So the previous owners of my house had bricked in the fireplace and punched a hole into the smoke chamber and vented an old Ashley woodstove into it and out the existing 11x11 clay tile lined chimney. I have purchased a 6” flex liner and 1/2” insulation kit with a tee from Rockford chimney. I had a sweep come out and clean and inspect the chimney. I busted open the face of the fireplace the original owners had bricked up and started to clean the smoke chamber. Wow was there a lot of buildup in there. About 15 gals of creosote. I got the majority of it out but there is still some left in there that I cannot get to. Would I be ok to go ahead and install the liner? I know the old creosote needs to come out but I can’t get it all out to a 100% clean state.
SS flex liner install
- Thread starter Bb1580
- Start date
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darktower007
Feeling the Heat
I wouldn’t be able to start a fire in the fire place with the hole cut through the brick into the smoke chamber. I have used a chain flail and got the brick work pretty clean just can’t get into corners very well
Ctwoodtick
Minister of Fire
I tried calling him but he’s booked solid for 2 months. Tried calling others but they are the same... I know In a perfect world it allllll needed to come out but there’s only a little bit bit left.
A little bit in the wrong place can be a problem. Can you post some pictures of what you see remaining?
Here’s another question I have. Since I opened up the fireplace would it be better to drop the tee of the liner through the dampener area and connect it to the stove that way instead of through the hole in the smoke chamber? If I did that I would elimate 1 90. Would it also be a safer bet to bring the tee out of the smoke chamber so that there’s no exposed metal in there and just the insulated part of the liner ultimately taking the exposed metal or hottest spot out?
Sorry, the movie file won't open for me. Maybe post it to youtube? Or post some stills?
Are you going to use the same thimble that the Ashley was tied in to? Where are the remaining deposits? Well below the thimble?
Are you going to use the same thimble that the Ashley was tied in to? Where are the remaining deposits? Well below the thimble?
When I get to work I’ll try and post video. The deposits are in the corners of the smoke chamber mainly. There is some build up on the undersides of the brick that are stair stepping up to the clay liner. I was going to use thimble but was also kicking around the idea of just dropping the tee of the line down 3 more feet and into the opening of the fireplace itself.
Both locations will work. The fireplace location would probably look better once cleaned up and the thimble removed. But check the lintel height carefully. That may be a restricting factor.
The stove is to big to insert into the opening so I was thinking about leaving it set out in front of the fireplace and just running enough pipe directly to the back of the stove instead of have 2 90’s into the thimble. Would it be safer to run the tee out the damper and do it that way since the remaining creosote in the smoke chamber is still there? My thinking is it wouldn’t get as hit with no exposed metal from the tee in the smoke chamber.
Ctwoodtick
Minister of Fire
About the remaining creosote, I’d make it worth your chimney sweep’s while to get him out there soon. Offer to pay 2x the normal fee- he might just find time for you sooner than you think.
2x isn't going to do it this time of year. We are booked solid for 2 months. To get me out in the evening or weekend taking me away from family time it is going to cost at least 4x. We do have slots for actual emergency calls and they don't get charged that much. But waiting till the last minute doesn't make it an emergency.
A long horizontal run can be worse than two 90's, but if it is under 24" and pitched upward toward the tee then maybe not too bad. What stove is this for and what is the lintel height?
Without being home to measure exactly I would guess 36 inches. I’m going to use the original Ashley woodstove for the rest of this winter and then purchase a new one this summer. It was originally hooked up sigh a 12 inch pipe connected to back of stove into a 90, then up 24inches into another 90 and then another 24inches into smoke chamber. From middle of thimble hole to top of clay flue is about 13ft. If I dropped the liner and connecting tee through the damper and then ran 48 inches of black stove pipe straight to back of stove it would be just shy of 15ft in chimney length plus the 48inches of stove pipe to stove.
Would filling the smoke chamber area with perlite, vermiculite or thermix along with the liner insulation blanket wrap be enough to prevent any of the remaining creosote to ignite?