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Replacing a Flue Liner...

When Do You Need to Replace a Flue Liner?

Have you just moved into a new home? Perhaps you’re installing a new stove or fireplace? Whatever the scenario, if you’re doing any work related to your chimney, you may be wondering if you need to replace the flue liner. At Evans Fireplaces we are your local experts for all types of fireplaces and below we have outlined some guidance from our expert fireplace fitters, first starting off with explaining what a flue liner is whether you need to replace it, some key tips and recommendations of types of flue liners.

What is a flue liner?

A chimney flue liner is a protective channel or lining that can be installed inside a chimney to contain and guide the carbon emissions from your fireplace safely from your house. The primary purpose of a chimney flue liner is to provide a smooth, insulated surface that helps prevent the escape of hazardous substances into the walls of the chimney and the surrounding structure. There are different types of chimney flue liners, and they can be made from various materials such as clay tiles, metal, or cast-in-place concrete.

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Do I need to replace a flue liner if I get a new fireplace?

The easy answer to this question is, not always. Many different fireplace companies will try and convince you that you need to purchase a new flue liner which can be costly. At Evans we only recommend a new liner if it is absolutely necessary. We at Evans only fit around 10% of chimney’s with liners, most of the time the existing chimney is more than sufficient.

Evans Fireplace Key Tip: This is a handy tip that not many Fireplace companies will tell you. It is easy to test whether you need a new liner within your chimney breast for your fireplace. You can test it with a bit of newspaper and a box of matches. Light the match and newspaper inside your fireplace if there is a hole in the chimney ( even as big as my little finger) it won’t work, it will pull cold air in and the smoke will drop, warm air rises cold air drops. 

Many alternative fireplace companies will advice you that it is safer or more efficient because getting a new liner can be quite costly and hence profitable for companies. However, at Evans we can come and test your chimney and current liner to make sure everything is in good condition before you purchase your dream fireplace.

So how will I know if my Chimney is fit for purpose?

When a chimney fails it’s obvious, you will get a load of smoke in the room when you try to light a fire. You will then know instantly that something is wrong. This is not an issue that sneaks up on you like carbon monoxide. At Evans we always ensure that we fit a Carbon Monoxide alarm in every house. A chimney is guaranteed for life. Whereas liners have a limited life span or purpose?

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Chimneys have been built for fires.

Chimney’s have been purposely built for fires and fireplaces. If there is a scenario that you do need a new liner (quite rare) because your chimney is not fit for purpose, or full of holes and this is beyond repairable; then a liner is usually your last resort NOT the first thing you do. At Evans our experts have been fitting fireplaces for over 40 years. Over this time, they have always advised on

not setting huge priority on liners as they are mostly a waste of time and money, and most liners, are mis sold either for profit or not having an expert understanding of chimneys, like we do at Evans.

Lastly liners can be problematic they are metal and metal gets cold and can cause problems with your fire when lighting.

What if I need an liner?

If you do have to get a liner then buying good quality is important.

There are several different types of flue liner:

· Clay, pumice, lime mortar and concrete – these are typically class one brick and mortar chimneys where the liner is a layer of clay, concrete, lime mortar or pumice which has been applied directly to the bricks and mortar inside the chimney cavity.

· Flexible steel liners – these are a more modern type of liner which is suspended within the main chimney cavity. These liners are made from stainless steel and feature a flexible construction, making them easy to install.

Flexible steel liners are by far the most popular type of chimney liner these days thanks to their excellent insulation properties, their ease of installation, and the value for money they offer over other types of chimney liner.

At Evans, we have over 40 years of experience in fitting all types of fireplaces. We will not miss sell you any products or features that we think is not necessary. We are rated 4.5 stars on google, come and speak to expert team at our showroom in Syston Leicester.

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