Liner Install - outer stretched in relation to inner liner

[EnnDee]

I’m stuck on a Chimney liner install. It is a 6” liner, pre-insulated stainless liner with outer liner. We did a bottom-up install. It was very difficult with the double bends in the chimney and the sharp, grabby masonry.



We eventually got it through, and the top is extending 2” proud of the flue tile top. Flue tile size is 12x12”. Total length about 25 feet.

Looking down into it from the top, the inner lining is retracted from the outer liner insulation sheath by about 3-4 feet. It appears compressed in relation to the sheath, judging by how curvy it looks in the picture.



I have already cut the excess liner length and have about 2 feet still hanging out into the fireplace.



Another constraint, is that the top of the chimney has a concrete slab cap that I want to keep intact. I could cut an access hole above the flue and patch it later if I have to though.

Do yall have any ideas, on how to get the proper, stainless inner liner to reach closer to the top of the flue? I could push it up the remaining amount the is still in the house but it would still be short of the top.

I can’t think of a way to grab only the inner liner pipe to pull it more taut – any ideas on how to pull that up to take up what appears to be slack?

Or any ideas on how to insert some extra 6” liner to meet the inner liner that is still short of top? Maybe a couple of crimped and inserted pieces like so? I wouldn’t be able to fix them with fasteners though.

Thanks for any thoughts! This site has been super helpful already just for lurking and researching before I even started.

 

[begreen]

It sounds like a not-fun job. @bholler may have thoughts on this one.

 

[EnnDee]

Yes, it has not been super enjoyable. My body is still sore two days later.

Here's a latest thought, since posting above. Basically a fancy stick. That cams tight against inner wall and grabs inner liner when pulling on green string.

 

[bholler]

At this point if it were me I would pull it out and start over going from the top down.

 

[EbS-P]

You are 4’ short and only have two extra feet of liner. My math says the liner is not two short

 

[Crab]

Is that an Olympia/Copperfield hybrid liner?

 

[EnnDee]

Unsure of liner manufacturer, but it was a pre-insulated liner from Rockford. They list it as "316Ti stainless steel inner lining and 430 stainless outer lining." No complaints with the liner quality; just a difficult install.
https://www.rockfordchimneysupply.c...ed-flexible-stainless-steel-chimney-liner-kit

The camming stick idea worked great for getting purchase on inner liner only, it just didn't budge with some weak pulls. I'll use it again for the next round of serious pulling and post a pic of it later.

Next step is to shove the final 2 feet of liner that's dangling inside the house up into the chimney and reassess. That might be close enough to the top to just add a extra little inner liner piece and call it done.

 

[mellow]

If you don't have enough on the bottom you could use a Liner to Liner adapter and add some more at the bottom, possibly the messed up top when you cut it flush? Doesn't have to be insulated that first few feet.

 

[mellow]

Not sure what insert you are getting but Blaze King models come with a very stout connector piece for the first few feet.

 

[EnnDee]

Thanks for the Liner-to-Liner coupler idea - it was so obvious in hindsight. And it's what I went with. Here's the recap from a weekend of contraptioneering.

Cam Lever for grabbing inner liner. Red to pull, white to release.:

Lever for pulling up on string:

Short piece added to liner connector:

wrapped, and Tee connected to push stove further into chimney:

Success! Above chimney top

Added a blocking plate around liner with insulation on back. Carboard template, wide pliers, silicone caulking, and riveted two pieces together.

Line dangling down is a spare thermocouple readout I put up in the chimney cavity.

First fires!

Plenty more details to finish. But feels good saving nearly $5000 on a quoted install.

I’ll make another post about the temperature monitoring setup I worked on during the install.

 

[begreen]

Congratulations and A+ on ingenuity and persistence.