Chimney Liner Crisis!!

[Elisurfer4]

Hey Guys, I’m rather new around here but I am wayyy in over my head.

I picked up a wood burning insert to go into my masonry chimney the other day and had a chimney sweep come out today to check out my situation. Well... apparently I’m screwed because my chimney is 6.25”x17” D and he felt very confident an insulated SS liner will NOT be going in there and he surely would not install it. He told me it just plain won’t fit through the chimney. He suggested running a few feet of a liner through the wider part of the flue but I don’t know if I should do that.

Basically I need to know what my options are now. I can still return the stove up to 30 days but my heart has truly been set on getting into wood burning. I want to make this work but I also don’t want to break the bank doing something radically unnecessary to the chimney.

Thanks for any help guys

Cheers

 

[begreen]

Take a look at DuraVent DuraLiner. It will fit there and comes preinsulated with a metal outer jacket. Use stainless steel pop rivets to join the sections.
(broken link removed to http://www.duravent.com/Product.aspx?hProduct=6)
https://woodstovepro.com/chimney-pipe-venting-pipe/wood-all-fuel-piping/6-inch/duravent-duraliner-6/

 

[Elisurfer4]

Take a look at DuraVent DuraLiner. It will fit there and comes preinsulated with a metal outer jacket. Use stainless steel pop rivets to join the sections.

Thanks for the advice. Not to doubt you but he seemed pretty positive that an insulated liner wouldn’t fit, but what makes you so sure it will?

 

[brenndatomu]

An ovalized liner will go in there...

 

[brenndatomu]

The chimney is 6.25" x 17"?
Or the damper area is that size?

 

[Elisurfer4]

The chimney is 6.25" x 17"?
Or the damper area is that size?

Chimney

 

[brenndatomu]

Chimney

Wow, that may be the widest flue I've ever heard of.

 

[Mark8]

 

[Elisurfer4]

Wow, that may be the widest flue I've ever heard of.

Maybe I’m wrong about that.. I do know the one measurement is 6.25. Would an uninsulated 6” liner work ok?

 

[brenndatomu]

Maybe I’m wrong about that.. I do know the one measurement is 6.25. Would an uninsulated 6” liner work ok?

Not without ovalizing it.
That oval rigid pipe is really nice!

 

[Tar12]

Maybe I’m wrong about that.. I do know the one measurement is 6.25. Would an uninsulated 6” liner work ok?

I wouldn't ...insulated is always better.

 

[Squisher]

Oval insulated duraliner will fit those dimensions as described. It comes in solid and flexible sections for getting through the damper. The flex sections will need a insulation wrap. And various oval to round adaptors. I've used it on my own insert and it's high quality and works flawlessly. It's also handy if your chimney as short as you can extend out the top up to a length(no exposed connections). It's not cheap but it's high quality(IMO) insulated pipe, offering great performance and safety.

 

[brenndatomu]

I wouldn't ...insulated is always better.

Good luck getting a 6" ID liner in a 6.25" ID chimney...not saying it can't be done...but I would take a bet against it!

 

[Elisurfer4]

Oval insulated duraliner will fit those dimensions as described. It comes in solid and flexible sections for getting through the damper. The flex sections will need a insulation wrap. And various oval to round adaptors. I've used it on my own insert and it's high quality and works flawlessly. It's also handy if your chimney as short as you can extend out the top up to a length(no exposed connections). It's not cheap but it's high quality(IMO) insulated pipe, offering great performance and safety.

View attachment 220267 View attachment 220268 View attachment 220269 View attachment 220270

Wow that looks like it worked out great. How much did that liner install end up costing if you don't mind me asking?

 

[Tar12]

Good luck getting a 6" ID liner in a 6.25" OD chimney...not saying it can't be done...but I would take a bet against it!

Edited....lol

 

[Squisher]

I can't recall exactly off the top of my head. But I'm in bc canada so it may not reflect much for pricing in your area. I did the install myself.

If you are hiring it out. Get a few quotes if you can.

The height of your chimney is going to make a difference in cost.

 

[Elisurfer4]

How bad would it be to put a 5.5" round liner down there? Just curious as it seems the oval liner is going to cost me an arm and a leg... Also, the reason the squeeze is so tight here is that there is an existing terra cotta liner.

 

[bholler]

How bad would it be to put a 5.5" round liner down there? Just curious as it seems the oval liner is going to cost me an arm and a leg... Also, the reason the squeeze is so tight here is that there is an existing terra cotta liner.

Even with 5.5 you wont get any insulation. You can also do an oval flex liner. For rogid yo work your liners need to be really straight. The clay liners can also be removed to make room. But i prefer not doing that in fireplaces

 

[Squisher]

How bad would it be to put a 5.5" round liner down there? Just curious as it seems the oval liner is going to cost me an arm and a leg... Also, the reason the squeeze is so tight here is that there is an existing terra cotta liner.

You are going to have to list lots more info to get any reliable opinions on that.

Interior or exterior masonry chimney? Interior needs 2"s clearance to combustibles exterior needs 1". Do you have these clearances? Can they even be verified or not? If not then you need a insulated liner. A insulated liner negates these clearances and effectively upgrades a masonry chimney to zero clearance to combustibles.

What stove/insert do you have? Do they allow for a undersized liner in the manual? Downsizing of the pipe size is only allowed up here if the manufacturer allows it.

A good install/sweep company will offer the service of breaking out the terracotta liners in order to fit a insulated round liner. Which is another option vs the oval liners. Obviously costs money and any insulated option is going to be more expensive than a uninsulated liner install.

Many people do burn with the undersized uninsulated liners. Besides the safety reasons mentioned for using a insulated liner a insulated liner will greatly outperform a uninsulated one. Cleaner chimney and better burning stove with more effective draft.

A insulated liner is the proper way, uninsulated is a compromise on performance at best and safety at worst.

 

[HomeinPA]

For starters, are the measurements you quote INSIDE the flue tile or outside? YUGE difference. And any offsets inside the flue have an impact.

The reality is that there is no way a stainless steel liner, properly insulated to zero clearance will go down that size chimney without: A) ovalizing the entire liner and then rerounding it to make the proper connections at the stove or; B) removing the terra-cotta tiles. This is not necessarily a do-it-yourself project.

Something else to consider - You're putting an appliance in that allows you to light a fire in your home. It may actually benefit you to pay a professional to do the job the right way if they have the tools and know-how to accomplish it. If you're going to use it for heating the house and you'll be in the house for 5-10 years it's going to pay for itself may times over. If you do it halfway and it gets flagged when you go to sell the house it's gonna cost a lot more for someone to fix mistakes.

 

[begreen]

Thanks for the advice. Not to doubt you but he seemed pretty positive that an insulated liner wouldn’t fit, but what makes you so sure it will?

Sorry, just read your question. Hopefully by now you've had a chance to take a look at the DuraLiner oval pipe dimensions. It would fit easily unless there are confounding factors that we haven't been told.

 

[Elisurfer4]

Sorry, just read your question. Hopefully by now you've had a chance to take a look at the DuraLiner oval pipe dimensions. It would fit easily unless there are confounding factors that we haven't been told.

If I were to get the hard pipe, how would I install it without awkwardly lifting a 25 ft pope in the air?

EDIT: pipe, not pope. Could you imagine?

 

[Mark8]

If I were to get the hard pipe, how would I install it without awkwardly lifting a 25 ft pope in the air?

EDIT: pipe, not pope. Could you imagine?

Probably the same way I removed the pipe, there is a clamp that you can use to hold the pipe and as you rivet each section together keep moving the clamp, It will probably be easier with two clamps. I'm not a professional but that's how I'm going to put it in. Remember the pipe is not heavy at all.

 

[Elisurfer4]

Ok so more info.. it seems like my chimney has an 8x12 clay liner with and inside width of 6.25”. My chimney is a external chimney... I see that oval is obviously the suggested move here but holy snot that breaks the bank.. there has to be a way...

 

[Mark8]

Ok so more info.. it seems like my chimney has an 8x12 clay liner with and inside width of 6.25”. My chimney is a external chimney... I see that oval is obviously the suggested move here but holy snot that breaks the bank.. there has to be a way...

Yes the oval is very expensive, round is a lot cheaper. Did you go on the top of the chimney and measure the inside measurement and also look for other reducing factors because this is what mine looked like, the mortar joints reduced the size.