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.
Famco Flue Liner Replacement: The Dix Hills Owner’s Guide
We stock and install Famco-compatible flue liner replacements across Dix Hills, with most jobs running between $1,800 and $3,400 installed depending on liner diameter, length, and whether the old liner comes out clean or fights us on the way. We typically have common Famco sizes on the truck, so if you call before noon we can usually be on your roof the same week. Most Dix Hills homeowners discover they need this when the sweep’s camera shows a seam separation or rust-through about two-thirds of the way up, right where the liner takes the worst heat cycling. You don’t feel it from the hearth. You see it on the footage.
If you’re here because a chimney company told you your Famco liner failed and handed you a five-figure quote, slow down. We’ll show you the camera footage and tell you plainly whether it actually needs replacing or whether you have years left. That’s the Top Hat way, and it’s been our way since 1999.
Which Famco Models This Applies To
Famco has made flue liners under several product lines over the years, and the replacement path depends on which one you have. The most common we see in Dix Hills homes are the Famco Flex line (standard flexible stainless), the Famco Pro (heavier gauge, often used for oil-to-gas conversions), and the older Famco EZ-Lite series that has been discontinued but is still inside plenty of chimneys built in the 90s and early 2000s. Top Hat Chimney is an independent service provider and not affiliated with Famco, but we work with their liners regularly and can match replacements by measuring the existing liner’s inner diameter and wall thickness rather than hunting for an obsolete model number.
The compatibility gotcha most owners hit: Famco liners are specified by inner diameter, not outer, and a 6-inch Famco Flex will not seat on a 6-inch connector from another brand without checking wall clearance first. We measure both before we order or cut anything. When a Famco part is still available as OEM, we’ll quote it. When it’s not, we’ll recommend a quality equivalent and show you the spec sheet so you’re not taking anyone’s word blind.
Signs Your Famco Flue Liner Replacement Is Failing
- Rust flakes at the base of the chimney or around the cleanout door. Flue liners collect acidic condensation in Dix Hills winters, and stainless eventually pits if the liner wasn’t sized for the appliance it ended up serving. Rust at the bottom means it’s shedding somewhere above you.
- A metallic smell or the faint smell of exhaust in rooms near the chimney. A seam that separates mid-chimney lets flue gas drift into the cavity between liner and masonry. This is a carbon monoxide path, so treat it seriously and call us the day you notice it.
- White or brown staining on the chimney exterior. Flue gas escaping into the brick carries moisture and soot that eventually telegraphs through the masonry. By the time you can see it from the lawn, the liner has been leaking for a while.
- Difficulty getting a clean draft, or a fireplace that spills smoke on startup. A partially collapsed liner restricts flow enough that the fire can’t get the siphon going. If a heater or fireplace that used to draft fine now fights you, the flue path isn’t round anymore.
- Debris or loose material showing up in the firebox between burns. That’s liner material or mortar coming down, and it means the system is actively degrading. It’s not from the wood.
Replacement Cost & What’s Included
In Dix Hills, a full Famco-compatible flue liner replacement runs $1,800 to $3,400, with most single-story residential jobs landing around $2,400. What moves the number: liner diameter (6-inch vs 8-inch stainless is a meaningful materials difference), chimney height and roof pitch, whether we need a crane or can ladder it safely, and whether the existing liner can be pulled without chipping out old mortar. Every quote is a line-item price given before tools come off the truck, and the number on the phone is the number on the invoice.
The job includes removing and disposing of the old liner, installing the new liner with a proper top plate and rain cap connection, re-cementing the crown as needed, and a camera inspection afterward so you see the finished work through the flue. Everything we do is backed by our 90-Day Done Right Promise in writing. If it’s not right, one call brings Wendell and his crew back at no charge. And every senior or veteran gets 10% off, same as always.
Key takeaways:
- Installed Famco flue liner replacement in Dix Hills: $1,800-$3,400, most jobs around $2,400.
- Upfront flat pricing before work begins, with the 90-Day Done Right Promise on every job.
- Camera inspection before and after, so you see the failure and the fix with your own eyes.
- We stock common Famco sizes locally and can typically complete the swap in one visit for straightforward chimneys.
DIY or Call Us?
Replacing a flue liner is not a weekend job, and we say that as people who want you safe, not as people protecting a revenue stream. Pulling a liner means being on the roof, handling stainless that can weigh over a hundred pounds, and routing it through masonry without snagging or kinking it. Done wrong, you create the exact carbon monoxide pathway you were trying to eliminate. Wendell learned this trade properly, first at Southwestern College’s vocations program in Chula Vista before he ever hauled a brush up a Dix Hills roof, and he’ll tell you the same thing he tells every homeowner: this is one to hand to a crew with the right rigging and a camera to verify the result.
What you can safely do is look for the rust at the cleanout, note any smells, and call us. We’ll inspect it, show you the footage, and if the liner is still serviceable we’ll say so. If it does not need replacing, we will tell you. If it does, we will show you why. Call (631) 318-8656 and we’ll get you a straight answer.
FAQs
Fifteen to twenty years is realistic for a properly sized stainless liner in a Long Island chimney, though we’ve pulled Famco liners at twelve years that were already pitting from condensation. The humid coastal air and freeze-thaw cycles here work chimneys harder than inland climates, so the lifespan you’ll actually get depends on the original sizing and how the appliance was burned. If your liner is over fifteen years old, it’s worth a camera look even if nothing smells wrong. Call (631) 318-8656 and we’ll schedule an inspection for a time that works for you.
Sometimes, but only for small problems caught early. A separated seam near the top can occasionally be re-secured with an adapter and the liner remaining is checked for wall thickness. Rust-through mid-liner or any distortion that affects draft means replacement is the honest call, and we won’t patch something that will fail again in two winters. We’ll show you the footage before we spend a dime of your money, and if repair is a real option we’ll give you that quote too.
One day for most Dix Hills homes. We arrive, set up the roof access, pull the old liner, prep the flue, run the new one, secure the top plate, and finish with the camera before we pack up. Tall chimneys, steep roofs, or a liner that comes apart in pieces on extraction can stretch it into a second visit, but we’ll tell you that likelihood before we start. You’ll have the house back that evening, and the fireplace or boiler can usually be used the next day.
We keep common 6-inch and 8-inch Famco-compatible liners, top plates, and connectors stocked for the Dix Hills area, along with parts from DuraFlex, HeatShield, and Gelco for other systems we service. Oddball diameters or discontinued Famco lines may need to be ordered, which adds a few days, and we’ll tell you up front if that applies. No trip charge inside our service county, and estimates are free, so the smart first step is a call to (631) 318-8656.
Written by Wendell Pike, Owner, Top Hat Chimney at Top Hat Chimney, serving Dix Hills and nearby areas.





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