Famco Flue Liner Replacement Nationwide

Famco Flue Liner Replacement: The Leominster Owner’s Guide

We stock and install Famco-compatible flue liner replacements in Leominster, with most jobs running $1,800 to $3,400 installed depending on diameter, height, and whether the liner pulls straight or has offsets. Same-day installation is available when we have your diameter in our Leominster warehouse, which we do for the common 6-inch and 8-inch flexible stainless models. Most owners discover the problem during a sweep when the camera shows gaps, corrosion scaling, or a liner that has detached above the smoke chamber.

Call (978) 481-2900

The camera goes up first. Everything else follows the footage.

Which Famco Models This Applies To

Famco manufactured flexible stainless steel chimney liners in several diameters and alloy grades, most commonly 316Ti and 304 stainless in 6-inch, 7-inch, and 8-inch round configurations. The critical identifier is the tag at the top of the liner collar, which lists the part number, alloy type, and manufacturing date. If that tag is gone, which it often is after fifteen Massachusetts winters, we measure the inner flue diameter at the thimble and again at the chimney crown to confirm fit.

Famco’s flexible liners were sold both as OEM complete kits and as bulk liner by the foot through regional distributors. We source replacement liner through Haven’s buying network from Famco-compatible suppliers including Olympia Chimney and Copperfield, matching the original alloy and wall thickness rather than defaulting to whatever is cheapest that week. The compatibility gotcha in Leominster’s older housing stock, particularly the pre-1950 Colonials near Monument Square, is that Famco’s 6-inch liner was sometimes forced into a 5.5-inch terra cotta flue during a hasty prior installation. That mismatch accelerates creosote buildup and can void the liner warranty. We check the flue dimension against the liner spec before quoting, not after the old liner is out.

Level Two Chimney Leominster is an independent service provider, not affiliated with Famco.

Signs Your Famco Flue Liner Replacement Is Failing

• White or green powder on the liner walls. This is chloride-induced corrosion, common in 304 stainless liners that have seen more than a decade of Leominster’s freeze-thaw cycling and acidic condensate from modern, efficient appliances. The liner metal is actively degrading and will soon perforate.
• Smoke or odor in the house during a fire. A detached or gap-seamed liner is leaking flue gases into the chimney cavity. In a balloon-frame Colonial with plaster lath walls, that gas can migrate to bedrooms before the smoke detector catches it.
• Chunks of metal in the cleanout or at the thimble. These are pieces of corroded liner wall that have flaked off. The liner has lost structural integrity and can no longer contain a chimney fire or protect surrounding combustibles.
• Water staining on the ceiling near the chimney breast. A failed liner allows acidic condensate to reach the masonry, which then spalls and lets water through. The liner problem becomes a roof problem becomes a plaster problem.
• The sweep’s camera shows a liner that moves when touched. A properly anchored liner is rigid at the top and bottom. Movement means the top collar has corroded through or the bottom termination has pulled free, leaving the liner unsupported and likely to collapse during a cleaning.

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Replacement Cost & What’s Included

The range depends on three factors: liner diameter and alloy grade, whether the chimney has offsets or a straight drop, and whether the existing liner can be extracted intact or has to be cut out in sections. We deliver a written price before work starts, Clause 1 of the Haven Standard, with line-item breakdown of parts, labor, and warranty terms. Every job includes a documented photo record per Clause 4, showing the old liner condition, the new liner installed, and the camera verification of full flue coverage. The 365-Day Done Right Promise covers the installation and materials.

DIY or Call Us?

There is exactly one thing a homeowner can safely check: whether the liner top collar is still seated and the rain cap is secure. Do this from the ground with binoculars, or from a ladder only if you are already comfortable on one. Do not enter the flue.

Everything else requires professional handling. Flexible liner replacement involves working at roof height with heavy material under tension, sealing a combustion system that must pass draft and spillage testing, and meeting Massachusetts building code and fire marshal requirements for solid-fuel venting. A liner that is not properly sized to the appliance, not insulated when required, or not terminated to code can backdraft carbon monoxide into the living space or create a chimney fire hazard. We have removed homeowner-installed liners that were upside-down, uninsulated through a three-story chase, or connected with HVAC tape. The camera footage usually tells the story before we even pull the old material.

Call (978) 481-2900 for a written estimate. Estimates are free, and we offer a free second opinion on any competitor’s written quote.

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