level 1 inspection and they state liner isn't insulated?

[D.E.]

I just had a level 1 inspection done. I ordered a level 2 but just read the report and they labeled it level 1 and based on what they did it was very rudimentary. However, the report stated the liner isn't insulated. I'm having a hard time understanding how they could determine if the liner is not insulated solely from looking inside the wood-burning insert and up the liner from inside the insert. They didn't go on the roof or in the attic. They didn't inspect from top down. No video scope to my knowledge. Essentially a glorified chimney sweep, in my opinion.

Am i missing something as to how they came to that determination? Maybe I could see that determination if they took the bezel off the insert to get a direct look at the connection between liner and insert, but they didn't do that either.

Thanks for any insights!

 

[bholler]

I just had a level 1 inspection done. I ordered a level 2 but just read the report and they labeled it level 1 and based on what they did it was very rudimentary. However, the report stated the liner isn't insulated. I'm having a hard time understanding how they could determine if the liner is not insulated solely from looking inside the wood-burning insert and up the liner from inside the insert. They didn't go on the roof or in the attic. They didn't inspect from top down. No video scope to my knowledge. Essentially a glorified chimney sweep, in my opinion.

Am i missing something as to how they came to that determination? Maybe I could see that determination if they took the bezel off the insert to get a direct look at the connection between liner and insert, but they didn't do that either.

Thanks for any insights!

I can tell easily by the sound the liner makes when I sweep it or shake it a little. Is the liner insulated?

 

[D.E.]

I honestly don't know. I bought the house last year and of course no paperwork for prior work was provided. The liner does look relatively new from the top of the chimney, but I know that doesn't say much. The guy used a "whip" style sweep. just sounded like a bunch of rattling

 

[Ctwoodtick]

if you want to know if it insulated, you can temporarily pull off the surround which should give you a view up to see what you have. They can be a bit tricky to put back on but you’ll get it.

 

[bholler]

I honestly don't know. I bought the house last year and of course no paperwork for prior work was provided. The liner does look relatively new from the top of the chimney, but I know that doesn't say much. The guy used a "whip" style sweep. just sounded like a bunch of rattling

Yeah insulated liners don't rattle nearly as much. I can absolutely tell if a liner is insulated or not when rotary cleaning. It's very obvious

 

[D.E.]

i removed the surround. the pipe up to the flue seal/plate was not insulated. unsure about what is actually past that. Given the state of my house, I'm going to assume the worst.

 

[stoveliker]

The good news is that you can now correct this, making it more safe and likely have the insert perform better (especially if the chimney is exposed to outside air).