No chimney liner since 1964 for our wood fireplace

Now we have a gas log set. Do we need a liner more or less than before?

Searching this, I got a lot of false hits. If nobody knows I'll be doing more searching.

Your best bet is to contact the City/County for local codes. OR, you can contact local chimney repair people.

What does you gas fireplace install information say about it?

What did / do you have as a liner and did you use it from 1964 till now? How large is the opening coming down? Is it full of creosote?

Thanks, folks. . .I've got some homework to do.

Does everyone agree that there is no harm in putting in a liner, assuming I don't end up in the ER and on the evening news?

Here's my Nextag stats for kits, in dollars
509 =average
489 =median
half cost between
411
and
584

Clean the chimney and install the liner:2cents:

Finally put a bulb in the bottom of the chimney and looked down from the roof.

Found that the device to keep the damper open that was installed by the gas fireplace people doesn't work.

Soot & probably creosote, yes, visible.

Anyway, here's a quote from a 2009 patent application for a device to re-mortar the joints from within, in a chimney lined with clay tiles (like mine).

"It has been estimated that nearly half of all masonry chimneys that are lined with sections of clay flue tile have at least one joint (the juncture between the each section) that has deteriorated and needs to be replaced. This can create a potentially hazardous condition for the occupants. The purpose of a chimney is to contain and convey the products of combustion to the outside. If the chimneys liner contains gaps and voids, it can no longer be relied on to function for its intended purpose.
All nationally recognized building codes (National Fire Protection Association 211 Standard for Chimneys & International Residential Building Code-R1001.9 Flue lining installation) call for flue liners to be joined together and sealed with a non-water-soluble refractory cement that meets ASTM C199 medium duty classification. Unfortunately, it has been found that during the original construction, builders often use standard mortar to lay or seal flue tile sections. Because standard mortar is water soluble and not meant for high heat applications, joints constructed with standard mortar may deteriorate more rapidly than sections joined together and sealed with refractory mortar.
Because most residential chimney flues are long narrow tubes, it is nearly impossible to repair chimneys that are found to have this condition. Until now the only reliable method has been to tear down the chimney and rebuild it or to line the existing chimney flue with stainless steel pipe."

Only 1/4th of the tile perimeter abuts the house and the gases still have to go through brick seams. I think the fire danger from open tile seams is minimal because of our layout, and we have CO detectors. We've never had a CO alarm nor had symptoms.

Anybody here see a problem with wait & see? Some scenario I haven't thought of?

Sorry, I would not light a fire until this was corrected.

I've seen some really quick and successful flu lining by using the stainless steel flexible tubing. Have you considered this?

http://www.csia.org/homeowner-resources/about_chimney_liners.aspx

And another thing to consider, you build a fire, burn the house down, the insurance doesn't pay because you had a known hazard and built a fire anyway... Something to think about.

From some additional research I know now there is no evidence that we ever had a fire. But it also seems like our clay tiles are at the end of their 50 year life.

BTW, one of the reports said a fire claim could not be denied for lack of maintenance of the chimney but insurance companies in the US can do whatever they want.

There's a chimney shop some distance from me so I'll stop by and see what they have.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFN1KDy5mCs[/ame]
This might be the video on how not to do it.

I think most of that tubing went into his living room.

The chimney shop nearby won't sell material to non-pros and I gave up my home improvement license.
I guess I'll get bids.

Years ago they used to just run gas exhaust into the chimney but I think you need a liner now.

One of our utility companies sent us a notice saying that due to code changes "federal law requires a chimney liner" for new or replacement gas appliances venting into outside masonry chimneys.
I thought state law regulates this.

Maybe we're grandfathered but I'm still going to get bids.

You could cap the chimney and put a direct vent out the back of the chimney, I think.

I'll dig through the fireplace insert instructions. . .again. . .this time looking for venting recommendations.
But with our smoke & CO detectors and our not using this fireplace for the summer, this gets low priority.

Did a recon mission to the chimney supply people.

His WAG for my chimney was three or four kilobucks and six hours to remove creosote and reline.

The laws have changed due to unlicensed people doing work.

For this much money I could put a snap-action thermal switch in my chimney hooked to an alarm or maybe somebody already makes a chimney fire detector device.

You do have to have the chimney cleaned anyway.

Chimfex puts out chimney fires, assuming you know when you have one.

The chance of our having a chimney fire within the next year is 100x or 200x lower than the chance of me dying within the year. It kind of bumps the urgency of this down into the noise.

But if you have a fire the chances go to 100 percent.
My dad got a deal on left over fire brick from the powerplant at the sawmill. We had the neatist chimney fire, the flame were about five ft high, it looked like a moon shot gone wrong. The outside of the chimney never even got warm. The neighbours sure got excited.