Gas Water Heaters & Furnace Chimney Liners

For general information on chimney liners please see here.

All gas appliances that vent up a chimney are required to have a liner attached from the appliance to the top of the chimney. This prevents carbon monoxide and other dangerous flue gases from entering the house through gaps and cracks in the chimney flue.

Natural gas exhaust gases are also highly acidic and humid both of which will rot an unlined chimney from the inside out. The resulting damage is often visible on the outside of the chimney brickwork from top to bottom.

Chimney liners for gas appliances are sized by code requirements, appropriate to the combined output of whatever is attached. A standard water heater usually needs a 4 inch liner, but a standard sized furnace and water hear combined will often need a 5 or 6 inch liner. This can mean that changing your furnace may also require changing the attached liner.

Gas appliances can be lined with either aluminum or stainless steel liners but because of the higher up front cost of stainless steel, aluminum is most often used. Aluminum liners are unfortunately much less durable than stainless steel and as a result the acids and humidity often rot and corrode them quite quickly. It is common for aluminum liners to rot away at the top or have pinholes all the way down the pipe. It is also not infrequent for squirrels to chew through aluminum liners and nest inside your chimney.

We prefer to use stainless steel liners because of the durability factor, but also know the lower cost of aluminum makes it a better option in many circumstances. Either way we use high quality products and installation methods to ensure excellent results.

To book an appointment to install a liner, please call or email today!