Investigating Replacing My Oil Boiler

titleist1 · Post by **titleist1** » Sun. Sep. 23, 2012 9:04 pm

I would also be concerned about the hole in the tile between the flue's. So he pushed his brush through two terra cotta flue liners to create this hole? Since the hole is between the flue's I am assuming it is above the damper of the fireplace where the Harman is located? I am not sure why it would be OK for the oil burner and not OK for a solid fuel unit. I would think the draft in the smaller flue could be affected by the hole to the larger flue whether it is oil or solid fuel creating the exhaust. Is the oil burner power vented?

Can you remover the damper plate in the larger flue to reach up to get access to patch the hole from that side?

frank33v · Post by **frank33v** » Sun. Sep. 23, 2012 10:57 pm

The oil flue is not power vented.

He came out this year for the yearly cleaning of the main chimney and had hoped to remove the damper and patch the hole. However, he said it was up to far for him to reach to repair it.

Yea, I don't understand why but he claimed the codes are.more lenient for oil ???

Berlin · Post by **Berlin** » Mon. Sep. 24, 2012 12:58 pm

frank33v wrote:
titleist1 wrote:What is the construction & size of the chimney?
Not sure if I describe it properly but I will try. The liners are tera-cotta? and the outside is cinder block construction. I have three flues in one chimney. The center flue is a large 12x18 that comes down to a 4' opening for a large fireplace. I installed my Harman here. The flue for the oil burner is directly next to this flue at the top of the chimney but then takes a turn to get around the wider opening at the top of the opening of my fireplace (firebox?)then continues next to the fireplace down to the basement. All of this is encased in cinder block and red brick in the living room and above the roof. The other flue goes to a thimble opening on the other side of my fireplace that could only be used for a small stove, not really applicable here.

There are I guess two issues with the oil flue. The chimney guy claims cracking at the top and he says also down below. I have a cap on the center flue which he suspects has been directing extra water down the other flues. (He offerred a multi-flue cap to fix this and a few hundred bucks to replace the top masonry liner pieces...perhaps this addresses his concern of code issues with the cracking visible from the top...I need to clarify with him)

The second issue which concerns me a little (not sure if it should..) is that last year when he cleaned the oil flue (first time we have ever had this done) he jabbed his brush through the wall of the liner where it bends around the fireplace flue. He claims it so brittle that it went right through. Now I have a hole between the two flues above the firebox that he said he could not reach to repair without dismantling the fireplace. He claims this is ok for oil but would require a liner for anything else..and he can't bend a liner around the larger fireplace flue so he would have to do major surgery to put it in, suggesting it go right through the fireplace and a new hole in the floor making the fireplace essentially unusable ever in the future. The small insert liner (10') that I installed for the Harman Mark II extends beyond this hole so I think the coal stove is venting fine through the larger flue. He said the smaller flue for the oil furnace would draft better than the larger one so the oil furnace should draft properly through it's own flue rather than seeping through the hole into the larger flue.

I hope I described it properly...I know a picture would help but the fireplace plate is back on around the stove vent so the hole is not visible now without taking the whole thing apart.

None of these problems are safety concerns with coal or oil. A few cracks in the flues esp. at the top of the stack shouln't be something that causes any concern. If your "chimney professional" broke a tile liner he should be repairing or replacing it at his expense. This nonsense that he "can't reach it" means that he's either too dumb, lazy, or unskilled to do it NOT that it can't be done.

frank33v · Post by **frank33v** » Thu. Sep. 27, 2012 8:23 am

Berlin wrote: This nonsense that he "can't reach it" means that he's either too dumb, lazy, or unskilled to do it NOT that it can't be done.

Well he's not lazy and a very good guy. Unskilled to do it..maybe. How would you suggest a tile be replaced in an area in the upper fire chamber that can't be reached in a tight spot? Without taking my fireplace apart?

freetown fred · Post by **freetown fred** » Thu. Sep. 27, 2012 8:49 am

Ya can't & I would think you'd not even want to open that can of worms--can it be patched? sakrete or something similar??? Come on, I know somebody can squeak up in there--you got no lil kids?

Dann757 · Post by **Dann757** » Thu. Sep. 27, 2012 9:48 am

freetown fred wrote:Come on, I know somebody can squeak up in there--you got no lil kids?

Cappuchin monkey.

I saw a chimney repair on This Old House once. The technique is to fit a long rubber tubular inflatable bladder down from the top of the chimney. Then they expand it, and pour a heatproof insulated cement (vermiculite mix) down from the top, run a vibrator down into it (sounds obscene), and let it cure. Then they deflate the bladder and pull it out. Result is a round flue repair. Don't know if that would work in a flue that goes around a firebox like that. And of course This Old House is notorious for sparing no expense.
Plenty of guys are nice guys; personally, if I damaged a flue by being heavy handed with a chimney brush, I would make good on it. I also recognize that the clay liner might have been crumbly, but the guy probably hit the turn and started jack hammering his brush instead of having a feel for the situation. My useless speculation, I guess 'experts' that tell you why things can't be done are easier to find than ones that tell you they can.

Dennis · Post by **Dennis** » Thu. Sep. 27, 2012 6:42 pm

freetown fred wrote:Ya can't & I would think you'd not even want to open that can of worms--can it be patched? sakrete or something similar??? Come on, I know somebody can squeak up in there--you got no lil kids?

The only way to fix the bad flu liner is to cut open the chimney and remove and install a new flue. Not all that hard, but could be messy in you need to go at it from inside.

29pineavenue · Post by **29pineavenue** » Thu. Aug. 29, 2013 1:58 pm

Hi, Iwould like to buy your old burnhan v-35. have you replaced it per the attached thread, kindly let me know either way. my ontact email is [email protected]. Thank you, Peter

CapeCoaler · Post by **CapeCoaler** » Thu. Aug. 29, 2013 10:02 pm

This is a chimney that lives in MA...
So MA inspection will rule...
And you know how we are with rules in MA...

If the sweep broke it he should fix it...
Just because he can't do it...
Does not say that nobody can...