Water in my Fireplace Insert! *pics added*

quick update:

the third chimney doesn't go anywhere. it is sealed.

the basement fireplace is completely dry.

the dealer guy (they sent the same young chap who installed the darn thing, despite my pleading) concluded that the water was coming in through a crack in the brick (concrete cap? i don't remember). it didn't go into the liner; it went outside the liner, down to the top of the insert, and pooled and splashed there. with the amount of rain we had, the water built up quickly and found its way into the firebox through the pipe and other cracks. after my husband tested out the dealer guy's theory with a hose, we sorta believe him. i'm sorry if i'm not articulating this properly, but i'm a bit worn out from a long day.

the question now: who's to blame for missing this? everyone? no one? our home inspector didn't catch it. the chimney sweep we hired said the chimney needed a little work, but that it shouldn't be a problem for a few years (and he never once mentioned water). the dealer is saying that their job was to install the insert and chimney cap, and that's what they did, so it's not their fault.

(i agree, the install is sloppy, but it looks like it's not to blame for the water.)

so even though we did all the right things and hired all the right people, we're still stuck cleaning out a rusty stove, and looking at paying even more money to get someone to fix the chimney.

From my husband:

There is about 1/8" gap between the top course of bricks and the concrete cap on the chimney. This makes a horizontal crack that surrounds the three flues. There are also some cracks on the top of the concrete cap that have been sealed, which you may see on the chimney photos posted earlier. It's our guess that the water is rolling down the cap and then coming in sideways through the hole since the surface tension of the water makes it want to stay attached to the concrete surface. That or it is finding it way through smaller cracks in the top of the concrete or between the terracotta flue and the concrete. Either way, do you think these cracks resulted from freezing and thawing cycles of water?

When I tested the chimney with the hose, I just poured lots of water around the flue directly onto the top of the concrete cap. And that's when the water dripped as my wife described.