Liner shifting, water down chimney

[Speedle]

Hello All,

I have what I believe to be a relatively simple problem, and I am just looking for the best option to resolve it; I don't know what direction to go in. I used search and saw a lot of threads with this topic, so kindly bear with me if it has been covered previously Also, please refrain from simply saying something like "Call the person who installed the liners" as I know this is an option and am looking for a reasonably priced, sustainable DIY fix at this time.

A few years back I had dual stainless steel liners dropped in and connected to my All Nighter (1st floor) and furnace (basement). The prior owners of the house had neglected the chimney and had no caps on either flue - the clay liners were simply exposed. After installation of the new furnace (lower of the two flues in attached pictures) the clay liner began disintegrating up top, which I noticed in the spring when up on the roof to clean the gutters and chimney. So, when the new liners were dropped, one sits flush with the top of the chimney while the stove side is higher.

The caps installed with the liners essentially anchor them in place (see photos). My problem is that whenever there is a harsh storm or a lot of rain (and there has been a good amount in New England this spring), the stove side flue shifts to either side and a bit of water finds its way down, eventually reaching the top of my stove (see picture). Note that in several of the pics I dramatically pushed the flue to either side to show how much play there is. As you can see in the pics, there isn't much collar overhang for water to be able to deflect away from dripping into the clay flue liner when it is set in a centered position to cover the liner.

So far I've thought of getting some sort of extended collar to add on and also trying to better anchor the current collar to stay in place in storms (though the latter option isn't as appealing as I feel there needs to be more overhang to effectively divert water flow away from the clay flue liner). I've also considered a dual liner cap, but wonder about having to replace the current caps (which hold the liners in place) to be lower for the dual cap to fit over them and still look/work "right".

Thank you for reading, any thoughts, links to potential fixes, and insights are much appreciated.

Regards,
Speedle

 

[NickW]

The instructions with the setup I installed said to use 500 degree (I think it was 500 degree... maybe it's 600 degree.. ?) silicone to seal the plate in place to keep it from shifting and keep water out. I had a similar situation where the top clay liner was falling apart so I knocked it out and sealed the plate to the cap.

 

[Rickb]

If it was me I would have kocked the other clay liner to the top of the cap and got a new 1 piece stainless cap to cover the whole thing.

 

[Smokepole]

Do you have enough overhang on the sides of your top plate to install a 1/4 x 6 stainless bolt in the center on
each side to where the bolts are out side of the clay liner? If you do the bolts attached to the plate hanging
down outside of the liner will keep it from shifting too much. You can then caulk the top of the bolts.

 

[begreen]

If it was me I would have kocked the other clay liner to the top of the cap and got a new 1 piece stainless cap to cover the whole thing.

It's good to have the upstairs flue higher. Equal height flue terminations can allow smoke from the upper unit to get siphoned down to the lower unit if conditions are right.

The top plate is too small. Ideally, it would have a flange hanging down on all sides and it definitely should be adhered with a generous bead of silicone (doesn't need to be high temp) around the top edge of the flue tile, making a good adhesive bond and seal. GE Silicone II has worked well for me.

 

[BigJ273]

Deluxe Terra Cotta Flue Tile Top Plate with Chimney Cap - Rockford Chimney

The Deluxe Hinged Terra Cotta Chimney Cap combines a top plate with a hinged chimney cap. Use this stainless steel chimney cap with flexible flue liners.

www.rockfordchimneysupply.com

problem solved. Even clamps the liner to hold it in place with a band clamp

 

[Rickb]

It's good to have the upstairs flue higher. Equal height flue terminations can allow smoke from the upper unit to get siphoned down to the lower unit if conditions are right.

The top plate is too small. Ideally, it would have a flange hanging down on all sides and it definitely should be adhered with a generous bead of silicone (doesn't need to be high temp) around the top edge of the flue tile, making a good adhesive bond and seal. GE Silicone II has worked well for me.

I agree. Buyt I would have gotten the top flat so I could use a single top plate with 2 holes then used a piece of chimney or something to extend one of them higher. What he has there looks like it will leak some even if he get the one top plate centered, as well as the mortared/poured top plate will need to be redone eventually anyways.

 

[Speedle]

Hi All,

Thank you for the replies.

It sounds like I'm going to need a lot of silicone to form a solid bead if I go that route only, as the top plate does not sit completely flush with the liner in all areas (see pics). Unfortunately there isn't enough flange overhang to insert bolts to prevent it from shifting, but I did think of bolting some L-shaped brackets on either side to keep it in place. Another idea I had was to cut some stainless steel strips and rivet/bolt them on both sides to extend the top plate collar to properly divert the water away. Any thoughts on the feasibility of that? Paired with the silicone perhaps that'd do the trick. Thanks again for the thoughts/insights!

 

[BigJ273]

U don’t need silicone. Go to the link I posted. That will solve ur problems

 

[begreen]

Putting a proper flanged cap has been suggested. It's still recommended to put a good bead of silicone on the flue perimeter before setting the flue cap in place.

 

[bholler]

U don’t need silicone. Go to the link I posted. That will solve ur problems

There is a reason a tube of silicone is listed with it. I also don't really like that style especially for an old dirty burner like that. That whole top will be pretty cool and turn into a big mess really quickly