3 Common Chimney Liner Problems and What Causes Them
As a homeowner, you just assume your chimney will always work. After all, it's just a hole going up the roof right? Actually, it's a very complicated and complex system that took hundreds upon hundreds of years to perfect. There are some problems that could occur with your chimney system, so it's worth being knowledgeable about the elements. When you more easily recognize a problem, you can fix it quicker and more efficiently!
Here are a few common chimney liner problems that may require you to buy a new one and replace it, or have a professional come out and fix it:
#1 Older chimneys may have no liner originally installed. Chimneys in homes built before the 1940s are likely to have been constructed with no liner inside the flue other than the bricks and mortar that make up the chimney itself. The effects of age and weathering will eventually make the chimney leak, no matter how well-constructed it was. An unlined chimney will eventually need to have a chimney liner installed inside it to improve your home's safety as well as enhance the performance of the fireplace or appliance connected to the chimney.
#2 The liner wasn't installed correctly. It's also possible you have a chimney liner and it simply wasn't put in the right way. An improperly installed chimney liner will deteriorate faster than one that is installed correctly. Badly sealed joints will leak. Improperly insulated liners will have more creosote accumulation than properly insulated liners, requiring more frequent cleaning and subjecting the liner materials to greater wear and more corrosive conditions.
#3 Your chimney is battling fierce elements. Some areas simply have more severe weather than others. External weather and environmental conditions can contribute to chimney liner problems. This is why a chimney cap is needed, because it can keep driving rain or heavy snow from making its way inside your chimney liner. It will also keep moisture from seeping into the top bricks and masonry cap on your chimney. Not only this, a chimney cap will also prevent leaves, pests, and other trash from cluttering up the inside of your chimney liner.
Your chimney and all of its related components make up a complex system that is subjected to many years of harsh operating conditions. To say your chimney operates under extreme conditions would be putting it mildly! Temperature fluctuations inside the flue, deposition of corrosive compounds on the flue or liner walls, and the effects of weather on the outside of the chimney are just the beginning! They all combine to cause the eventual deterioration of your chimney liner. That is why it is so important to keep up with your needed maintenance and buy a new chimney liner, buy a new chimney cap, or do anything else that is needed for your system to run perfectly.