Local dealer does not insulate

RielTime said:

Hey all, I am getting ready to pull the trigger on a insert and am contemplating installing it myself. I just visited three local dealers with two of them stating that they recommend insulating the liner. The third dealer which is by far the busiest of them all does not insulate and says it is not necessary and a waste of money. I told them I had an exterior chimney and they still says it doesn't matter. I spoke with the owner, salesperson and one of the installers. Practically everything I read here highly recommends insulating. I live in northern NJ which I'm not sure it matters. This is confusing me and any input would be appreciated.

Thanks................ Tom

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If he's a sweep and cleans/services his own stuff then maybe he's got a point, but I'm the type of guy who wears suspenders and a belt when it comes to installation practices, especially when I'm doing the work myself because I personally know insurance adjustors. I'm not into wasting money by over-engineering but I HATE doing it twice. I've got an outdoor masonary chimney, 15' high and I insulated if anything for the improved draft.

All I can say is last year I burned semi-seasoned wood, didn't baby the stove, and in the Spring I was shocked at how little creosote I got when I cleaned the liner. Probably about a cup of very fine dust, and I brushed for 1/2 hour. I contribute this in part to the extra $200 I spent on insulating the liner. If your chimney is 20' or more, or shares a wall with another burning appliance, or you're you're never going to let the stove/flue cool down during the burning season then yes, you could probably save yourself about 5% on the cost of the install.

25' of uninsulated liner here through an exterior masonry chimney. less than a gallon of creosote last year burning 24/7. An insulated liner can't hurt anything (except your wallet) so I'm not 'against' them per se. But I don't think they are necessary and doubt they make that much of a difference. 'Maybe' to help fix a poor draft situation.

I usually deal with Homesaver and Ventinox, both of which are decent.

We insulate EVERY liner we install, period. Almost every masonry chimney has some code violation in it regarding clearance to combustibles and insulating brings them to code. The primary purpose of insulation is protection, not performance. BB is correct about why the third guy doesn't. He can bid lower and sell more, regardless whether its right or wrong. Chances are they won't have a problem but it isn't the right thing to do and we won't assume the liability.

and BTW, usually to insulate a liner you buy the "single skin" liner you're referring to and a separate insulation kit.

Magnaflex might have a complete package.

Send a PM to "TheHeatElement" here on the forum. He offers packages/kits that are excellent quality and very reasonably priced. His turn-around time is very quick as well.