"Home owner" wrote in message
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On Dec 15, 9:34 pm, "Bob F" wrote:
"Home owner" wrote in message

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I bought a 1925 built house last year. When we got it we had a chimney
guy come out and fix the top and check it. He re built the top of the
chimney and said we are good to go. I asked about it being lined and
he said it was fine.

This year I had another company come out with a camera. They cleaned
the chimney and ran a camera. The smoke box is just brick. Seemed like
an issue but he said it was still ok. Above that there is the original
terracotta liner (rectangular). Some places where the terracotta
section meets another there are gaps where some of the mortar is
missing. Not a hole just a depression. The largest was about the size
of my index finger, length and depth (average adult male). Meaning I
could lay my finger in the groove and it would fit perfect. Only one
of the gaps is that large and most places the grout or whatever it is
is fine.

Basically we had one guy say its fine another say its a fire hazard
and it would be $5000 to repair it.

1. How dangerous is it? Small fire risk and keep using it, or oh my
god the house is going to burn down anytime if you use it.

2. An estimate for a 4 foot smoke box and 20 foot high chimney
relining does $5000 seem high?

3. Most importantly can I use it through the holiday season? I used it
all last year and since its been cold this year.

If this is a fireplace chimney, do what I did. Put in an EPA certified insert
with a stainless pipe to the top. It'll be safer, cleaner burning, and will
actually heat your house rether than just sucking heat up the chomney. If you
are lucky like me, you can find a used insert, with liner, for a few humdred
$.

It's also way easier to clean a plain round chimney pipe than a masonry
chimney.

Lots of good idea. Thanks! I am using it as an open fire place. I know
its not efficient, but we love it. I will happily pay a couple hundred
in cost for extra heating a year to have an open fire in our living
room. I also think our chimney is not the worst out there. I think if
we have normal small fires and get it fixed in the next few months we
should be fine.

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My insert has a glass window on the door, so you get the view, radiated heat,
plus lots of well heated air. A couple hundred a year would pay for the insert
after awhile. And you'd actually save heating bills.

I actually get most of my heat from the insert.