To all, especially sweeps and dealers familiar with Flex King AL29-4C liner

[VCBurner]

I need a liner to bring my set up to a better level. Currently it's connected directly into the block off plate below the fireplace flu damper. The smoke chamber of the fireplace creates a great draft reducing space where the smoke can just circulate before it goes out of the flue.

I just saw these liners on line and was wondering if anyone is familiar. They are supposed to be better quality than the 316 Ti.
Here's a quote from the web site:


"AL29-4C®, a superferritic stainless steel designed for extreme resistance to chloride ion pitting, crevice corrosion and stress corrosion cracking, as well as general corrosion in oxidizing and moderately reducing environments. AL29-4C® is an ideal choice for resisting deleterious effects of corrosive condensates created by partially or fully condensing natural gas and propane fired heating appliances.
Why use 316ti or 316l alloy when you can have AL29-4C the best stainless steel alloy
made for chimney liners on the market today for the same price or less
Flex King liners are manufactured in Pennsylvania USA. Because we are the manufacturer of Flex King Liners and Kits we eliminate the middle man and pass the savings on to you!
The Flex King Chimney Liner Kit is a 6"x15' Stainless Steel, AL29-4C Flexible Chimney Liner. This kit comes complete with a Stainless Steel Rain Cap, Top Plate and an a Two PartTee.
With a wall thickness of .006 the Flex King is the perfect solution for your deteriorating chimney or for installation with your new heating appliance. The Flex King has the quick connect component system which is installed by simply tightening the clamps. It comes complete with a Lifetime Warranty that is transferable to the new homeowner should you sell your home."

 

[delp]

not an expert and still learning, but i think these may be for gas appliances....(?)

 

[VCBurner]

not an expert and still learning, but i think these may be for gas appliances....(?)

Hello delp, these stainless steel liners I mentioned are UL listed as chimney liners for wood burning applyances. These are usually common ones that can be used for wood burners: 316TI, 316L and the AL29-4C which is supposed to be the strongest of the three.
Here's another quote from the Ebay site where I found this liner.

Item specifics
Brand: FLEX KING AL29-4C
Power Source: ALL FUEL
Type: AL29-4C Stainless Steel
HVAC Product Type: FURNACES, STOVES, INSERT AND WATER HEATERS

 

[delp]

thanks, vc, i should do my research before i open my pie hole! i'm in the midst of mind-blowing liner research...i need a spreadsheet to keep it all together. good luck with your project!

 

[szmaine]

Yep, we used flex king for our stove...getting another for the boiler flue.
We were happy with the kit.

 

[delp]

okay, found what was informing my brain when i responded: (although, one website does not the truth make...)

http://www.chimney-liner-central.com/chimney_liner_metal.html

Al 29-4C Stainless Steel
This chimney liner metal alloy is used most often when relining a masonry chimney or clay lined chimney that will vent a modern high efficiency gas or oil furnace.

It is an alloy of stainless steel that is highly resistant to corrosion. It is used for relining flues where flue gases may contain highly corrosive elements. Being that most of the heat generated by such a high efficiency appliance goes into the home, the flue gas temperatures tend to be relatively low.

Low flue gas temperature keeps moisture in the flue gases from evaporating and being eliminated up the flue. The combination of moisture in the flue gas along with other chemicals that may be inducted into the flue from the surrounding environment, such as those from chemical cleaners and laundry supplies, can contribute to a very corrosive flue gas composition.

AL29-4C is made to resist such corrosive environments over a long period of time.

 

[VCBurner]

thanks, vc, i should do my research before i open my pie hole! i'm in the midst of mind-blowing liner research...i need a spreadsheet to keep it all together. good luck with your project!

No problem, Delp, no one has commented on this thread so far. I have had it here for a while. But none of the experts have said anything about its durability as opposed to the other common products out there. It seems to be a pretty new product so I wanted to hear some input from the pros. You should look on Ebay, they seem to be pretty cheap. You can often buy factory direct, eliminating the middle man. Unless you have a certain dealer in mind and would like to stimulate the local economy. I'm always a fan of supporting local busynesses. The liner by Flex King is made in PA, too!

 

[VCBurner]

okay, found what was informing my brain when i responded: (although, one website does not the truth make...)

http://www.chimney-liner-central.com/chimney_liner_metal.html

Al 29-4C Stainless Steel
This chimney liner metal alloy is used most often when relining a masonry chimney or clay lined chimney that will vent a modern high efficiency gas or oil furnace.

It is an alloy of stainless steel that is highly resistant to corrosion. It is used for relining flues where flue gases may contain highly corrosive elements. Being that most of the heat generated by such a high efficiency appliance goes into the home, the flue gas temperatures tend to be relatively low.

Low flue gas temperature keeps moisture in the flue gases from evaporating and being eliminated up the flue. The combination of moisture in the flue gas along with other chemicals that may be inducted into the flue from the surrounding environment, such as those from chemical cleaners and laundry supplies, can contribute to a very corrosive flue gas composition.

AL29-4C is made to resist such corrosive environments over a long period of time.

Thank you for the help delp!

I looked up the link you gave me and found out just what you found. The AL29-4C seems to be for gas and oil furnaces or appliances. The Ebay site I found lead me to believe that it would be OK to use this instead of the 316TI. It even states that it is the strongest stainless steel alloy on the market today! Although the link you gave me states that it is normally used with gas and oil furnaces, it doesn't say that it can't be used with a wood stove. The 316TI liner that is most commonly used for wood burning liners is the same price as the AL29-4C.

Thanks again for the links! Good luck with your search.

 

[delp]

No problem VC, maybe it'd be best to call up z-flex and ask about using the AL with a wood stove. And, I'm with you on buying local as often as possible!

 

[offroadaudio]

The AL usually stands for Aluminum - the best corrosion resistance - BUT, not very good high temperature resistance. No good for wood.

 

[pen]

The price of this stuff is pretty impressive.

I see it being recommended for oil, gas and corn. No mention of wood as I think perhaps it is considered overkill.

here is the site I found it for sale w/ some good info http://www.chimneylinerinc.com/al294c_liners_only.htm

What is AL29-4C alloy in a stainless chimney liner ?
"AL" stands for Allegheny Ludlum a unique patented alloy. This alloy was developed to prevent corrosion and breakdown in high efficient gas,oil, and corn burning chimney appliances. AL294C flexible chimney liners offer extreme resistance to chloride pitting, sulfuric acid, crevice corrosion, chloride stress-corrosion cracking and general corrosion.

When should I use an AL29-4C Stainless Steel Flex Chimney Liner ?
When there are heating appliances that are rated at 83% efficiency or higher, it is a good idea to use AL29-4C. This flue liner provides better corrosion resistance to condensed flue acids that are formed using this type of appliance.

AL29-4C
These Chimney liners are intended for use with HIGH EFFICIENT GAS, OIL, and CORN burning appliances. The flue gases from these appliances are cooler and create exceptionally high amounts of moisture which in turn promotes formation of an especially corrosive acid.

Note - the AL294C is the best option when burning corn. Pesticides used to grow corn have been proven to produce gases that deteriorate all types of liners. However this chimney liner will last 7 to 10 years when corn is the fuel source. We offer no warranty on any of our chimney liners when corn is used in the flue liner

pen

 

[webby3650]

My opinion is to not over spend on a "better" grade of stainless liner. Once it is installed, the only way it can be harmed is by sweeping it, and with a poly brush, it won't happen. It's good to be conscious of the quality, but it is all put to extreme testing, and they will all likely out last any of us!

 

[cmonSTART]

AL294C is an alloy of Stainless Steel which is much more corrosive resistant. In situations such as high efficiency gas and oil furnaces this is important. It can be used for wood, but is probably overkill. A good 316ti alloy will give you a lifetime of service with proper care and is probably cheaper.

 

[offroadaudio]

Ok, so it is good for wood - if overkill - but I believe the AL is still aluminum and that's where the corrosion resistance comes from.

 

[webby3650]

Ok, so it is good for wood - if overkill - but I believe the AL is still aluminum and that's where the corrosion resistance comes from.

Aluminum liners are never used for wood, they can't stand up the the heat potential.

 

[pen]

Ok, so it is good for wood - if overkill - but I believe the AL is still aluminum and that's where the corrosion resistance comes from.

I suppose if you want to continue to be wrong you can, but I'll post this again. :smirk:

What is AL29-4C alloy in a stainless chimney liner ?
"AL" stands for Allegheny Ludlum a unique patented alloy. This alloy was developed to prevent corrosion and breakdown in high efficient gas,oil, and corn burning chimney appliances. AL294C flexible chimney liners offer extreme resistance to chloride pitting, sulfuric acid, crevice corrosion, chloride stress-corrosion cracking and general corrosion.

 

[VCBurner]

OK so with the info from Pen's post (thanks Pen) we have some better information. This is a different manufacturer than the other one I was looking at. I highlighted some parts that I thought pertained to things addressed in this thread.


APPLICATIONS: HIGH EFFICIENCY - Boilers, oil, gas, furnace, and corn burning stoves units.

(100 % made in the USA - Free Shipping)
What is AL29-4C alloy in a stainless chimney liner ?
"AL" stands for Allegheny Ludlum a unique patented alloy. This alloy was developed to prevent corrosion and breakdown in high efficient gas,oil, and corn burning chimney appliances.

When should I use an AL29-4C Stainless Steel Flex Chimney Liner ?
When there are heating appliances that are rated at 83% efficiency or higher, it is a good idea to use AL29-4C. This flue liner provides better corrosion resistance to condensed flue acids that are formed using this type of appliance.

AL29-4C
These Chimney liners are intended for use with HIGH EFFICIENT GAS, OIL, and CORN burning appliances. The flue gases from these appliances are cooler and create exceptionally high amounts of moisture which in turn promotes formation of an especially corrosive acid.

Note - the AL294C is the best option when burning corn. Pesticides used to grow corn have been proven to produce gases that deteriorate all types of liners. However this chimney liner will last 7 to 10 years when corn is the fuel source. We offer no warranty on any of our chimney liners when corn is used in the flue liner.

It still doesn't say that it can't be used for wood stoves. The price of the kit I was looking at was $250 so it was not expensive, though it stated it was a better quality SS than the 316TI. But all these references are telling me that this is commonly used with gas, oil and corn heaters/furnaces/stoves.

 

[VCBurner]

AL294C is an alloy of Stainless Steel which is much more corrosive resistant. In situations such as high efficiency gas and oil furnaces this is important. It can be used for wood, but is probably overkill. A good 316ti alloy will give you a lifetime of service with proper care and is probably cheaper.

Thanks for the post,
So you say it can in fact be used for wood. The kit was $250 with free shipping for 15' of pipe. I have only found the 316TI for the same price, not lower. If in fact it is a better quality alloy, it would be a good deal to go with it. Right? Have you used this for wood stoves?

 

[pen]

If it is in fact better for wood, how much trouble would it have been for them to include, gas, oil, corn and WOOD. I would be lead to believe it was purposely excluded as it is very easy to add it.

pen

 

[VCBurner]

If it is in fact better for wood, how much trouble would it have been for them to include, gas, oil, corn and WOOD. I would be lead to believe it was purposely excluded as it is very easy to add it.

pen

I agree. Why "would wood" be emmited in the list of fuels? I will question this and get to the bottom of it before I ever buy anything.

 

[offroadaudio]

Ok, so it is good for wood - if overkill - but I believe the AL is still aluminum and that's where the corrosion resistance comes from.

I suppose if you want to continue to be wrong you can, but I'll post this again. :smirk:

What is AL29-4C alloy in a stainless chimney liner ?
"AL" stands for Allegheny Ludlum a unique patented alloy. This alloy was developed to prevent corrosion and breakdown in high efficient gas,oil, and corn burning chimney appliances. AL294C flexible chimney liners offer extreme resistance to chloride pitting, sulfuric acid, crevice corrosion, chloride stress-corrosion cracking and general corrosion.

Sorry missed your info, but thanks for the snide comment - who would want to continue to be wrong?
I've just learned a lot - about the liners too! Thanks.

 

[pen]

Sorry missed your info, but thanks for the snide comment - who would want to continue to be wrong?
I've just learned a lot - about the liners too! Thanks.

My apologies for coming off rude. But your insistence upon repeating that AL was referring to aluminum even after the point had been refuted made me believe you had either completely dismissed my information or didn't care enough about my post to read what I had to share.

pen

 

[offroadaudio]

Certainly not - your info was obviously correct - I simply missed the info in scrolling down the page.
I'm happy to be corrected if I learn something in the process! : )