My son bought a house recently which has a failing brick chimney which needs to be removed. The chimney is on the exterior of the house. The question is whether it should be replaced….
He’s gotten a quote of $6000 to replace the brick chimney. I’m wondering if there might be a less expensive option for him.
The gas boiler and the gas fired water heater both vent through the chimney. They are installed in the basement. I checked out the boiler when he was buying the house. The boiler is about 17 years old, but it can be horizontally vented.
But I didn’t think about the water heater. It’s at atmospheric vent, and is only about 1.5 years old. Couldn’t a stainless steel chimney pipe be installed instead of the brick chimney? The chimney is on the least-visible side of the house, so the appearance isn’t a big concern. I would hope this would be less costly.
thanks for the advice!
Replies
Of course.
the next question is what he will replace the chimney with. what does the rest of the house look like? is it easy to match the sides where the chimney attaches? how tall is it? would he have to patch missing parts of the roof where the chimney is now?
Is your son up for a DIY?
You can also get prices for these alternates. If price is the concern, be sure to include all the costs, including removal and disposal of the existing chimney, purchase and installation of whatever exhaust venting system you decide on, and finish of the empty space where the chimney is now (or at least weatherproofing of the empty space)
if the existing brickwork is a danger to the house or others, it has to come down.
you might find that a new direct vent water heater costs less than an installed chimney.
Who is going to install a direct vent for the 17 year old boiler? don't let the fact that there is a fairly new water heater drive the show. might find benefits from a new direct vent boiler with a domestic hot water indirect heater. perhaps with an air conditioner heat recovery feature.
include operating costs for at least as long as your son expects to live in the house.
Thanks - Yes, I appreciate the other factors like matching the siding, etc, and looking at the total cost of all options.
I was mainly asking about whether a stainless chimney *is* a viable option. I searched on-line for the installation manuals and other info, and it seemed like it should be, but I wasn't completely sure. Seems like it is.
He's talked to a couple plumbing / heating companies, and they both seem to want to install all new systems. Maybe this is the right move, but just want to weigh the options.
There are all kinds of houses and condos which have stainless chimneys installed, and no masonry. One thing that does get considered is the need to insulate the chimney so that all the moisture does not condense inside the chimney before it exits.
In your son's case, the cost of the stainless chimney is best compared with increased costs of operation of a less-efficient heater that needs this.
When you look at operating cost of a 17 year old boiler, you might be surprised.
even with the current low price of natural gas, fuel is a large expense.
Why Stainless steel flue? The new gas boilers use pvc exhaust and fresh air intakes. Cheaper and easier availability and install.
Research boilers which provide heat and hot water. Existing hot water heater may be able to be used as a storage tank, but I'm not sure. Review the install manual. Everything should be spelled out for you by manufacturer.
Just be sure you have a proper condensate filter and maintain it yearly. The condensate is very corrosive.
Frankie