut corners for their convenience rather than the quality of a project, then give double talk, I have a bias that makes me not know what to trust with them. I hired the wrong people — didn't know what I didn't know — will only go with csia certified contractors in the future.
Maybe I'm splitting hairs but the doublke talk I mentioned pertains to the tuckpointing mortar he used in the basement where around the pipes and liner where it goes into the bottom of the chimney. When he completed the work he only said it was a different color — the next day when i said it was already cracking he said thats unavoidable it always happens and he'll come patch the crack, to which I replied that it cracked because it dried too quickly and by misting it to keep it damp to dry/cure more slowly it avoids the cracking — he said yeah that's right. Which is it — unavoidable or avoidable?
We wanted it done right. Cost was not the highest concern but quality of work and integrity. We just made a mistake and venting four gas appliances out of our basement is not something we want to mess around with getting wrong. I'd rather look for fault and find noine than not look for it when there are red flags and die of carbonmonoxide poisoning. I apologize for the rant! Thank you again for your comments. I have CSIA certified people coming out Monday to inspect it all.
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Well, we had it inspected. I guess the smaller of the two issues raised was they said the 6" liner is too small - should be 7". In the winter when all appliances are cranking, they said it could backdraft. Not sure how concerned you all would be about this or if it is reason to change the liner to a 7" that the charts calculate is correct.
The second issue is the liner doesn't even go up to cap, let alone attach to the cap. the top of the liner is sitting about eight feet below. These pictures are taked when the chimney cap is lifted and with it the galvanized pipe that is screwed to the bottom of the cap beneath the plate and what appears to be a reducer screwed to the galvanized pipe, apparently to act as a male end fitting into the liner.
I would love to know how egregious anyone things these two concerns are - the liner being too small and the liner not going all the way to the cap.
Thanks for reading, if you have!
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Pirates….
Yes, get a full length smoothwall 316ss liner with the ss top plate and rain cap. At the base, sweep it into the room then transition to single walled unlisted galv. pipe. Replace that goat rodeo of connector with a sensible manifold- not that bowl of spaghettic.
They can use a prepared refractory mortar called "ChamberTech 2000- any sweep will know what it is. Alternatively, they can simply add reinforcing fibers and a little stucco mix to the mortar. They'll still need to fill in voids with bricks and rubble. The stucco mix will cause it to flash set in about 10 minutes depending upon weather conditions. Neither will suffer shrink cracks. Also, have them dampen the surrounding masonry so it doesn't suck all the water out of the mortar.HTH
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What did they do, go from 7 to 6 to 7 in the chimney?
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