Help Regarding Liner

[KennyK]

Hey Folks,

Well, I have yet to get a stove, but I am determined to make it happen before next season. I've even started gathering and splitting wood, thanks to all the good advice here about the importance of dry wood.

I just got a lead on a never used Magnaflex 35' x 6'' liner that someone is selling for $583 not too far from me. Here's a link to the same liner: (broken link removed to http://www.northlineexpress.com/item/5MG-06IFDCS035/6-x-35-InsulFlex-SS-All-Fuel-Liner)

Part of me feels I should jump on this opportunity as it's about half the price of what it would cost otherwise, but I'm wondering the following things:

1) Is this as good/safe of a liner as I would need? I spoke to a chimney sweep who told me that the quality of liner that he could get is better than what the general public can buy - was that just a load of wet wood or is that the truth?

2) I may end up going with a dealer for the stove, will they not install a liner I have already purchased, making it a waste?

3) How can I make sure this liner will fit in my chimney? The outside dimension of this liner is 7 3/8". I have a masonry chimney that was build in the late 1800s on an external wall. Also, I have a three story house, so I think 35' is about right, but not sure - how I can measure this?

Thanks for your help! Any thoughts or other things I might want to think about would be very helpful.

 

[begreen]

1) Yes, it's a good liner
2) You'd have to ask the dealer that question
3) Try looking up the damper with a strong flashlight, or get out a ladder. The chimney has to be cleaned before lining so ask the sweep to measure the ID. While you are at it ask if he does liner installations.

 

[KennyK]

Thanks BeGreen.

So was the chimney sweep that I spoke with (not the same person as the dealer I've been talking with) just lying to me when he said that the kind of liner that he could get as a "professional in the business" was much better that anything I could purchase? This would be good for me to know, because if he was lying about that, he's probably not trustworthy for other parts of the job. Are these the same liners a professional sweep or dealer would get?

Thanks!

 

[StuckInTheMuck]

Just ask the sweep the brand and model number of the chimney liner that he would use. You can then check out the specs and compare it to what you can buy.

For your number 3, if you can get a short piece (3 feet or so) of your proposed liner and a pull cone (which you can make), you can see if you are able to pull it all the way through the chimney. If it will go through, the same diameter flex liner should go through. there is a risk of getting it stuck, so it may help to have a rope at both ends just in case you end up retreating.... Or "attacking in another direction" (MajGen Oliver P. Smith, USMC Korea).

Good luck.