How much rigid dura-liner do I order?

[jeffesonm]

Below is a little diagram of my chimney and what I think I need to order. I am a little unclear on how the extend-a-cap kit works and whether it's better to have too much pipe or not enough pipe. Seems unlikely the rigid+flex liner end up exactly flush with the top of the chimney, so do I want the rigid pipe to protrude above the terra cotta tile at the top? Or do I want it to be slightly below? Should I change that last 3' section to a 4' section?

Thanks!

 

[jeffesonm]

Anybody? Just ordered the stove today so need to order the liner here.

 

[Hogwildz]

Order it longer than the terra. They offer it in 3', 2' and 1' lengths. Mine sticks up and out about 1-1/2' -2'. I have an extand-a-cap kit on it also.

On another note, 12' is short for the liner. 15' seems to be most manufacturers minimums. Your draft may suffer at 12'.

 

[jeffesonm]

Thanks! Yes 12' is short... guess I will have it stick out a bit at the top like yours to get another foot or two. I will also be insulating the flex section and installing an outside air kit to try and help things along.

 

[Hogwildz]

I left my flex uninsulated, as it only ran through the smoke shelf to the first tile. You surely can insulate it, but more importantly is to install a block off plate.

I'd upload you pic I added a block off plate to for visual, but as always, this new forum format, won't let me.

 

[Hogwildz]

Wow it loaded! Here is an idea of where to put the block off plate around the liner.

 

[jeffesonm]

Thanks that is helpful. I can get away with a much smaller blockoff plate if I put it just below where the clay tiles start.

 

[walpoledan]

jeffesonm,

Sorry for the late reply and perhaps it's too late but in case it helps I just installed duraliner in one of my flues this spring and had the same question that you did about the way the liner makes up to the top cap.

The liner needs to pass by the top plate at least four inches or so. There is a clamp that grabs the liner and then settles against the top place to hold the liner up. This clamp goes between the top plate and the angled weather collar and needs that three or four inches of liner to grab on to. The cap just attaches to the free end of the liner above the weather collar. Because you're working with one foot increments and you can't be short it's definitely best to go long, particularly if you've got a short chimney. Mine's a bit over 30' because the stove is in the basement. And I can tell you that 30' of duraliner gets heavy

Here's a picture of what the top looks like after it's installed. You can see the weather collar but not the clamp that holds the liner because it's under the collar:

(broken image removed)

 

[jeffesonm]

Thanks for posting, that is really helpful. I would not want to be standing on that roof holding up 30' of dura-liner!

Sean at DynamiteBuys.com talked me through the process and I ended up ordering 11' of rigid plus 3' of flex, so it should protrude through the top by about 2'. Ordered it on Thursday and it should show up today. Quick! Stove came in at my local store today so hoping to install this weekend.

 

[walpoledan]

Thanks for posting, that is really helpful. I would not want to be standing on that roof holding up 30' of dura-liner!

Yeah, I definitely used the 'phone-a-friend' option for that one. There was much grunting and perhaps a bit of cursing for the last section or two...

Sean at DynamiteBuys.com talked me through the process and I ended up ordering 11' of rigid plus 3' of flex, so it should protrude through the top by about 2'. Ordered it on Thursday and it should show up today. Quick! Stove came in at my local store today so hoping to install this weekend.

He was very helpful with me as well. I was very happy with my experience there.

As a side note, I'll be quite interested to know how you make out with your insert. I'm in what I hope are the final stages of talking my wife into an insert in the first floor fireplace to augment the Keystone in the basement and have been going through most of the same decision points you seem to have hit with yours. She wants flush with big glass in the simple/contemporary vein. I showed her some pictures and the Matrix and the FPX/Avalon ones were definitely on her short list.

Good luck with the liner,

Dan

 

[jeffesonm]

I'll keep you posted. I went the Matrix as it was around $1,000 cheaper, based on well proven non-cat technology and could take a 16" log loaded N/S. If the FPX/Avalon model had a bigger firebox or the hybrid technology had another year of being out on the market, I probably would have spent the extra money and gotten that one.