Flue relining
Sweep & inspection
Caps & crowns
Masonry repair
Gas fireplace serviceLevel 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.
Famco Flue Liner Replacement: The Pasadena Owner’s Guide
If you’re searching for a Famco flue liner replacement in Pasadena, you likely already know the bad news: your liner has failed, and now you need to know what it costs and how fast it can be fixed. We stock Famco-compatible replacement liners and install them throughout Pasadena, typically for $1,900 to $3,400 depending on liner length, diameter, and access. Most replacements take one visit, four to six hours on site.
Here’s how most Pasadena homeowners discover the problem: a chimney inspection reveals cracked or separated liner sections, or a sweep finds flue tile debris at the cleanout. Sometimes it’s a failing gas water heater or furnace venting into the same flue that triggers the discovery. By the time you’re reading this page, you’ve probably heard the words “liner replacement” from another company and want a straight answer on whether Famco is the right call.
One thing before we go further: Flint Chimney Co Pasadena is an independent chimney service company. We are not affiliated with Famco, but we install and work with their products daily, and we know them well enough to speak plainly about what lasts and what doesn’t.
Which Famco Models This Applies To
Famco flue liners come in two configurations: the stainless steel rigid sections (most common in Pasadena masonry chimneys) and the flexible kits used for fireplace inserts and stoves. The compatibility issues we see most often involve three things: diameter matching, section locking, and termination cap fit.
Famco rigid liners are available in 5.5-inch, 6-inch, 7-inch, and 8-inch diameters, and the lock-together design means you cannot safely mix a Famco liner with another brand’s sections unless you’re using a listed transition component. We’ve had Pasadena homeowners bring us secondhand liner sections from a relative’s garage, only to find the locking grooves don’t seat properly with their existing Famco run. It’s a false savings.
For aftermarket options, we typically look at whether the liner is serving a fireplace or an appliance. For open-fireplace venting, an OEM Famco section or a quality UL-listed equivalent like DuraFlex is fine. For furnace or water heater venting, the liner must be rated for that fuel type. That’s the checkable gotcha: a liner that passes for wood smoke is not automatically approved for gas. The label near the bottom section tells you what it’s rated for.
If you need help identifying what you have, take a photo of the liner’s label plate and any visible stamping on the top section. We’ll match it before we ever schedule the truck.
Styles & brands we work with
Signs Your Famco Flue Liner Replacement Is Failing
- Visible cracking or separation at the joints. This is the number one failure point we see in Pasadena. Thermal cycling from the hot, dry summers to overnight valley temperature drops flexes steel sections. Over years, those expansion and contraction cycles create hairline cracks at the lock joints. You’ll often see this first at the top section near the crown.
- Rust stains or flaking on the exterior chimney wall. When a liner holds moisture against the masonry, rust leaches through. In Pasadena, this commonly appears on north-facing chimneys that catch the marine layer moisture from the San Gabriel foothills side. If you see brown staining on the stucco or brick, the liner is wet and failing.
- Draft problems that didn’t exist before. A liner with cracks lets room air into the flue, cooling the smoke and breaking the draft. In our Pasadena service calls, this shows up as smoke spilling into the room at startup, even though the damper is open and the flue was swept recently. The flue either draws or it doesn’t. Let’s find out which.
- Debris in the cleanout that looks like flue tile or metal fragments. If you open the cleanout door and find thin metal slivers or curly shavings, that’s not normal. Liner sections can separate and shed material. We have seen Pasadena homes where an entire lower section had collapsed and the homeowner had no idea until the water heater started backdrafting.
- Water in the firebox after rain. Pasadena gets roughly 20 inches of rain a year, usually in a handful of heavy winter storms. A failed liner can channel water down into the firebox during those events. If you’re seeing puddles or water marks, the liner or the crown flashing is compromised, and we address both.
Replacement Cost & What’s Included
A Famco flue liner replacement in Pasadena runs $1,900 to $3,400 installed. The range depends on three things: the liner diameter, the total vertical run (we charge per section), and whether we’re replacing a rigid run or converting to a flexible system for an insert. A standard 6-inch rigid replacement in a one-story Pasadena ranch typically falls around $2,200 to $2,700.
Our price is a flat quote, written before any work starts. The number you approve is the number on the invoice, period. The replacement includes removing the failed sections, inspecting the flue tile behind them, installing the new Famco-compatible liner, and securing a proper termination cap. If we find that the old liner was undersized for the appliance, we tell you and quote the correction separately.
Every liner replacement carries our 365-Day Done Right Promise. If a covered repair fails within one full year, we return at no charge. That’s not a verbal assurance; it’s on the written quote.
See the difference
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After
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AfterDIY or Call Us?
There’s a version of this job that is safe to attempt and a version that is not. If all you’re doing is looking: removing the cap and inspecting the top section with a flashlight, taking photos, checking for rust at the cleanout, that’s reasonable and safe with a proper ladder setup. If you’re thinking about pulling liner sections yourself, we’d tell you to stop there.
Flue liner replacement means working from the roof at height, handling stainless sections that are heavier than they look, and getting the pitch correct so condensation drains properly. Get the slope wrong and you’ll have water pooling inside the liner, which shortens its life by years. We have also seen DIY liner runs where the homeowner used screws not rated for the flue temperature, and the screw heads corroded through in two seasons.
If Pasadena is your home and you want this done once, call (626) 657-5513. We’ll give you a written price before any work starts, and Hank Delano will be the one making sure the job is done to the Garrison Standard.
Frequently Asked Questions
A properly installed Famco liner in Pasadena’s climate typically lasts 15 to 25 years before showing meaningful wear at the joints. The limiting factor in the San Gabriel Valley is not rain but thermal cycling, the daily expansion and contraction from hot summer days to cool nights that works the lock joints over time. Liners serving gas appliances tend to last longer than those burning wood, since gas produces less creosote and lower flue temperatures.
If you’re not sure whether your liner is still within its service life, call us at (626) 657-5513 and we’ll inspect it. The estimate is free.
In most cases, no. Once the lock joints separate or the steel cracks through, patching is not a legitimate repair because the liner is under thermal stress every time you burn. We will always show you the camera report so you can see the failure before any recommendation is made. If the damage is limited to one section, we may be able to replace a partial run rather than the full liner, and we’ll quote it that way.
A standard Famco liner replacement takes four to six hours on site, including teardown, flue preparation, installation, and resecuring the cap. Two-story Pasadena homes with steep roof pitches add time. You’ll have a written timeline before we start, and we hold to it.
Our trucks carry common 5.5-inch, 6-inch, and 7-inch rigid sections plus flexible liner kits. If you need an 8-inch or a specialized fuel-rated liner for an appliance, we source it same week. We also work with DuraFlex, HeatShield, and Gelco products when the job calls for a different material than Famco.
Contact Flint Chimney Co Pasadena
If your Famco liner is failing, don’t wait through another Pasadena winter with a compromised flue. Call (626) 657-5513 to schedule an inspection or get a quote on a replacement. We answer the phone live, 24 hours a day, and you’ll get a written price before any work begins.
Written by Hank Delano, Owner, Flint Chimney Co Pasadena at Flint Chimney Co Pasadena, serving Pasadena and nearby areas.