Level 1 sweep and inspection to the NFPA 211 annual standard - flue, crown, cap, and flashing checked and photographed
Chimney sweep logs do not sweep chimneys. They loosen some creosote - which then falls where a brush and vacuum still have to collect it.
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AfterFamco Flue Liner Replacement: The Leesburg Owner’s Guide
If your Famco flue liner has cracked, separated, or corroded through, we stock compatible replacement liners and install them throughout Leesburg, typically for $2,100 to $4,800 depending on flue height, access, and whether the old liner comes out cleanly. Most Famco liner replacements in the Leesburg area take one full day, and we carry common diameters on the truck so we’re not ordering parts mid-job. You usually find out the liner failed one of two ways: a chimney inspection flags it on camera, or you smell wood smoke in rooms that never used to smell like smoke. Either way, the liner is the only barrier between combustion exhaust and the masonry around it, so this is not a part to defer once the damage is visible.
Which Famco Models This Applies To
Famco manufactures flexible stainless steel chimney liners in two main product families: the FLX series (lightweight, single-ply, intended for gas and oil appliances) and the heavier HLX series (often 316L alloy, built for wood-burning fireplaces and stoves). The difference matters in Leesburg because our winters push wood stoves hard. A gas furnace liner that sees 400°F exhaust gets a very different life than a wood-burning liner cycling to 1,100°F and back, and the failure modes are different too: gas liners tend to corrode from condensate pooling at the bottom, while wood-burning liners crack from thermal fatigue near the appliance collar. We check the liner wall thickness, diameter stamping, and alloy grade before quoting anything, because a 6-inch FLX liner is not a substitute for a 6-inch HLX liner in a wood application, even though both slide into the same flue.
How to identify your Famco liner: the diameter and alloy are stamped along the liner body in most cases, visible with a camera scan without pulling the liner. If the stamping has worn off or was never present, we measure the inside diameter and check wall thickness against Famco’s published spec range for the HLX and FLX lines. One compatibility gotcha we see regularly: Famco HLX liners use a proprietary coupler profile, and generic couplers from other manufacturers do not seat properly. We stock Famco OEM couplers and connectors for that reason. When a liner is too far gone to identify by stamping, we can match it by measuring the existing liner’s inner diameter, wall thickness, and corrugation pitch.
Signs Your Famco Flue Liner Replacement Is Failing
- Wood smoke odor in rooms above the fireplace. The liner has a gap, crack, or separated joint, and smoke is taking the path of least resistance into wall cavities or attic space instead of out the top. You smell it before you see any damage.
- White or brown staining on the exterior chimney crown or brick face. Condensate from a corroded liner leaches through the masonry, carrying dissolved creosote or acidic flue gas byproducts with it. The stains show up months before the liner fully fails.
- Visible rust flakes or pitting inside the flue during a camera scan. Once 316L stainless begins pitting, it has already lost its corrosion resistance, and the remaining wall thickness is usually under spec in multiple spots.
- Water in the firebox after heavy rain. A compromised liner lets rain run down the flue interior and pool at the base. If the chimney cap checks out fine, the liner is the next suspect.
- Unusual draft behavior: smoke rolling back into the room on start-up, or a fire that burns hot but produces little upward draw. The liner has an obstruction, a collapsed section, or enough internal scale that the effective flue diameter has shrunk below what the appliance needs.
BeforeAfterReplacement Cost & What’s Included
In Leesburg, a Famco-compatible liner replacement runs $2,100 to $4,800 installed, and the spread comes from three variables: flue height (a two-story chimney costs more than a single-story ranch), access (interior chimneys with clean access points are cheaper than exterior chimneys requiring lift work or staging), and whether the old liner pulls out in one piece or needs to be cut and extracted in sections. Parts typically run $900 to $1,600 depending on diameter, alloy, and length, with labor and disposal making up the difference. Every quote we write in Leesburg separates parts cost from labor, which is how it should be but rarely is. The installed liner carries a manufacturer warranty on the material, and our workmanship is covered under the 365-Day Done Right Promise: if it’s not done right, we make it right.
DIY or Call Us?
We will be straight with you: flue liner replacement is not a DIY job. The liner has to be measured correctly, the old one extracted without damaging the masonry, the new one fed down the flue, insulated per code where required, and connected at both the appliance collar and the top plate with a proper seal. Get the connections wrong and exhaust gases exit into the chimney chase instead of outside, and carbon monoxide follows. Even the inspection has a danger profile: high roof access and power tools on a ladder are how chimney technicians get hurt, and a homeowner working on a two-story Leesburg chimney without fall protection is a genuinely bad idea. What you can do safely: check the firebox for rust flakes, note any smoke smell, and call (571) 601-3174 with what you find. We will confirm it with a camera before quoting anything.
FAQs
A correctly sized and installed Famco 316L liner in a wood-burning application lasts 15 to 20 years in our climate, while gas and oil liners typically reach 20 to 25 years because the exhaust runs cooler and cleaner. Leesburg’s freeze-thaw cycles shorten that lifespan compared to warmer regions because condensate inside the flue freezes, expands, and stress-cyles the metal. If your liner is past year 15 and showing visible corrosion, a camera inspection will tell you the remaining wall thickness in minutes. Call (571) 601-3174 to schedule one; the camera record is included on every visit, not an add-on.
In most cases, no. Small pinhole leaks in an otherwise sound liner can sometimes be patched with a high-temperature sealant, but cracked seams, corroded sections, and separated joints mean the structural integrity is gone and patching only buys you a season, not a solution. Corrine Halstead will show you the camera footage and point to exactly what she found, then give you the repair number and the replacement number side by side so the decision is yours. If a repair is what makes sense for your liner, that is what we will recommend, and the price will be in writing before anything starts.
Most Famco liner replacements in Leesburg take one full day from setup to clean-up. The extraction of the old liner usually takes one to two hours, feeding and securing the new liner takes another two to three, and the final connections, insulation, and documentation take the remainder. We text the assigned technician’s name to you before arrival and walk you through the finished work with the before-and-after camera footage before we consider the job done.
Yes. We stock Famco OEM couplers, top plates, and common 5.5-inch, 6-inch, and 7-inch liner diameters on the truck, and we source full liner kits through our buying network alongside DuraFlex, HeatShield, and Gelco product lines. If your liner is an unusual diameter or a longer commercial run, we can typically have it on-site within two to three business days. A written price and scope come before we order anything, so you always know the number before money moves.
Get a Written Price Before You Decide
If your Famco liner has failed or an inspection flagged it, you do not have to make a decision on the spot. Call (571) 601-3174, and we will confirm the condition with a camera scan, show you the footage, and hand you a written price with parts and labor separated before you agree to anything. That is Clause 1 of the Haven Standard, and we have worked that way since 2009. Bring us any competitor’s written quote and we will give you our second opinion for free. The camera doesn’t lie, and neither does the price we write down before we start.
Written by Corrine Halstead, Owner, Level Two Chimney Leesburg at Level Two Chimney Leesburg, serving Leesburg and nearby areas.