2010 January | Chimney Liner Guides

How to Tell if Your Chimney Liner is Leaking

Do you think that your chimney liner might be leaking but you’re not sure? There are a few different ways that you can tell if your liner is leaking that you will want to know about in order to determine if you have a problem. It is nice to be able to sit in front of a nice cozy fire and enjoy a hot beverage on a cold winter day, but if your chimney is leaking then you will need to get it fixed before you light your next fire. If you want to know how to tell if the liner on your chimney is leaking, here are some tips.

One way that you may be able to tell if you have a leaking chimney liner is by looking for some common visible signs that occur when your liner is leaking. If you think that smoke is leaking out of your chimney or you can smell the smoke from the fireplaces in the rooms of your home then you may have a serious problem. You will want to check to see if you can see the smoke coming out of the chimney. If you do not have a fire going at the time that you check then you will be able to check by looking to see if there are any stains on the chimney. Stains on the chimney will let you know that smoke is coming out of the cracks that may be in the chimney lining.

There are a few different ways that your chimney liner could have become cracked or developed holes in it. One thing that you will want to think about is any upgrades that you have made to your fireplace since you have moved into your home. The liner that your chimney currently has may not have been changed during the upgrades and may be the wrong size or could be made out of a material such as clay that will cause it to crack or erode.

If you want to be able to sit back in front of your fireplace with a big cup of hot chocolate then you will want to make sure that your liner is the right one and that it is not cracked. It is not safe to light a fire with a cracked chimney liner, so until you have determined if that is the problem you will not want to light one. If you are still unsure after reading this information you may want to get your chimney inspected by a professional.