Skipped cleaning out the liner last winter so I was due this year. Very pleased with the little to no creosote build up after the cleaning. I mean there was practically nothing. I also took the time to replace some firebricks that where starting to deteriorate. Only thing left is to blow out and oil the blower and burning season 24'-25' is ready to go! I did notice however that my liner seemed to have slipped a bit and not fully fastened with the clamp to the chimney top. I loosened it and tried to pull the liner up but was just a bit to heavy and could not get a solid grip on it, hard to get leverage. Has anyone have this happen and what is the best way to try and get it pulled up? I was thinking of poking a hole through it in an attempt to get some leverage to have it clear the clamp with a screwdriver or a hook of sorts to pull it up. Almost thinking this might be a two person job, one is pulling and other is securing. For right now it's fully secured and holding but I'd prefer the entire clamp securing it.
That looks to me like its slipped a lot! I don't think I'd use it until fixed. I would not poke a hole in the liner to pry it up...and if you use pliers to grip/pull on it you'll likely pull the liner apart where its crimped together (spiral wound) The only thing that come to mind at the moment, without major dismantling, would be to get a 6" sewer pipe test plug and blow it up to lift the whole liner with...some have hooks that are sturdy enough to pull on pretty hard...you might be able to rent one? Too pricey to buy just for this IMO...maybe a chimney sweep or stove shop could lift it back up for minimal $? Cherne Muni-Ball® 6 x 4-1/2 in. Commercial, Residential, Sewer Test Plug - 262064 - Pollardwater
Shoot...............well this puts a crimp on things, ugh.... Forgive my ignorance dumb question but what are the negatives of using? Not proper ventilation......... I'd hate to call in someone, but probably at least worth to see if someone would do it. I feel like all I am going to hear is this is wrong, that is wrong, sell me this, sell me that. Here is a pic of the original install, just about level with the top of the cap. Did that clamp come loose when I perhaps cleaned it out with the soot eater over the years, the vibration?
Yeah probably just loosened up over time...clamp maybe could have been snugged up after the first year too? That cherne plug is too light duty, doesn't have the HD pull ring on it
I might have not re-tightened it over the years since the install..... at least I just don't recall doing so but I might have!!! I do know I re-tightened the cap secured to the flue a few times just to make sure it don't blow off. I know you mentioned you would not use it but I wanted to just ask if there was any danger in doing so? I called the company I bought the liner from to see if they had any ideas to pull it up snug. They gave me an idea or two and thought it was ok to use looking at the pictures but I just want to always err on the side of caution especially with my family in the house. I think I have an idea I might try to get it up past the collar and secure. Don't think I'll be able to pull it flush like it once was, we shall see how much leverage I can get with my contraption.
Well, not knowing the details of your original chimney setup its hard to say for sure, but if it slipped down in and kinked or got blocked off in any way you always have the CO risk, and again, depending on the details of your chimney, fire risk. I do agree the chances of a problem are probably slim though...BUT, I am as tight as anyone, but the one place I won't cut safety corners is with a wood burning chimney...this is after all, fire inside your house, where you and your family sleep...
Rodger that, and thank you I think one of my buddies has a one of those fishing cams I can run down it just to take a look and see how kinked it is. I think it's only 16-17ft but I can run from top and run from the bottom as well! I did have the CO detector go off on me last year and the year before. Those two times the day/night was very very muggy, humid, raining, and foggy but still that scares the dickens out of me.
That is the same liner and pretty similar top cap design with the hose clamp as mine. As long you are not kinked as mentioned, if you cannot get it pulled up you could get section of stainless and screw a couple places with short screws then hose clamp around that.
I’ve used zip/cable ties to make a harness for my cell phone. Attach a heavy string or light rope to it set the phone camera to video and send it down the pipe slowly
Thank you, good info. That is similar to what the supplier I bought it from mentioned. Just to be clear are suggesting adding a section of stainless at the top and screwing into the existing liner? Kind of fitting it into the existing liner and securing? I am not the sharpest tool in the shed...lol, thank you!
Good idea! I actually have a snake cam but only 17ft, going to perhaps secure to soot eater rods and just have a look from top down and bottom up. I do know I have a throat so the liner curves from bottom up outward then straight up the chute.
I think I made some good progress with getting this liner pulled up. It's not perfect and small part got a little crimped at the top not really shown in the pics, but very very minor as I got it almost flush to the top. I tightened that sucker pretty dam good this go around! I also attached a snake cam to my soot eater poles and fished them down and everything looks really good no kinks or obstructions so I think it's got a clean bill of health for the 24'-25' burn season. Go easy on me with my contraption I made to get some leverage, lol. In the end it work like a charm and I had that thing up sung and secure in 15-20 minutes. I thought I'd be there all morning trying all sorts of things. Below (Before) is the original slip picture, I got it up a few inches almost to the top.
