Stainless steel chimney liners are affordable investments that you should make in order to improve the safety of your home. UL listed steel chimney liners are one of the most efficient, effective, and popular ways to re-line a chimney. A problem with chimneys is that they develop deposits of creosote. However, cleaning a chimney with the correct fitting chimney flue liners can reduce creosote buildup.
But what does a chimney consist of? A chimney is a structure that supplies ventilation for hot flue gases or smoke from a fireplace to the outside atmosphere. Chimneys are usually vertical, or at least as near to vertical as possible, in order to ensure that the gases flow smoothly, drawing the air into the combustion in what is known as the stack, or chimney, effect. The space inside the chimney is called a flue and it is very important when cleaning a chimney, that you re-line it with a chimney liner.
The height of a chimney can influence its ability to transfer flue gases to the external environment via the stack effect. The dispersion of pollution at higher altitudes can reduce their impact on immediate surroundings. In order to draw smoke out of bakeries, the ancient Romans used tubes inside the walls. True chimneys however, did not appear in Europe until the 12th century.
Over 15 thousand home fires a year are caused by creosote. This is why, when cleaning a chimney, it is so important to use liners because they help keep the gases and creosote where it belongs and keep by-products of combustion from seeping through the brick and mortar of chimneys. Chimney breakdown is due to acidic moisture that comes from condensed flue gases that can be removed when cleaning a chimney. Improperly cleaning a chimney without chimney liners, not only can cause a fire, but is a source of carbon monoxide gases.