Chimney metal flue liner: $3,000 for installation

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drw158

drw158

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Hi all, I have a chimney exhaust problem and I was hoping y'all would have some insight on what I should do.

Long story short, a chimney repair company quoted me $3,000 to install a metal flue liner in my chimney for the furnace and water heater exaust. See their detailed quote at the end of the post. Is it worth it?

The house is a 1938 stone house, and the chimney is not in great shape. The tile flue liner has cracks, the exterior was badly deteriorated (re-mortered 6 months ago though), and the crown was not correctly poured. It was not well taken care of for years. Since we started using the heat a couple months ago, the mortar has darkened and my wife is afraid that we've damaged the chimney.

I was looking at some DIY flue liner options because $3,000 is a lot to invest in this. That doesn't even include the additional $7,000 to get the fireplace part in working order.

My question: is it worth doing this? Is the work appropriate for the price they quoted me? I've had some tell don't even worry about, and others tell me I need to take care of it now. I guess it's hard to know if I'm being taken advantage of. If I'm spending $3,000 I want to know it's going to good use. Are there any other solutions?

the company's quote:
$3,000
Set up 25' of scaffolding by chimney. Chisel out mortar inside furnace side of chimney. Install 5'' gas B-vent liner into existing liner. Install new B-vent pipe into thimble. Connect furnance with water heater with a y-connector. Replace B-vent pipe to units as needed. Install a custom fabricated galvanized chase cover to top of existing chimney with hole for B-vent to come through. Install gas B-vent cap to liner. Remove scaffolding.
Click to expand...

I can attach the photos they took as soon as I get them.

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It's obvious from the quote that it's more than just the flue liner, so let's keep that in mind.
I don't know how extensive the chiseling out old mortar would be. Did you go up on the roof with them to see for yourself? is the chimney too obstructed to slip the flue liner in otherwise? And did you ask if a "custom" cap was your only option?
And I don't know why they need to build scaffolding, instead of just working from the roof or putting up a smaller scaffold on the roof, but I'm not sure how that would affect the price.
 
I only saw the photos that he took. I haven't been up there myself. He mentioned that scaffolding wouldn't be that much more, and it's "worth it" because it's high up there.

The last person to pour the chimney crown used bricks instead of tile for the lip, so the inspector mentioned that he would grind out the crown, build the tile liner up, and re-pour the crown. I can attach photos as soon as I get them.

I didn't ask about the custom cap, but that did stand out to me. If they are rebuilding the crown why wouldn't they build in such a way that they could use a manufactured one? I'll have to ask them.

Edit: or maybe he wouldn't pour a new crown at all since they would be making a custom cap?
 
In 1938 they were burning coal I am assuming you are now using a different fuel. If you have gas the new furnaces don’t require a chimney at all and both the furnace and water heater could be vented out the side of the house with PVC. That would leave the old fireplace and I don’t know your feeling about fireplaces but you could put some sort if vent-less gas logs in there or an electric heater that looks like logs and forget about the chimney. Not saying this is what you should do but my furnace has been changed over and when I replace the water heater it will be vented out with PVC as well and my chimney days will be done in my 1870’s home. I have also seen where they run the PVC vent down the old flu.

You might want to compare costs and now would be the time to update the whole thing and put your money into new equipment instead of the old chimney.
 
slownsteady said:
Did you get a second bid?
Click to expand...

I haven't gotten a second bid yet.

bud16415:

I have modern HVAC equipment (gas). It was replaced in the past few years. Thank you for the response. I've been trying to figure out what the best option is. It seems like it's either vent it directly outside, or through the chimney? If I wanted to vent it directly outside, who would I call? That falls outside of the chimney company I'm assuming.

This may sound ignorant but is there equipment that does not require venting?

It just comes down to comparing the costs of each option I guess.
 
If you have a new energy efficient furnace the flue gasses are cooled down before they leave the furnace quite cool. Cool enough they are extracted with a blower fan and can pass thru plastic PVC pipe. They may have tied into your old stack just because it was close and simple. The type people that install heating and AC would know how to run the pipe along the basement ceiling and how to go thru the wall and exhaust outside. Your hot water may also be such a unit or it could be the old less efficient type that the hot gasses go up a chimney.

If you post model numbers and brands or photos of what you have down there someone here may be able to help.

There is equipment that you don’t vent, electric of course and some small space heating gas heaters. They are not for long term use as they will produce a lot of water vapor as well. But for use to just warm up an area for a few hours they work fine. You want a furnace that is vented. But that’s not saying it has to go up a chimney.

Once I eliminate our need for the chimney I will take ours down to below the attic floor and redo the roof. You could maybe leave yours just for the looks of having it if you have a stone house.
 
Furnace
Goodman 80% efficiency
Unfortunately I don't know the exact model number because the sticker was removed and the manual is generic

Water heater
rheem xg40s06ec36u0
 
my only question is why this was not done when the furnace was put in? here we are required to line the flue when we install a furnace or water heater and if i have any doubt the age of the liner i change it out. as far as price sounds a little high to me but that could be the scaffolding.
 
GET a second AND 3rd bid that will tell you what you want to know
 
If the furnace can be vented out like discussed, you might save by replacing the tank and do away with any gas chimney
 
Just taking a quick look at the Goodman site it looks like the 98% thru 96% models are certified for direct venting and the 80% models are not see link below.
http://www.goodmanmfg.com/ResidentialProducts/GasFurnaces.aspx

The 80% units seem to be in the $700 price range for 100,000 BTU where the 98% units are about double at $1500. There is the long range payoff of the extra 18% in efficiency.

At $3000 to repair your chimney there still could be opportunity to upgrade your equipment for about the same cost. You would have to decide if the fireplace is worth the $7000 to you. Keep in mind most fireplaces suck more heat out of the house than they produce.

The power vent water heaters look to be in the $1000 price range. Below is the first one google brought up.
http://www.homeperfect.com/ao-smith...-power-vent-residential-gas-water-heater.html


I know it is a tough call to make and as suggested above get a few more quotes on the liner job also before you do anything.
 
Just attached some photos.

Getting more estimates will take a while. One company I called said that I should be concerned about the metal flue pipe rusting. They wanted to pour concrete in there I think.
 
I had an HVAC guy come out to look at the appliances. He suggested that I get an electric water heater and a new furnace that can vent out one of the basement windows. Then, I wouldn't need to vent through the chimney. Also, apparently it's against code to vent through the chimney anyway.

I like this solution since it's investing back into the house instead of just getting the chimney up to par.
 
Yes, he pointed out which window he would use (it already exists). He would create some sort of sheet metal covering for the window and seal it all up after passing the PVC through the glass pane.
 
I think it has to be some distance from a window that does not open so thru the window would be just wrong.
Get another guy.
 
Before you go with new furnace, have you checked the possibility of running a normal gas exhaust up thru the house. Only steels about 16" sq out of a corner or a closet. Just something else to think about.
 
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