What Do You Get In a Flue Liner Kit?

If you’re intending to reline your chimney flue, then there are a number of parts you’ll almost certainly need to buy. However, it can often be easier to buy a flue liner kit. The question we often get though is, ‘what do you get in a flue liner kit’? Keep reading and the Trade Price Flues team will tell you!

What is a flue liner kit?

The job of lining a chimney is one that usually involves multiple parts.

The one that most people are familiar with is the flexible metal flue liner. As the name suggests, this is a long flexible metal tube which ‘hangs’ from the top of the chimney and connects to a chimney gather or stove-pipe at the bottom of the chimney.

However, the flue liner is only one part of the job. Relining your chimney will often require the use of other parts and components such as pot hangers, register plates, and adapters.

Flue liner kits aim to provide everything you need to reline a chimney in one handy, cost-effective package.

However, as no two chimneys are exactly the same, you’ll find that there are many different chimney flue liner kits available on the market.

Note - the majority of flue liner kits (especially the ones we sell here at Trade Price Flues), are designed for use with wood-burning stoves rather than open fires. Based on this, the following article refers to flue liner kits for use with stoves.

What do you get in a chimney flue liner kit?

Although there are myriad flue liner kits on the market, you’ll find that the majority of them contain the same general set of parts and components. Below, we’ve outlined the things that you’ll normally get in a flue liner kit.

Flexible metal flue liner

This is the most important - and largest - part that you’ll get in a flue liner kit.

If you’ve bought your flue liner kit from a reputable supplier, then the metal flue liner you receive in the kit will be manufactured from a high-grade, corrosion resistant stainless steel.

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What’s more, the metal liner will come with a multi-year warranty and will have been tested to all relevant safety and quality standards.

When selecting a flue liner kit, you’ll normally be asked during the checkout process how long you want the liner to be. It’s important that you select a length that is sufficient to stretch the entire length of your chimney cavity (from the top of the chimney down to the fireplace).

If in doubt, always err on the side of caution and choose a length that’s longer than you need - you can cut the liner down to size if necessary.

Pot hanger

The pot hanger (also known as a rain cap) is an immediately recognisable part of a flue kit, and has the job of ‘anchoring’ the flexible metal flue liner in place.

The pot hanger will generally sit atop your chimney pot and will have three or four tabs to which the metal flue liner will attach. The flue liner then ‘hangs’ down within the chimney cavity, being suspended from the pot hanger.

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Good quality pot hangers are made from corrosion-resistant stainless steel and will feature a cap, which effectively acts as a mini ‘roof’ to prevent rain from getting down into the chimney cavity and flue liner.

Many pot hangers also feature a mesh curtain or barrier which is designed to prevent leaves, birds and small mammals from getting into your flue liner or chimney cavity.

Pot hangers come in many finishes, although the most common tend to be stainless steel or terracotta.

Nose cone

When you receive your flue liner kit, you may find a part which looks a little odd or out of place.

It may not seem immediately obvious what the nose cone is for, but it’s an essential part of the flue liner installation process.

The nose cone - as you’ve probably guessed - has a conical disc-like shape and is attached to the bottom end of the flue liner during the installation process (usually using tape).

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Most nose cones feature a small hole. This is to allow for a piece of string to be fed through the nose cone. The string is then used to pull the metal flue liner down the chimney cavity towards the fireplace opening.

You’ll find that most nose cones in flue liner kits are made from aluminium and can be reused for future flue liner installation jobs.

Stove-pipe

As we stated earlier, the majority of flue liner kits are designed for use with wood-burning stoves. As such, they include a stove-pipe.

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The stove-pipe is designed to connect to your stove’s collar/outlet (which is normally a circular hole located at the rear or on top of the stove) and bridges the gap between your stove and the bottom of the metal flue liner.

Stove-pipes are typically fabricated from steel and feature either a matt black vitreous enamel finish or a stainless steel finish.

Stove-pipe to flue liner adapter

Your typical flue liner kit will also include a stove-pipe to flue liner adapter. It’s the job of this part to connect the flue liner to the stove-pipe.

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Flue adapters are normally made from corrosion resistant stainless steel. In most cases, they’ll be ‘push fit’, meaning they simply slot onto the top of the stove-pipe. The flue liner then pushes into the adapter and is secured in place using grub screws, butterfly screws or similar.

Register plate

If you’re buying a more extensive flue liner kit, then it’s likely to include a register plate.

A register plate is designed to be used in conjunction with a stove. Taking the form of a flat metal sheet, a register plate is designed to help seal off the base of the chimney, creating a sort of ceiling above your log burner.

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Depending on the flue kit you buy, the register plate will either need to be cut to allow the stove’s stove-pipe to pass through it, or it will have a pre-cut hole.

Fire cement

In more comprehensive flue liner kits, you’ll often find a tub or tube of fire cement.

Fire cement is a great way of sealing up joins on stoves (e.g. the join between your stove’s collar/outlet and the stove-pipe).

Carbon monoxide alarm

Like fire cement, carbon monoxide alarms are parts that you’ll only tend to get in more comprehensive chimney flue liner kits.

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Carbon monoxide alarms tend to feature a sealed battery and have a defined lifespan (this will normally be featured prominently on the packaging or the alarm itself). They will normally also feature a test button allowing you to check the state of the battery.

How to choose the right flue liner kit for your stove

As you’ve just read, flue liner kits can be a great way of getting everything you need to reline your chimney at an affordable price.

The thing is, you need to make sure you buy the right kit!

To select the correct kit for your particular installation scenario, you’ll need the following information to hand:

> The diameter of your stove’s collar/outlet.

> The length of your chimney flue cavity - measuring from the bottom of the cavity right to the top.

> The type of fuel you’ll be burning in your stove e.g. seasoned firewood, anthracite etc.

Diameter

As we’ve written previously, you need to select a flue liner kit where the diameter of the flexible metal flue liner matches the diameter of your stove’s collar/outlet.

In other words, if your stove has a 6-inch outlet, then you’ll want to buy a 6-inch flue liner kit.

Here at Trade Price Flues, we offer flue liner kits with liners of the following diameters:

> 5-inch flue liner kits.

> 6-inch flue liner kits.

> 7-inch flue liner kits.

> 8-inch flue liner kits.

Length

When you are choosing a flue liner kit, you’ll need to specify the length of flexible metal flue liner that you need.

Here at Trade Price Flues, you can do this by selecting the length you need using the drop-down menu within the product description:

Note - if in doubt, select a flue liner that will be longer than you require. You can cut it down to size during the installation process. It’s always better to buy too much, than too little.

Fuel type

The third thing you’ll need to know when selecting a chimney flue liner kit is the type of fuel you’ll be burning in your stove.

This is because different types of flue liner are suitable for use with different types of fuel.

The two main types of metal flue liner that you can buy in flue liner kits are 316-grade liners and 904-grade liners:

> 316-grade liners are only suitable for use with firewood.

> 904-grade liners can be used with both firewood and solid fuels, such as anthracite.

Here at Trade Price Flues, we make it easy to select a flue liner kit based on the flue liner type. Simply tick the relevant box on the left-hand side of our flue liner kit page: 

Note - if you think you may end up burning solid fuels in the future, then err on the side of caution and select a kit with a 904-grade flue liner.

Flue liner kit FAQs

Hopefully, you’ve now got a good idea of what you need to look for when picking a flue liner kit for your home.

Whilst we’ve addressed the main points you need to know above, below we’ve provided answers to some of the other common questions we receive regarding flue liner kits.

How much do flue liner kits cost?

How much you should expect to pay for a flue liner kit depends on the type of kit you buy.

It’s possible to buy basic kits, which only have a few parts such as a liner, adaptor and pot hanger. On the other hand, you can buy what we call ‘full’ kits. These full flue liner kits include everything you get in a basic kit, plus other parts such as a register plate, fire cement, carbon monoxide detector etc.

At the time of writing this (February 2023), the cost of a flue liner kit spans from just over £240 for a ‘basic’ 5”-6” 316-grade kit, all the way up to just under £900 for an 8” 904-grade kit.

Is it worth buying a flue liner kit?

You may be wondering if you actually need to go to the lengths of buying and installing a flue liner.

The answer is a definite yes.

Although installing a flue liner kit incurs an upfront cost, it’ll save you money in the long run.

Adding a flue liner to your chimney has a number of benefits, including:

> Making your stove burn more efficiently.

> Making your stove easier to light and sustain a fire.

> Reducing the amount of chimney maintenance you have to carry out.

> Improving the safety of your chimney.

Guide - for more information, read how fitting a flue liner can save you money on your energy bills.

How to install a flue liner kit

When it comes to installation, we’d always recommend employing a qualified, experienced professional to install your flue liner kit for you. This is especially important if your home is taller than one storey, as installation will involve working at height.

Guide - for more information, read our guide to fitting a chimney flue liner.

Does anthracite damage flue liners?

This is a question we receive only rarely, but it’s one that is absolutely worth answering.

Anthracite - which is also known as hard coal - is one of the most common solid fuels burnt in homes in the UK.

As it’s a type of coal, it burns much hotter than other fuels such as seasoned firewood. As a result, if you don’t have the correct grade flue liner installed in your chimney, it can be damaged by burning anthracite.

If you intend to burn anthracite in your stove, then you’ll need a multi-fuel stove that’s capable of burning it, and a chimney flue liner that is made of 904-grade steel. This grade of steel is able to withstand the higher temperatures generated by anthracite.

How long do flue liners last?

When selecting a flue liner kit, you’ll want to select one that’s going to last for a decent length of time; after all, you probably don’t want to incur the expense and effort of repeated installation jobs.

Whilst it’s possible to buy cheap, generic flue liners, we’d strongly recommend against these. You’ll get a year or two out of them tops, then you’ll be back to square one.

Here at Trade Price Flues, our flue liner kits come with flue liners that have multi-year guarantees. For example, our 316-grade liners feature a 15-year warranty, whilst our 904-grade liners have a 30-year warranty.

Guide - for more information, read our guide to the lifespans of flue liners.

Where to buy the best flue liner kits

If you’re in the market for a new flue liner, then a flue liner kit is one of the most convenient, best value ways of relining your chimney.

The best place to buy a flue liner kit is at Trade Price Flues.

Why?

Because, not only do we have decades of experience designing, manufacturing and supplying market-leading flue products, we also offer:

> Trade prices.

> A large amount of stock.

> Nationwide delivery.

> Free next day delivery on orders over £150 (if ordered before 1pm, Monday to Friday, excluding Scottish Highlands and all UK islands).

We also have a comprehensive resource centre which answers many of the most common questions about flues and chimneys.

Flue liner kits for wood-burning stoves

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If you’re looking for a chimney flue liner kit to go with a wood-burning stove, then you’ll find the very best kits below.

Our flue kits for wood-burning stoves feature 316-grade liners which are expressly designed to deal with the rigours of burning seasoned firewood.

Depending on your own installation requirements, we stock both basic and ‘full’ flue liner fitting kits for wood-burning stoves.

Our log burner flue liner kits are available in a range of diameters from 5–6 inches up to 8-inches; so whether you have a compact stove or a large one, we’ll almost certainly have a flue liner kit for you!

Flue liner kits for multi-fuel stoves

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Should you own a multi-fuel stove (i.e. a stove which is capable of burning both seasoned firewood and other solid fuels such as anthracite), then you’ll want a flue liner kit specifically designed for solid fuels.

Here at Trade Price Flues, our solid fuel flue liner kits feature 904-grade liners. These are liners which are designed to withstand the much higher temperatures that are generated when anthracite and other similar solid fuels are burnt.

If you only need a few of the basic components, then one of our basic kits will do the job. On the other hand, if you require the full suite of chimney liner components, then check out our full kits.

You’ll find that our chimney liner kits for multi-fuel stoves are available in a range of diameters, from 5–6 inches up to 8-inches for the largest of stoves.

Any questions?

We hope you’ve found this guide to flue liner kits both useful and interesting. However, should you still have any questions or require assistance to buy the right kit, then our friendly, expert team will be happy to help.

You can reach us on 0161 6975 491 or at: sales@tradepriceflues.co.uk.

Shop flue liner kits at Trade Price Flues now

For more chimney and flue advice, read the Trade Price Flues blog…

What Parts Do You Need to Go With a Flue Liner? | What Chimney Flue Liners Are Easiest to Install? | Do You Need a Register Plate With a Flue Liner?