Chimney problems,advice needed.

[loadthestove]

This may be long so please be patient.
My current chimney is a masonary construction with terracotta liners.it has worked great for several years now.
While cleaning chimney the other day I noticed the top two block has(raised up). And top of the chimney is lose (will wobble around)

My question what is recommendations to fix this.
I'm think of using a stainless liner but im not sure if it will go thru my current chimney without having to bust out the terracotta liners (I know they are 8 inch )so will the liner go thru them.

Also my pipe comes from.stove and turns a 90 in to the chimney ,will the liner bend that much or how is it done .i have added angew pics to show my setup

 

[dave_dj1]

Simplest thing is to just take down the top two blocks and flu if needed and re mud it all and put a proper cap on it. You need some overhang so the water doesn't run down the block.

 

[sean donato]

I'd try to save it before going the liner route, and the liners go straight down the chimney into a connector that slides in from the wall thimble and fastens to the stainless liner. I would have had to go with a 6 inch liner in my 8x8 masonry chimney. Not an issue for my set up, as the pipe coming out of the furnace is 6". I ended up going with a triple wall insulated chimney. Came out cheaper then any other option in my case.

 

[vizette]

Basically echo'ing what Sean said, but:

Sounds like I have a similar set up as the OP has, but the liner was found to be cracking. They were able to slide a stainless liner down, similar to the aluminum flex hose you might find on a bathroom exhaust fan or dryer or something. At the bottom where it turns into the house there's a 90 degree stainless fitting specifically for this. All the same size as the pipe coming out of the wood stove.
If you want to DIY, it's doable, there are stainless kits out there that include a new cap and the 90.

If there's not room for that in yours, they can put a weighted demo tool down the chimney that they spin around with a big drill, and as it flops around it smashes out the terracotta. Obviously messy and more expensive, but effective and cheaper than rebuilding the whole thing.

 

[kyle1!]

Regardless of going the liner route you need to fix that loose block/cap to prevent water penetration. While doing so you can inspect the chimney and decide if it is still in good shape or you need a liner.

 

[Mad Professor]

Fix the top w/new mortar/rebuild, bad clay liner too.

Then get a UL listed liner to match your stove w/insulation blanket. A t-pipe to acess your stove through a thimble installed in chimeny. Have a clean out door at bottom of chimney.

 

[45-70Frank]

stay with the brick as long as possible. Pretty easy to fix though.
Your chimney being 100% outside may be an ever llasting problem because of condensation and freezing, especially on the top!

 

[sean donato]

stay with the brick as long as possible. Pretty easy to fix though.
Your chimney being 100% outside may be an ever llasting problem because of condensation and freezing, especially on the top!

What brings you to these conclusions?

 

[Mad Professor]

stay with the brick as long as possible. Pretty easy to fix though.
Your chimney being 100% outside may be an ever llasting problem because of condensation and freezing, especially on the top!

Insulated SS liner, bricks/mortar to cover exposed tile at top of existing hack job, a cap that seal inside . No water or condensation. Get a cleanout proper at the bottom of chimney with a cast door, and a SS T- to connect the liner through a thimble to the stove in the room.

I'd add a damper after the stove pipe, not required but good if you get a fire.

 

[45-70Frank]

Insulated SS liner, bricks/mortar to cover exposed tile at top of existing hack job, a cap that seal inside . No water or condensation. Get a cleanout proper at the bottom of chimney with a cast door, and a SS T- to connect the liner through a thimble to the stove in the room.

I'd add a damper after the stove pipe, not required but good if you get a fire.

Not a fan if liners although they are a necessity. Doing HVAC I installed many but usually they were gas. They are a PITA to clean when used for a woodstove.

 

[Mad Professor]

Not a fan if liners although they are a necessity. Doing HVAC I installed many but usually they were gas. They are a PITA to clean when used for a woodstove.

Nope. You are 100% wrong.

I put a woodstove into my existing traditional fireplace. I measured and then ordered the complete system from Rockford. Took an afternoon for two people to install, me and a friend. Custom insulated liner so not to hack out smokebox in fireplace, just remove damper. Sealed SS cap. Liner goes to a T-fitting in hearth. One to stove , one to cleanout.



Cleaning, I remove the T-cap cleanout cap, tape on a garbage gag. Then I go on roof, remove cap with a screwdriver. Brush off the cap screen and clean flue with a poly brush. Put chimney cap on then pull out stove to clean pipe to T-connector to stove.

P.S. The can of GOEX FFG, and hurricane lantern on the mantle, are empty

I only get ~ 1-gal debris a year with the stove pictured (old Warner), heating with dry hard wood all winter in Vermont.

I've seen a few chimney fires of stoves without liners.......

 

[sean donato]

Not a fan if liners although they are a necessity. Doing HVAC I installed many but usually they were gas. They are a PITA to clean when used for a woodstove.

I don't understand this. Liners have clean outs and tee fittings like a masonry chimney. Idk of anyone that would pull a continuous liner from the flue and hook direct to a appliance, without a clean out. The insulation is icing in the cake. Warms up fast and retains the heat very well. Cleaning it isn't any harder then a masonary chimney, I'd actually argue it's easier with the set up I have as I can remove the bottom and it's straight through shot. I didn't have creosote problems with my Old chimney and don't expect to have issues with the triple walled stainless chimney either. The few times I've had to burn so far this year, the draft has been faster, more stabil and lasted longer then the masonary chimney it replaced. Only downside is it's ugly even compared to a block chimney.

 

[Mad Professor]

I don't understand this. Liners have clean outs and tee fittings like a masonry chimney. Idk of anyone that would pull a continuous liner from the flue and hook direct to a appliance, without a clean out. The insulation is icing in the cake. Warms up fast and retains the heat very well. Cleaning it isn't any harder then a masonary chimney, I'd actually argue it's easier with the set up I have as I can remove the bottom and it's straight through shot. I didn't have creosote problems with my Old chimney and don't expect to have issues with the triple walled stainless chimney either. The few times I've had to burn so far this year, the draft has been faster, more stabil and lasted longer then the masonary chimney it replaced. Only downside is it's ugly even compared to a block chimney.

You couldn't do a quality liner/insulation kit in the existing chimney? Got pics?

 

[sean donato]

You couldn't do a quality liner/insulation kit in the existing chimney? Got pics?

We could have, but between fixing the last few courses of block and installing a liner, it was cheaper to tear down the old one and replace it with the triple walled stainless chimney.

 

[45-70Frank]

Nope. You are 100% wrong.

I put a woodstove into my existing traditional fireplace. I measured and then ordered the complete system from Rockford. Took an afternoon for two people to install, me and a friend. Custom insulated liner so not to hack out smokebox in fireplace, just remove damper. Sealed SS cap. Liner goes to a T-fitting in hearth. One to stove , one to cleanout.

View attachment 1031641View attachment 1031642View attachment 1031644

Cleaning, I remove the T-cap cleanout cap, tape on a garbage gag. Then I go on roof, remove cap with a screwdriver. Brush off the cap screen and clean flue with a poly brush. Put chimney cap on then pull out stove to clean pipe to T-connector to stove.

P.S. The can of GOEX FFG, and hurricane lantern on the mantle, are empty

I only get ~ 1-gal debris a year with the stove pictured (old Warner), heating with dry hard wood all winter in Vermont.

I've seen a few chimney fires of stoves without liners.......

View attachment 1031646View attachment 1031647View attachment 1031648

You have no issue running the brush up and down?
The few I did clean I always felt as if I was going to puncture the SS corrugated liner.
Glad ya have issues though.

 

[Mad Professor]

You have no issue running the brush up and down?
The few I did clean I always felt as if I was going to puncture the SS corrugated liner.
Glad ya have issues though.

No. Plastic bush + fiberglass rods got to the cleanout, past smoke box.

Liner is warranty lifetime /transferable. co$t but it's been 20 years now.

 

[Automender]

The house I grew up in which is over 60 years old and had the same chimney design as the posters. It had a oil furnace with a draft damper and was located in the Pocono Mountains in Pa. The chimney still exists and is in working order. Maybe you have a inner flue expansion issue and it expands more that the outer cinderblock, If it doesn't slip at the concrete collar maybe trying to lift the upper two cinderblocks.

 

[Hansenj11]

I have a question. I have a chimney liner currently but I think it’s installed incorrectly. The liner runs from the top to the wood furnace in the basement with out the Tee thimble. It’s an 8x8 terracotta chimney and it looks tight but I’m not sure I could get an insulated liner in it. My next question is should the cap for the tee run to the clean out at where the terra-cotta chimney clean out is? Thanks for the advice. Hansenj11

 

[sean donato]

There's a vermiculite insulation thays used for really tight fitting liners. It's mixed up kinda like Portland cement and pored in around the liner.

 

[loadthestove]

Just wanted to post my solution
Long story short,footer had sunk basically cracking chimney all over.
Not willing to take any chances on my home,I tore the masonary chimney down rebuilt it using selkirk supervent stainless chimney

I purchased the thru wall kit and pipe .it made for a nice installation and I'm really pleased with the way it turned out.

It draws better than my old one did and with the way its designed cleaning chimney will be very easy.