Why line and insulate your chimney?

Reasons for lining and insulating a chimney

When using a woodburning or multifuel stove

• Insulating your chimney liner reduces tar and soot deposits thereby reducing the risk of chimney fire.
• Lining your chimney creates a continuous smooth chimney with less surfaces for tar / soot to condense onto. Tar that does form can flow directly back to the stove to be recombusted as opposed to building up in the rough crevices of a masonry chimney.
• Insulating your chimney liner increases the temperature of the flue gases which in turn will tend to improve the draw of a chimney since warm air rises.
• Lining your chimney will cure problems of smoke leaking out through cracks in a masonry chimney.
• Lining your chimney will stop new tar from leaking out through cracks in the chimney or onto your stove.
• If your chimney is very large then lining your chimney for use with a stove can be a safer option as flue gases in a large chimney cool very quickly resulting in a high level of condensates which are hard to remove when sweeping.
• Containing the flue gases in a pipe of consistent diameter maintains the flow and velocity of the gases in the system - ie the flue gases will travel faster. This will reduce deposits (as the gases spend less time in the chimney and cool less) and will also improve draw.