Let’s face it, nothing lasts forever. Sometimes we wish things would but the reality is that every product that we use in our daily lives has a life expectancy. The chimney liner in your is no different.

The chimney flue carries smoke and other combustion products out of your home. A chimney liner is the material on the inside of the flue which keeps contains combustion products from the fireplace as they move up the chimney. A chimney liner is essential to the safe functioning of your chimney.

There are many indications that you need to replace your chimney liner or that you need a chimney liner and you would be taking a chance of having a chimney fire if you ignored them. The first indication is that the liner is damaged. Many homes have pumice or clay tile liners that were originally built into the chimneys. Over time cracks in the liner can occur, once the house settles or after too many chimney fires. A cracked liner is almost the same as having no liner at all.

Chimney liners weren’t always required, especially in older homes. The exhaust from your fireplace tends to leak into the house through mortar joints without any pumice or clay tiles lining the interior. As a result particles, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, and irritant gases which can enter the home causing respiratory illnesses.

Another situation that requires a chimney liner is when you install a wood stove or a fireplace insert, in order to ensure that the venting to works properly. When you install a new heating appliance, it usually comes with instructions that show the correct dimensions of the chimney liner in order to properly fit the appliance. It is quite possible your current liner is too big for the appliance you’re attaching to it and you will have to install a new chimney liner.

It is very important that you select the proper sized chimney liner since the size or diameter of the chimney liner that you choose is directly related to the performance of your chimney. If your liner diameter is too small your chimney will not draft or exhaust easily or maybe not at all, causing smoke to back up into your home. If your liner diameter is too large, you will be losing a great deal of heat up your chimney which will decrease the overall efficiency of your heating unit or appliance.

It's also important to note that the temperature of your liner/chimney plays an important role in the drafting of your chimney. When your chimney is warm, the smoke is more likely to draw up and out. And this is one of the main reasons that people don’t pick the proper sized chimney liner, when they install their woodstove or wood burning insert in the warmer months or in the summer. Everything works as it should during these months but in the colder winter months, smoke backs up into the house.

There are also accessories for your chimney on the market that can eliminate the risk of excessive heat and improper convection. A factory built liner adaptor (FBLA) is used when installing a chimney liner into a Pre-Fabricated (Factory Built, Zero Clearance) air cooled chimney and allows the convection or heat transfer between the walls of the chimney as per the operating procedures of the chimney manufacturer.

If you have any doubts about the condition of your liner, you can call up your local chimney cleaning crumbled clay in your fireplace are also strong indicators. A qualified chimney professional should be able to show you professional. Just noticing cracks in your chimney is reason enough to have your chimney inspected. Bits of the condition of your chimney’s interior as well as help you choose the correct chimney liner for your new heating unit.