Hello!
Just recently I have become aware that I have rusting going on in various issues in my 13 year old onyx fireplace by RSF-ICC chimneys. Unfortunately at the moment the soonest I can get someone to come down to inspect the unit is late October. This is a concern to me because We use this fireplace to heat from november all the way into march, and if there is serious damage I don't know how long that whole process would take with insurance and other things. So a few years ago I noticed a little dripping down the face of the unit, I didn't think much of it as we hadn't used it that winter and that season was extremely cold and snowy, so i figured maybe it was just frost or condensation from it becoming milder out. Then about a couple years later when cleaning the unit I noticed a bit of rust rust behind the top louver at the base of the flue, but everything else seemed fine. Then this year I found out the shingle work around the chimney on the roof was done fairly poorly, and the inspector noticed moisture around the edge of the chase, as well as a dip in the chimney chase cap, most likely caused by the roofers putting their tools on it and bending it. So far the rust looks like it has spread and water must have leaked to the bottom because the floor of the fireplace has a lot of rust visible too. Last week I checked around the top of the flue ( third image to the right ) and noticed a tiny bit of water on my finger tip when feeling around. This is where I figure the water must have gotten in from, So I am also worried about the condition on the outside of the unit, particularly the top where the chimney connects. We used the fireplace all last winter with no issue, and that was before we realized how bad the rusting / water leak was. I will include pictures that will showcase everything. Is this rust isn't anything major could it also still be a health hazard? The fan does circulate air around the inside with all that rust present. I know there isn't much to go by but if anyone has had similar issues or experience with this could give their opinion I would appreciate it. I don't know if my insurance will even cover the potential damage, So in that case the fireplace would be out of commission until I can afford to replace it, but hopefully it won't come to that!
Thanks!
Just recently I have become aware that I have rusting going on in various issues in my 13 year old onyx fireplace by RSF-ICC chimneys. Unfortunately at the moment the soonest I can get someone to come down to inspect the unit is late October. This is a concern to me because We use this fireplace to heat from november all the way into march, and if there is serious damage I don't know how long that whole process would take with insurance and other things. So a few years ago I noticed a little dripping down the face of the unit, I didn't think much of it as we hadn't used it that winter and that season was extremely cold and snowy, so i figured maybe it was just frost or condensation from it becoming milder out. Then about a couple years later when cleaning the unit I noticed a bit of rust rust behind the top louver at the base of the flue, but everything else seemed fine. Then this year I found out the shingle work around the chimney on the roof was done fairly poorly, and the inspector noticed moisture around the edge of the chase, as well as a dip in the chimney chase cap, most likely caused by the roofers putting their tools on it and bending it. So far the rust looks like it has spread and water must have leaked to the bottom because the floor of the fireplace has a lot of rust visible too. Last week I checked around the top of the flue ( third image to the right ) and noticed a tiny bit of water on my finger tip when feeling around. This is where I figure the water must have gotten in from, So I am also worried about the condition on the outside of the unit, particularly the top where the chimney connects. We used the fireplace all last winter with no issue, and that was before we realized how bad the rusting / water leak was. I will include pictures that will showcase everything. Is this rust isn't anything major could it also still be a health hazard? The fan does circulate air around the inside with all that rust present. I know there isn't much to go by but if anyone has had similar issues or experience with this could give their opinion I would appreciate it. I don't know if my insurance will even cover the potential damage, So in that case the fireplace would be out of commission until I can afford to replace it, but hopefully it won't come to that!
Thanks!
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