Bad Chimney Liner Installation

[MSF]

I'm writing in regards to an installation I've recently had done by a certified WETT technician - I live in an area where there are only two certified technicians in 500 kilometres and one started a fire in my wall and the other has just done what I perceive to be a very sloppy install. I was hoping you guys could offer some advice!!

We were having a Blaze King Princess installed in our living room, with the pipe running through the wall into an existing masonry chimney. The technician recommended a 6" rigid flue liner to help with drafting, but installing it was a bit of a tight squeeze and he had to resort to hitting it down into the chimney with a sledge hammer. Due to this, he was unable to manoeuvre the flue liner properly resulting in the hole in the liner not aligning with the tee properly (the horizontal pipe coming through the living room wall from the woodstove) - I'm sorry I don't have quite the expertise to explain this properly, please see the below diagrams, as well as the photo.

In the photo I'm holding a yellow highlighter, which you can see through one of the gaps surrounding the pipe.

The installer said we didn't need to worry about the gaps, when we finish the installation ourselves by filling the area with Roxul insulation and sealing the wall, the draft will make sure no smoke escapes into the wall. But shouldn't we also be concerned about heat? And what if there's a backdraft? I'm extremely paranoid as our last technician for this same stove was extremely negligent which led to a fire in the wall!

Please let me know what you think the best course of action would be moving forward - are these gaps something that can be filled with stove cement or should we just do as our technician told us?

Thank you so much for your help! The nightmare of this woodstove never seems to end!

 

[Hogwildz]

He butched that, and that is not acceptable!

 

[bholler]

I'm writing in regards to an installation I've recently had done by a certified WETT technician - I live in an area where there are only two certified technicians in 500 kilometres and one started a fire in my wall and the other has just done what I perceive to be a very sloppy install. I was hoping you guys could offer some advice!!

We were having a Blaze King Princess installed in our living room, with the pipe running through the wall into an existing masonry chimney. The technician recommended a 6" rigid flue liner to help with drafting, but installing it was a bit of a tight squeeze and he had to resort to hitting it down into the chimney with a sledge hammer. Due to this, he was unable to manoeuvre the flue liner properly resulting in the hole in the liner not aligning with the tee properly (the horizontal pipe coming through the living room wall from the woodstove) - I'm sorry I don't have quite the expertise to explain this properly, please see the below diagrams, as well as the photo.

In the photo I'm holding a yellow highlighter, which you can see through one of the gaps surrounding the pipe.

The installer said we didn't need to worry about the gaps, when we finish the installation ourselves by filling the area with Roxul insulation and sealing the wall, the draft will make sure no smoke escapes into the wall. But shouldn't we also be concerned about heat? And what if there's a backdraft? I'm extremely paranoid as our last technician for this same stove was extremely negligent which led to a fire in the wall!

Please let me know what you think the best course of action would be moving forward - are these gaps something that can be filled with stove cement or should we just do as our technician told us?

Thank you so much for your help! The nightmare of this woodstove never seems to end!

View attachment 295901 View attachment 295902

Yeah that needs pulled out and redone probably after removing the old clay liners

 

[begreen]

That's not even close to acceptable. I'm so sorry you are having to go through this. Is there an insulated wall thimble also for the through the wall passage?

 

[MSF]

That's not even close to acceptable. I'm so sorry you are having to go through this. Is there an insulated wall thimble also for the through the wall passage?

There's an insulated Selkirk pipe that the thimble attaches to that he told me I was to install myself and then send him photos so he could send me completed WETT inspection.

 

[begreen]

That's ironic. This installation would not pass WETT inspection.

 

[MSF]

That's ironic. This installation would not pass WETT inspection.

So my only option is to try and remove the rigid liner (he told me I'd never be able to) and re-install everything? As well as potentially having to smash out the clay flue liner?

 

[bholler]

So my only option is to try and remove the rigid liner (he told me I'd never be able to) and re-install everything? As well as potentially having to smash out the clay flue liner?

Pretty much yes but it should be his problem not yours

 

[begreen]

There may have been other options depending on the clay liner. What are its dimensions?
Is the installer WETT certified and insured?

 

[MSF]

There may have been other options depending on the clay liner. What are its dimensions?
Is the installer WETT certified and insured?

Diameter of the clay liner within the chimney is 6" x 6.5" - the installer is WETT certified, not sure about insured. Is this something his insurance would pay for? I'm not looking forward to have to try and remove this lining myself!

 

[MSF]

Pretty much yes but it should be his problem not yours

He's stopped responding to my emails/calls.

 

[bholler]

He's stopped responding to my emails/calls.

Contact whoever certifies wett techs. He should loose his certification over this

 

[PaulOinMA]

Sometimes filing small claims court paperwork may prompt a reply.

 

[PaulOinMA]

Does Canada have small claims court?

 

[marty319]

Does Canada have small claims court?

Yes

 

[begreen]

Diameter of the clay liner within the chimney is 6" x 6.5" - the installer is WETT certified, not sure about insured. Is this something his insurance would pay for? I'm not looking forward to have to try and remove this lining myself!

A 5.5" liner might have fit there, but that is hindsight and though I think that might be ok with some Regency installs, it might not be with a Blaze King. As noted earlier by bholler, busting out the tiles and installing an insulated liner is the proper procedure for this stove with that sized clay flue liner. Was any of this discussed/proposed by the installer prior to the work?

 

[marty319]

Contact # for wett canada (broken link removed to https://www.wettinc.ca/about/contact.cfm)

 

[EbS-P]

Your local fire department might be a good place to contact. They might have an course of action independent of yours or provide some documentation/evidence that could be helpful to you.

Just a thought.

 

[MSF]

A 5.5" liner might have fit there, but that is hindsight and though I think that might be ok with some Regency installs, it might not be with a Blaze King. As noted earlier by bholler, busting out the tiles and installing an insulated liner is the proper procedure for this stove with that sized clay flue liner. Was any of this discussed/proposed by the installer prior to the work?

Absolutely not.

 

[MSF]

Your local fire department might be a good place to contact. They might have an course of action independent of yours or provide some documentation/evidence that could be helpful to you.

Just a thought.

I live outside the 'fire zone' as it were.

 

[bholler]

I live outside the 'fire zone' as it were.

There is no fire dept that covers your area?

 

[begreen]

Absolutely not.

Is the installer WETT certified or working under someone else?

 

[MSF]

There is no fire dept that covers your area?

No.

 

[MSF]

Is the installer WETT certified or working under someone else?

He's WETT certified.

 

[kborndale]

He's WETT certified.

Did you contact WETT about his subpar work? How did you pay him? If by credit card I would dispute the payment until his horrible work is fixed correctly.