hot fire quickly, on a very cold day you can crack your liners the first
time they are used. In the winter, we will find frost inside the ceramic
flue tiles of a fireplace. When you create a sudden change in
temperature, the thermal shock to the liner causes it to crack. If you
start your fires slowly, and gradually build to a hotter fire, the slow
warming of the tiles can extend the life of the liners for over a hundred
years.
The top liner is often more susceptible to cracking since it is the liner
that is most exposed to the elements. If it is only this liner that is
cracked, we would remove the crown (the mortar on top of the bricks)
and replace the top liner. Clay tile liners do not carry any warranty from
the manufacturer, so we cannot warrant them from cracking.
If the cracked liners are below the top liner, we then suggest that the
liner be replaced with a stainless steel liner. The liners we install do
carry a limited lifetime warranty on the stainless material from the
manufacturer. Abbey Road prefers to install a product with a warranty.
If you are selling your home, we have companies that will allow the
warranty to transfer to the new owner.
Of course, liners often crack during a chimney fire. All chimneys should
be thoroughly inspected by a CSIA Certified Sweep, or a F.I.R.E.
Certified Inspector, after a chimney fire. The unit should not be used
until inspected.
be relined because there are missing mortar joints. As long as there
are no cracked liners, we can often replace the missing mortar with a
porcelain material. This carries a 20 year manufacturer warranty.