There has always been some controversy over whether to line the chimney, or not. We’ve discussed some of the benefits of using a liner, and the correct way you should test and fit a liner in this week's blog.
Benefits of a Chimney Liner
Improves Stove Efficiency: fitting a liner to your chimney will increase the draw, which ensures your stove will perform more efficiently. Fire Safety: once a liner is fitted, if it is properly maintained, it eliminates seepage and therefore the potential for carbon monoxide seepage is minimised.
Fitting a Chimney Liner
The correct way to assess whether or not to line a chimney is to perform a pressure test.
A pressure test may be carried out by an approved Chimney Sweep or HETAS approved installer like Homesweep.
1. Sweep the chimney
2. Put three or four smoke pellets at the base: when the smoke comes out of the pot, seal the pot, and seal down below.
3. Check any rooms above and the loft for any seepage.
4. If there’s no seepage, in principle, the chimney may not need to be lined.
It is always best to line a chimney. A smoke pressure test is a bit like a car MOT – your car could pass an MOT on a certain day, drive it down the road, and have bulb break. Your chimney could pass a smoke pressure test one day, and fail the next – with this in mind, it is best to line your chimney if your budget allows. For a quote on a chimney liner, call HomeSweep on 07711441459.
Types of Chimney Liner
A chimney liner is made from stainless steel. There are two basic types of liner:
1. 316 stainless steel liner: suitable for wood burning stoves.
2. 904 grade stainless steel liner: required for a multi-fuel stove, i.e. coal, wood, and smokeless fuel.
See our blog post on wood-burning and multi-fuel stoves in last week’s blog.
It’s vital that the correct liner is used – using the incorrect liner will harm the performance of your stove, and may even result in a chimney fire. For more information of stove performance and fire safety, visit our website.