Do I Need a Chimney Lining with Mid Efficiency Boiler
Hello, Do I need a Chimney Lining with mid efficiency boiler? I am talking about Burnham series 3 boiler (84%). My house was build in 1925. I was told that I do not need to reline with Burnham Series 2 standard efficiency boiler (82%) Thank you Vad
Hello,
Do I need a Chimney Lining with mid efficiency boiler?
I am talking about Burnham series 3 boiler (84%). My house was build in 1925. I was told that I do not need to reline with Burnham Series 2 standard efficiency boiler (82%)
Thank you
Vad
Ok Ok..
1 – It is true the boiler efficiency in THIS case has no bearing as it is NOT a condensing boiler.
2- It becomes a code issue because the code (NFPA 54) is dictating the means and methods. The reason this comes into play is that the manufacturer has determined the draft required to properly vent this boiler may differ from past boilers. They are STRONGLY advising you to check for proper venting.
3- The OP asked about relining the chimney. The only reason the chimney needs to be relined is because it is falling apart from years of use. In most older homes it is not a bad idea to go ahead and do this. I have to agree with Wyckoff on this.
wyckroff – I think the efficiency of boiler mentioned since more efficient boiler produce low temperature high corrosive exhaust.
Burning oil creates sulfuric acid, which doesn’t get along well with masonry. If your chimney has been exposed since 1924 chances are the masonry is deteriorating and accumulating soot. The combination can clog up the airflow and increase the chance that you are not getting proper draft and/or carbon monoxide leaking into your living space. It doesn’t cost much to drop a liner into the chimney, and the potential problems of not doing it are much more expensive to deal with. The size and efficiency of your boiler is irrelevant to these issues.
This one’s not a code issue. It’s an issue of sizing and practical function.
And since when has New York fallen into the category of “most cases”? Not to be snarky, but our codes tend to be a lot stricter than the rest of the country when it comes to these things, especially if it relates to safety.
The manufacturer says you don’t have to “in most cases”.
I would strongly consider resizing and relining if you have the resources.
Here’s the deal. Your vent must comply with the NFPA 54 Vent Code. I can not tell you what size it must be however I can tell you this. The code requires the “minimum vent capacity” be utilized for your appliance. So for example if you have multiple appliances venting into a common breeching which then led up your chimney, you must re-size the common vent to come close to the minimum size required by the code. At that point draft must be checked and verified against Burnham’s requirements.
Your installer should be able to help you to do this. I hope….
Call a licensed plumber to install it. They have to much to lose by half-assing it so more than likely they will be familiar with the code and the required calculation.
Best of luck.
-SteamMan