New PE Summit Insert- Need Liner Advice

[stilesec]

My new PE Summit Insert arrived last week. I'm very excited as my previous wood stove was probably 60 years old, gorged on wood and belched lots of smoke. I want to replace the liner in my chimney during the install, but would like some advice before I start. Here are the specifics:

House is a 1 story, 1970's ranch. with a full finished daylight basement.
The insert will be located in the basement.
The masonry chimney is 10" x 14" and 23' tall.
The chimney is in the center of the house located between an unheated garage and my dining room. No side is exposed directly to the outside elements (except the top of course).
I live in mid Ohio.
I burn mostly oak, elm, ash (at least until the emerald ash borer gets them all) and cherry.

I want to put in a stainless steel flexible liner, but I had a few questions. Safety is my first concern, but I want to

What type of steel is best for this install? 316L, 316ti, etc.
Are there any safety or performance differences between the cheaper liners and the more expensive ones that would effect an install like this?
Would you reccommend insulating the liner in this instance?

Safety of course is my biggest concern, but I don't want to spend unnecessary money either. Thanks in advance for your input. I'll let you know how the new stove works.

Eric

 

[BrotherBart]

Congrats on the new stove Eric. With a flue that size I would take advantage of the extra space and insulate the liner. As to liner quality, I bought both of my liners from eBay sellers and got fine quality products. I went with 316ti for corrosion resistence and durability.

The chimney may back to the garage but outside the living envelope is outside the living envelope so insulation sure can't do anything but help the draft. One of mine is 22 feet and the other 35 both un-insulated except for the bottom and top three feet and draft isn't a problem. In fact the tallest one over-drafts. I get some benefit from both flues being in the same chimney and at least one stove running all the time to keep the chimney warmed up.

 

[jjbaer]

What type of steel is best for this install? ss="spellchecked_word">316L, ss="spellchecked_word">316ti, etc.
Are there any safety or performance differences between the cheaper liners and the more expensive ones that would effect an install like this?
Would you ss="spellchecked_word">reccommend insulating the liner in this instance?

Safety of course is my biggest concern, but I don't want to spend unnecessary money either. Thanks in advance for your input. I'll let you know how the new stove works.

Eric

Hey....might be your neighbor...what city do you live near? I'm just south of Dayton.

Anyway, I think 316Ti ss is best....I did a lot of research on this before I bought mine. The "Ti" stands for Titanium impregnated and it fights corrosion better than other types. Liners differ but I'd look for one with a long warranty and about 0.006" thick. Cheaper ones are 0.005" so, all else being equal, the thicker the better. Mine is 0.006" 316TI ss and I also insulated it. Sounds like you have the room so I'd go for the 1/2" thick insulation and not the thinner 1/4" thick insulation. The insulation comes in a kit: insulation, can of adhesive spray you spray on the outside of the liner and then wrap the liner around it and wire mesh you pull over the liner on the outside of the insulation to hold it to the liner. Then I attached a few ss band clamps to the ends and the middle to hold it further. The liner I bought and the 1/2" insulation are UL 1777 rated to withstand multiple chimney fires so that's why you use insulation.

I bought mine here http://www.chimneylinerinc.com/

A 6" x 25' liner kit costs about $415 and the insulation kit (25' of 1/2" thick insulation plus kit) costs about $250. The insulation is very reasonable given the fact that it's what provides the peace of mind should the liner ever burn through......

Also, if you click on "chimney rain caps and top plates" on the web site, then look at the second item (hinged terra cotta top plates) you'll see the one I got (substituted it for the standard one in the liner kit and paid a few more $ but it's worth it). The liner slips through the band that's an integral part of the hinged cap and you simply tighten the band and it supports your liners weight. The cap then sits on the terra cotta top-most tile and wraps over the edges. You caulk it to the top of the chimney tile and side screws bite into the terra cotta tiles side wall to ensure a tight fit. The hinged top then swings down into position over the top of the liner and locks to the bottom part of the cap with a clasp. The neat thing is that when you want to clean it you simply undo the clasp and the hinged top swings 180 backward and out of the way, thus exposing the liner for inspection and cleaning.

 

[TMonter]

Also check here:

I got good support from these guys and they sell Homesaver liners.

Hart's Hearth

I agree with Cast, if at all possible insulate your liner, it's money well spent.