Noticed a big difference in draft after switching to stainless liner

I did a job last month on a house from the 1920s near Oak Park, the old clay liner was shot with cracks everywhere. Client agreed to a 6 inch stainless steel liner instead of just patching it up. The before and after on the draft was night and day, like the fireplace actually pulls now instead of smoking up the room. Took me about 4 hours to run the liner and hook it up, and the homeowner said even the pilot light stays lit steady now. Has anyone else seen that big of a jump just from swapping out old clay for stainless?

2 comments

2 Comments

ivan_perez5d ago

Laughing at the "second look" part because that's exactly what happens, it's almost funny how bad it gets before someone finally gives in. The part that really got me though is when you said the homeowner asked if you fixed their furnace too. That's wild! I mean I know these old clay liners are junk once they start cracking but I never thought it could make a person think their furnace got fixed by accident. That tells you right there how much air was actually moving through the chimney before the swap. Makes you wonder what else is secretly starving for air in those old houses.

sarahsullivan5d ago

Laughing a little at the "night and day" comment because yeah, that pretty much sums it up. Had a similar job a few years back where the old clay liner was basically just a suggestion of a chimney, and the draft was so weak the smoke would just curl back into the room like it was going for a second look. Swapped it to stainless and the difference was so big the homeowner asked if I'd also fixed their furnace by accident. It's wild how much those old clay liners actually restrict airflow, especially when they're cracked and letting in cold air. Makes you wonder how people put up with it for so long before someone finally convinced them to upgrade.