​ The Chimney Clinic

The main thing to remember with ALL types of pipe is this. All chimney connector, piping or liner is tested which means it has a UL listing. Which means if a system is installed or a single piece of a system is replaced. They all have to be made by the same manufacturer or it will void the UL listing of the system. This means if a fire was to occur and your home was damaged as a result some insurance coma pies might not cover the accident if they find out the system violated its UL listings. We run into systems occasionally where the installer used parts and pieces from several different jobs. 

The other thing to remember is stainless steel liner is not created equal. Some companies install very light gauge liner because the company offers free shipping. This creates a low price point for them and a larger profit. Other companies are the only people to have patents on how their liner is made and stay true to safety and code compliances. 

The Chimney Clinic LLC offer only the highest grade stainless steel on the market. We also offer a lifetime guarantee on the liner you purchase and the labor of installing it. Once its installed its covered for life. If you have any questions about the products we offer or have questions about your own system please feel free to call or email us.

Light wall liner is very flexible and light it can be used in many applications form venting gas appliances to wood or coal.

Manufacturers- There are a few different manufactures of stainless steel chimney liner. Some of the most popular are Olympia, National, Homesaver and Duravent. The liners are made by spinning together a ribbon of stainless steel and crimping at a seem creating a hollow tube. The ribbon which creates the liner has different thicknesses and grade types. These all effect the final product of the stainless liner. These primarily turn into what they refer to as light wall liners and heavy wall liners.

Stainless steel chimney lining has been around for a few decades now. It can be purchased online, from a professional distributor or in a hardware store. The thing to know about chimney lining is it is not created equal. There are manufacture types and types of stainless steel which must be used for certain circumstances. The liners can be flexible or rigid depending on the type.

Stainless Steel Liner

Types of Chimney Pipe

Double wall stove pipe- is similar to its single wall counterpart except it has an additional second layer of pipe around it. These are used as connector pipe as well from the appliance to the chimney but more commonly where fire code clearances are at risk. The extra layer of metal with the air space drops clearance levels.

There are many different types of chimney pipe including single wall, double wall, triple wall and solid pack. There are also many different types of stainless steel liner made by different manufactures and types of stainless steel. We will help you better understand which type of pipe you have or if your shopping for new pipe help you figure out the best pipe for your needs.

Chimney Pipe and Stainless Liner

Stainless steel grades and alloys- stainless steel comes in two main types or grades when referring to chimney liner 304 and 316. Each one having its own set of installation guidelines.

304- This stainless steel type is a heavier type of stainless steel and is primarily used in all heavy wall liner applications. 304 however can only be used for burning wood. This heavy wall stainless can't be used for any other fuel type.

316- This stales steel is also called an all fuel type and is much lighter. Most of the new generation liner systems use some sort of 316 as their primary liner type. A variation of this is a alloy called a 316 ti which simply means the stainless steel has titanium added to the mix. These liner types can be used for wood, oil, coal or gas.

Heavy wall liner is a much thinker stainless steel and the extra thickness adds lots of weight to the liner. Sometimes this is needed for the fuel load or when extra weight is needed to help the liner go down the chimney.

Triple Wall Chimney Pipe- Many homeowners refer to this as double wall when in fact the actual name of it is triple wall. This is because it is made in three layers. A inner layer a middle layer and a outside layer. Each layer is separated by airspace as an insulator. This chimney system is used in the manufactured fireplace industry as there venting system. Normally installed on top of what is called a manufactured fireplace. The system has its own clearance ratings and also has many manufacturers.

Double wall Solid Pack Insulated- This is also known as a class A chimney system. The chimney pipe can be used as a stand alone chimney where one is not present. The pipe comes in different lengths and each section locks together. It is constructed of an inside layer of metal an outside layer of metal and the space in between is packed with a fire proof insulation. This chimney pipe can be installed 2" from combustibles and is made by different manufactures. Some of the most popular are:

Metalbest

Duravent

Selkirk

Each one having a UL listing and there own instruction methods.

Connector pipe

Single wall pipe- Single wall pipe is normally called connector pipe and is normally used to connect a appliance either wood, oil or gas to a chimney. The pipe comes commonly in 2' lengths and is rated by gauges. 24g being the most common type of single wall. The pipe will also be black steel, galvanized or stainless steel. Galvanized should only be used with class B appliances like Gas furnaces, while the other two are good for burning solid fuels.