Chimney sweep/insert question

[forya]

I have a steel approx 7 1/2" chimney, and a 4" s/s insert going all the way up it. This year I noticed that when I was running my sweep up the liner (a dryer vent brush with flexible poles attached to my drill) that a good amount of ash was spilling down the outside of my liner and spilling out the chimney pipe. Is this normal? was it spilling over the top of the liner and down the chimney? or do I have a hole in my liner? It is only 2 years old.

 

[Fish On]

u should have a cap on top. is it just open to the sky in the flue?

oh and go Bruins!

 

[smwilliamson]

Most likely the vibrations are knocking down ash that was never cleaned out entirely prior to installing the liner up. Open it up and take a look.

 

[CJ-SR4ever]

sounds like the liner was moving around a little in the flue while you were pushing the brush up, knocking down some left over ash from the flue.

 

[forya]

There is a cap on the original chimney and the liner stops right before the cap

 

[briansol]

That explains it then... the ash is coming out the top and into the 'greater' area. The small pipe should have its own cap, ideally.

 

[Fsappo]

The small pipe should be capped off with some kind of plate that covers the gap between the larger pipe, right?

 

[forya]

I found out that that was not the case, and that my liner stopped about 4 feet from my original cap, and they left the original cap in place. I have put a call in to my installer, to try to get my liner/cap/flashing fixed

 

[Fsappo]

Come on now. Thats just terrible. Whoever installed that should install a 1 pce stainless flex liner past the top of the tile with a stainless plate and chimney cap to match. Dont let them just scab a 4' chunk to whatever is there. This is unless, of course, you signed off somewhere saying that it was ok for them to do a partial liner job. Was this done thru an actual Hearth Shop?

 

[forya]

yes, and they just got back to me, and said that in the install guide they were not required to go all the way up. I have a mfg'd fireplace with a steel chimney, not a tile chimney.

But they did bill me for a 35'x4" liner. They refuse to come out to fix it. Now the Chimney repair shop (not the origional hearth shop that installed it) wants $700 to add the 4' of liner and fix the cap/flashing.

maybe harman should downgrade this shops GOLD dealer status?

 

[CJ-SR4ever]

If you are able to, I would contact Harman about this issue. That is rediculous, they charged you for a full liner but didnt use it. They dont sound very trustworthy. Did you suggest they run the liner to the top at the time of install?

 

[Fsappo]

I'm sorry man, thats just crap. Did they charge you for a liner "kit" or just a chunk of flex? Did they give you an itemized invoice? If so, what was the part number/description of the liner?

 

[forya]

I was charged $599 for a Olympia liner kit. Pn/ ksn435. There is a note to meet all regulatory requirements on the invoice,
So I would assume that if the two, or state required a "full" liner, they should have met that?

 

[hearthnleisure]

Ask the hearth shop that sold you the liner to get you a 5' chunk of the stainless steel liner that they used to install your insert. If you were billed for a "liner kit", it should have also come with a top plate and a cap. The top plate, not the insert, is designed to support the weight of the liner. In my opinion, the liner should be attached to the top plate, original cap removed and 4" cap installed on top of the top plate.

 

[forya]

Good idea, that is what I will try after the holiday. It is still going to cost me to get it installed, but it will save me on materials

 

[Fsappo]

Ask the hearth shop that sold you the liner to get you a 5' chunk of the stainless steel liner that they used to install your insert. If you were billed for a "liner kit", it should have also come with a top plate and a cap. The top plate, not the insert, is designed to support the weight of the liner. In my opinion, the liner should be attached to the top plate, original cap removed and 4" cap installed on top of the top plate.

Right, which is exactly why I wanted to know the part number. They sold you a kit, for a kit price and short changed you. It should be installed just like we all said.

Now, I'm not sure what the local code says in regards to lining the chimney to the top. I'd be calling and asking the AHJ about it though.

 

[forya]

Well the stove shop that did the install came out and fixed everything. I called my code inspector and he told me they had to install the liner all the way up in my case. I didn't have to get a permit originally, because my twp doesn't require a permit for putting an insert into an existing fireplace. But when I called the stove shop, they came right out.