When we cleaned our chimney large pieces of flue were in the clean out down below. The old flue had a few curves in it and we cannot get to the problem. Anyone had any luck repairing or replacing flues inside a chimney? Even if you've had a replacement made that you were unhappy with, we'd like to hear about so we don't make the same mistake. Thanks!

-- Bob Ambrozaitis (rambrozaitis@snet.net), January 23, 2000

Answers

Bob, how's your checkbook feeling? If you've got pieces of flue in the clean out you've got problems. Rip it out and rebuild. Cap it and find someplace to run a new chimney. If you can do-it-yourself, a top quality stainless chimney runs about $15/foot. Then there's Ahrens Chimney. Let's see if I can remember this right. It is a European company, US national office is in SD. They pull what looks like a giant bullet up your chimney while hosing some sort of fluid ceramic lining material down from the top. Just how tight a curve they can cope with I don't know. Their contact information is

Ahrens Chimney Technique Inc 2009 N. H Ave. Sioux Falls, SD 57104. phone is (605) 334-2827.

If you can't easily run a new stainless chimney then Ahrens would almost surely be cheaper than ripping down the old chimney and building it back up. Plus you might not be able to get a permit to reconstruct your chimney. Anyway, call them and talk to them. They have dealers around the country. I don't know if there are any competing companies out there. If you have any stores in your area that sell wood stoves and/or fireplaces, go talk to them. They might have some more ideas and would also have a better feel for possible costs of repair in your area. A local chimney sweep could also have some ideas for you.

Depending on exactly how big the pieces are and where they came from, it might be tempting just to try patching in some new mortar. You're on your own if you try it. I'm assuming that since you're cleaning the chimney, you've got a wood burner on the bottom of it. You can literally be playing with fire if you use it. You've got to assume that if the mortar/lining isn't there, you've also got cracks into your home. If and only IF your wood fire is burning PERFECTLY you'll have leaking into your home carbon dioxide and water vapor. How often is a fire burning perfectly? Plus AT ALL TIMES you are running the risk that a spark will find the crack and move into the house. Having your house burn down isn't what Martha Stewart would call a "good thing". Don't rely on smoke/fire detectors since you might not be home or wake up if you are home. Better just not to use the chimney.

If for some reason you just decided to clean a chimney used for liquid or gas fuels, you MIGHT be able to patch and get away with it. If this is the case, call your supplier, they have an inspector/repair person or can direct you to one. See what they think of the usuability of the chimney.

Do the best you can to figure out just exactly what the problems are and where they are in the chimney. Use flashlights and mirrors, pushed up on poles/dropped down on ropes to get the best idea you can about the interior of your chimney. If you've got a video camera, maybe there's some way to send it into the chimney for you.

Most likely isn't going to be cheap, sorry for you. Gerbil

-- Gerbil (ima_gerbil@hotmail.com), January 23, 2000.

A cheaper way to fix the problem is with a flexible flue liner. Call the place who carries wood stoves and ask them about where to get one, for a solid fuel liner. Don't use the type for a hotwater heater, that is not rated for solid fuel.

The bent in your chimney is the problem we had too, only we had NO lining of any type. We bought one of these flex liners and climbed up on the roof to feed it in through the top and found out that the chimney size was 12"x4". Our 6" round liner would never fit. So, just because the opening at the base fits a 6" round pipe, on an old house, it's best to messure at the top too.

BTW- Our $250 was not lost, as we then bought another "old" house that has no liner in the chimney....it will be put to use there.

-- Peggy Adkins (adkinsonthefarm@hotmail.com), January 26, 2000.