SS LIner and mortaring top of chimney..

[RedRanger]

When I had the liner installed in our chimney that was lined with firebrick we had to go to 5inch to make it fit. With a 22ft draw it has worked very well. After the liner was installed (non-insulated) the sweep said to keep-an-eye- on it until the next summer. Watch for any smoke coming out the chimney around the liner. There was none, so the following summer when he came to do the annual sweep, he mortared in the top to seal it. Have never had back-puffing since that install 3 years ago. I`m just curious as to whether this is just a "west coast" thing or others have done it this way as well? I have read on this forum about packing insulation around the liner and am just guessing that would be more applicable to colder climates. Also, any pros or cons about the way mine was done? I`m refering to the SS flex liner. Don`t recall what brand.

 

[Hogwildz]

Seams odd to me, I just did as most and used a top plate & done. I suppose the mortar will work, But if it lets loose around the liner, you'll have to caulk it good or water will eventually get in there.

 

[RedRanger]

Nest to a Nuke Plant-how un-nerving!! Well, there is a chimney cap and all that. And I guess the idea is that the mortar will last about as long as the liner? Not being much of a techy guy, or construction guy for that matter, well, I suppose the plan was to ensure no leaks with the liner and no cold air coming down. Not sure? It sure does the job though, of course, I heard thru the grapevine, that PE does tests with a 5inch liner, just don`t publish them. Anyway, happy with the results,dam`n good insert, no problems, like I read about on here with those new secondary burn units. Well, maybe because I`m aging, makes me a little more skepitcal, and nervous about some of those high temps in the newer stuff. Just did seem weird though, that the top of the liner just kinda dangled there for almost a year, anchored to nothing. Thanks for your reply, kinda dissapointed though, lots of views , and yours is the only comment.. Ps-just don`t know how you can live beside something like that and keep your sanity?It would scare the bejesus out of me. Thanks again.

 

[Hogwildz]

Nest to a Nuke Plant-how un-nerving!! Well, there is a chimney cap and all that. And I guess the idea is that the mortar will last about as long as the liner? Not being much of a techy guy, or construction guy for that matter, well, I suppose the plan was to ensure no leaks with the liner and no cold air coming down. Not sure? It sure does the job though, of course, I heard thru the grapevine, that PE does tests with a 5inch liner, just don`t publish them. Anyway, happy with the results,dam`n good insert, no problems, like I read about on here with those new secondary burn units. Well, maybe because I`m aging, makes me a little more skepitcal, and nervous about some of those high temps in the newer stuff. Just did seem weird though, that the top of the liner just kinda dangled there for almost a year, anchored to nothing. Thanks for your reply, kinda dissapointed though, lots of views , and yours is the only comment.. Ps-just don`t know how you can live beside something like that and keep your sanity?It would scare the bejesus out of me. Thanks again.

Somewhere back in my head, the plant does concern me at times. But given the place I moved from was only 30-40 miles from another nuke plant. I am in a sad way used to it. At least if this one goes, I won't feel a thing. The other one would have been a slower more painful death I think. This one at 2-1/2 miles is basically ground zero, and I would be a blowing ash before I felt a thing.
The only probelm with the mortar setting is if the liner for whatever reason needs to be moved/removed (which in reality there is not reason it should) you will now have to chip the mortar out to get the liner to move. With a top plate. Its basically pull the top plate off and wallah. Of course the silicone sandwiched between the top plate & top flue tile would be a lil resistance. But silicone isn't as hard to break loose as mortar. As long as it works is really all that matters. Without anything there, that was letting alot of heat go up the chimney and also cooling the liner at same time. You might even notice a better draft now. Do you have a block off plate at the bottom?

 

[RedRanger]

thanks for the reply

Honestly, I don`t know what a block-off plate is? All I remember is when I helped the Sweep do this job is that he had to knock out a bunch of bricks to make it work. and the disclaimer that it could no longer be used for a fireplace. This was one of those twist and pull jobs, curve in the chimney, just above the throat. It is a double chimney, two flues. Well, it seems to work quite well. Just wondered if anyone else had it done this way?

 

[Hogwildz]

He had to knock some bricks out to get the liner through the throat/damper area. This is typical. Mine is an old monster steel heatilator, I had to cut mine with a sawzaw & angle grinder. The block off plate at bottom is just below where he knocked the brick out. Which is up inside above the lentel. It seals the top of the old firebox off with just the liner coming through to the stove. Furnace cement around the liner & block off plate at that area to seal. And hi temp silicone around the perimeter of the block off plate where it meets the 4 sides of the old firebox. Without this its A. not safe against blowback, and B. A huge tunnel for heat to go up and or/ cold to draft down through.

 

[RedRanger]

Thanks again Hogwildz: Without pulling the insert I just don`t know about the block-off plate? There is no cold coming down, when the fireplace isn`t used, and certainly no heat loss. Indeed, since the liner was installed and my new 3/8 steel baffle put in, this sucker really puts out the heat. Least I think it does, the room where the insert is, only has 7 and a half foot ceiling, and is 14x26, so gets cooking prettry good there in about 1 hour. And I can get an overnite burn when using hardwood :long: sadly just used up my 1/2 cord of paper bark birch, so no more overnite burns this year. Back to the fir and approx. 5 hour burns. Maybe this is revelant or not. My manual says clearance for mantel is 20 inches, and I have 23 and a half inches. But when I really crank the heat the bottom of the mantel gets quite warm,reallywarm. Not that you can`t leave your hand there, but, doesn`t really make me feel comfortable about it. Bottom of mantel is wood.