Cracked Chimney Liner
 

I had a chimney sweep do a checkup of my fireplace and furnace chimeys and
he found that the furnace chimney lining is cracked. The liner is apparently
made of clay, and the crack looks like if you took a your fist and punched
it somewhat through sheetrock, from the inside and left a the outer piece
protruding. Additionally, there was a fist-sized chunk just missing in
another area. He found all this right by where the flue from the furnace and
water heater attach to the chimney - I can basically touch the piece that is
cracked and the missing piece too, once we removed the flue pipe extension.

He said patching is not an option (even though it's easily in reach), and
that I must get a $1,500.00 stainless steel flue liner, that he will gladly
install. He said patching will never hold. He said that if the piece breaks
off and blocks the exhaust, then I'll be in trouble. I agree - if that
happens. I just don't see why this can't be patched with high-heat resistant
patch, if it's within reach.

I have CO detectors connected to my alarm system that will alert me of any
issues. However, would you be overly concerned of a situation like this? Is
this a "must-fix" emergency situation, or do older homes commonly have these
types of cracks? Do you know of a way to safely patch-fix this type of
break? My home was build in 1964.

"Billy" wrote
I had a chimney sweep do a checkup of my fireplace and furnace chimeys and
he found that the furnace chimney lining is cracked. The liner is
apparently
made of clay, and the crack looks like if you took a your fist and punched
it somewhat through sheetrock, from the inside and left a the outer piece
protruding. Additionally, there was a fist-sized chunk just missing in
another area. He found all this right by where the flue from the furnace
and
water heater attach to the chimney - I can basically touch the piece that
is
cracked and the missing piece too, once we removed the flue pipe
extension.

He said patching is not an option (even though it's easily in reach), and
that I must get a $1,500.00 stainless steel flue liner, that he will
gladly
install. He said patching will never hold. He said that if the piece
breaks
off and blocks the exhaust, then I'll be in trouble. I agree - if that
happens. I just don't see why this can't be patched with high-heat
resistant
patch, if it's within reach.

I have CO detectors connected to my alarm system that will alert me of any
issues. However, would you be overly concerned of a situation like this?
Is
this a "must-fix" emergency situation, or do older homes commonly have
these
types of cracks? Do you know of a way to safely patch-fix this type of
break? My home was build in 1964.

Call a HVAC company out. You're not burning in this, I believe a HVAC can
give you alternative options instead of an entire stainless steel liner.

Do get it fixed, CO is not to be taken lightly.

I have an 'older home' built in 1929. There is no liner at all. That was
fairly common then, but so were chimney fires. I have had chimney sweeps
tell me that I need thousands of dollars in work to add a liner and bring
it to code, but I don't lose sleep over it. It's one of those things that
might be nice if I had money burning a hole in my pocket. It's been
fine for 75 years now.


Dimitri