Installing a stove - Do I NEED a new flue liner

Planet X

paddy147 wrote: »

Oh and you ONLY USE a pollypropelene chimney sweep brush/head and rubber flexi rod kit to clean a stainless flexi flue liner.

This will clean the liner but wont damage the inside of the liner.

Hi Paddy,
Where would I get a polypropelene sweeper brush? I have a bristle brush set up I used to use on the open fire / chimney. Got an inset stove this year and plan to give it a sweep. Have been sweeping my two flues for a few years now pre inset stove. But the bristle job feels too stiff for a lined flue. I got Glorneys to do the job. I assume they'd have the appropriate kit?
Cheers.

seoirse1980

Hi all, I'd like to contribute to this thread. I'm a professional chimney sweep, a certified member with the guild of master chimney sweeps and Hetas.

As has been said before the flue that serves a fireplace is considerable larger than that needed for most high efficiency stoves. Where an open fire (installed correctly) can be 37% efficient and has a kw output of say 2.9kw. This would give you a heat input into the flue of about 4.9kw.

Compare this to an 82% efficient, 4.9kw stove and a heat input Into the flue of about 1.1kw.  There is now far less energy (heat) to warm the flue and move the airmass up the flueway. Relining with flexi and insulating with vermiculite allows these fire gases (smoke) to stay warm and evacuate at the flue terminal where they are supposed to. If you simply connect a stove into an existing clay liner or worse a large brick flue-way, the flue will have problems heating up and working as a flue should. The insulated flexi however will heat up rapidly and won't let smoke reach due point inside of your flue and leave tars and condensates inside which. And lead to a fire! Remember clean chimneys don't catch fires.

You wouldn't install a gas fire yourself so why put your family at risk and install a solid fuel appliance which can give off 400 times more CO (carbon monoxide) than a gas fire. Please be safe and contact a professional. A well established stove shop is only as good as the sub contractor that carries out the work. As a minimum please install a co alarm in the room with the appliance.

With regards to sweeping if doing it yourself you may get a viper brush system from wohler in the uk. Don'letter anyone put sewer rods inside of a flexi flue! If however you want the peace of mind that your chimney is As safe as can be please use a certified, insured and competent sweep. Ask for qualifications over the phone or in person. A professional sweep will clean, inspect and smoke test the appliance making sure there is enough ventilation to serve the appliance along with say an extractor fan, tumble dryer and maybe another appliance nearby.

Thanks,

Be safe,

George Tracey

Planet X

Hi George,
Just looked up the Wohler site re: Viper cleaning systems etc.
Can you recommend any particular model from the range, there seems to be loads of choices?
5" Lined flue in my case.
Cheers.

Planet X

Would I be right in assuming we're looking for a 15cm. diameter brush for a 5" lined flue? Seems about right?

seoirse1980

I'd go for the 9mm viper, the 15cm head will do you but you may also get a 5 inch poly brush and get an adapter made up that will take the standard brush with a ball on the end. If sweeping with stars they are designed to be used continuously in one direction through the flue, cutting away deposits as the go. Them when out the top reverse the star by pulling down and pull all the way to the bottom.

Hope this helps

The soot doctor

Planet X

Actually, I called your number minutes ago.

mikehunts

Hi sorry for butting in but is there anywhere in ireland to get one of those viper kits, i have been looking for months for poly brushes and rods, but everywhere seems to have the sewer rods and harder bristes heads.

Kenny Powers

mikehunts wrote: »

Hi sorry for butting in but is there anywhere in ireland to get one of those viper kits, i have been looking for months for poly brushes and rods, but everywhere seems to have the sewer rods and harder bristes heads.

I don't know where to get the viper if you find one at a reasonable price please post.

I got these quick delivery and do the job.

http://www.hotline-chimneys.co.uk/chimney-sweeping-rods/sweeping-rod-nylon-1-2inch.html

Planet X

Kenny, how much did it all work out at? Did you buy brush, rods adaptor etc.?
Viper is really expensive at about £325 a kit!!!

seoirse1980

Hotline are good to deal with and you may well be better off with the half inch nylon rods with an adaptor so you can order a standard poly brush with ball.

Whatever you do dont use sewer rods in a metal liner. Remember to always smoke test after sweeping and reseal any joints with appropriate heat resistant silicon.

If in doubt get a certified sweep out to do it for you and see if the installation is safe in the first place and check that you have adequate ventilation for the appliance.

The soot doctor

Kenny Powers

Planet X wrote: »

Kenny, how much did it all work out at? Did you buy brush, rods adaptor etc.?
Viper is really expensive at about £325 a kit!!!

I can't remember I think I got 7 rods (1 spare) and a 5" brush and the adapter to use a normal brush with the rods delivered for about 130e ~ I tried everywhere here and couldn't find anyone that sold them.

Planet X

Sounds good.
7 rods + 5" brush about €140.
Just might go for it.
Cheers.


PS. ordered.

Planet X

Just got my brush n rods today. Swept the lined flu in minutes, took all the firebacks out brushed and vacuumed the hard to get places. Lovely kit. Well worth it.
Peace of mind.

They were out of stock for about 10 days or so so a delay in getting the stuff but when shipped it was here in two days.
Good to deal with.

boiler break downs

flynnboy wrote: »

Hi Paddy

I have a couple of questions if you don't mind. Was all that expensive - you can mail that to me privately if you like, or just give me some kind of idea. Did you have to fill around the liner with vermiculite after installing it ?

How do you go about cleaning a liner like that, especially if you have an elbow connection at the back of the stove ?

Thanks for your help

you clean from the top then as far as you can reach from the bottom with aproprate brush and then empty it with a vac

gaskman

Can you get a way without using vermickulite around the flexi tw as I fitted my Hamco stove last year and it is working fine so far that is, how many bags dose it take to fill a chimney?

SIX PACK

Just installed a Flexi flue Liner for my stove today all i can say is it was well worth the €300 should of done it 2yrs ago when i bought the stove. We always had a problem with smoke when you open door to put in firewood. It was handy enough to install used a H cowl Hardware said it was best on the market Just had to borrow roof ladder off neighbour. Put big fire down this evening & No more smoke problems Delighted :-)

foglight

Don't forget folks that in the unlikely event of a chimney fire and house and contents damage that the insurance companies will be all over work that was carried out, especially if it was not to manufacturers specifications.

SIX PACK

Might have to do some alterations to 1 i put in so