To line chimney or not- buying insert soon

[livinzoo]

I live in NE GA. I have a 2100 sq ft home built in 1959. The chimney looks like it has never had a wood fire in it. They do have a gas line leading to the firebox, and gas logs but no gas hooked to the house. We would like to get a wood burning insert with a cooktop. Looking at the Lopi 1750i.

The fireplace is masonry lined with terra cotta chimney liners. It is a straight shot up to the cap. The cap will have to be replaced with one for wood fires.

Should we buy the SS liner or not? We are trying to keep the cost down as much as possible.

Thanks

 

[FyreBug]

I live in NE GA. I have a 2100 sq ft home built in 1959. The chimney looks like it has never had a wood fire in it. They do have a gas line leading to the firebox, and gas logs but no gas hooked to the house. We would like to get a wood burning insert with a cooktop. Looking at the Lopi 1750i.

The fireplace is masonry lined with terra cotta chimney liners. It is a straight shot up to the cap. The cap will have to be replaced with one for wood fires.

Should we buy the SS liner or not? We are trying to keep the cost down as much as possible.

Thanks

Hi Livinzoo and welcome to the forums. Before you do anything you should have a certified sweep inspect your chimney to make sure everything is up to code. Based on what you're telling us with gas lines involved this is the best thing to do.

You will be hard pressed to find a manufacturer that will not insist you install a liner. It will almost guarantee a better draft and make your unit more efficient. Depending on your set up a liner kit can be had for about $300 so why not do it?

If you are looking for something with a cooktop, Regency also has something called a Hearth Heater that may do the trick for you.

 

[krex1010]

Having your chimney inspected is good advice. If you are having someone do the install for you they will likely recommend the same. Lining your chimney will make your life much easier. It will improve the performance of whatever stove you get, it will make wood burning safer. And perhaps the biggest reason to line it is this, if you don't you will have to pull the insert out of the fireplace everytime you clean your chimney.

 

[woodchip]

Ditto the sweep.

Always a chance that with gas lines to the fireplace the flue was designed for gas fires and not wood (over here, few flues were made for coal or wood after about 1950 unless you specifically had one installed).

I know it sounds more expensive to have a flue lined at the outset, but it can work out cheaper in the long run.

 

[mike_e]

Your home was built in 1959 with the best chimney liner already installed. The terra cotta was meant for heavy duty use. The gas log was obviously an afterthought. Straight shot up is good, have a reputable pro inspect it to make sure no cracks. Be safe. The only reason an installer should suggest a stainless liner is to reduce the size of the flue for proper draft based on manufacturer specs or if your current terra cotta flue is damaged. Good luck!

 

[btuser]

The main reason to re-line is not for protection or to fix a problem in a masonary chimney, but to re-size for the new appliance. After that you have a choice to insulate or not, which usually comes down to interior vs exterior chimney. The new stove will be much more efficient than the old fireplace, so you won't have the extra heat to keep the liner warm.

I would reline, but insulation is a judgement call. The better the draft the happier you will be with the stove.

 

[branchburner]

What is the flue size?

 

[tickbitty]

I have that stove and also have an older house that is a bit smaller than yours. I would definitely get the liner if I were you, I think it improves the performance of the stove. Is your home one story or two? Ours is a one story, the liner (insulated) was not all that expensive.

 

[agartner]

Another reason to fully line the flue - if you don't, you'll have to pull that insert and any pipe you have going into the flue every time the chimney gets cleaned.