Expert: James Ball - 4/7/2009

Question
I am a contractor who was asked by a homeowner to patch her "fake brick" metal chimney that was leaking. My first thought was to remove the fake chimney and replace it with a simple flashing, storm collar and new cap on the existing pipe. What I found under the chimney, it was a two space model, was a fan that blew air between the outer and inner layer of the double wall pipe. The switch controlled fan blows air into the firebox. Is this fan used to cool the flue pipe or is it just another way to capture potentially lost heat?

Answer
Hello Dan, I would have a local Certified Chimney Sweep (www.csia.org, there you can look up by zip code to find one near you) take a first hand look at what you have they should be able to help. Some where on this unit there should be a manufacture's tag with this systems info on it so you can contact the manufacture for parts (simple flashing, storm collar and new cap, you have to use their parts only) and find out if this chimney has a blower to cool it (I have never seen such a beast). The system might have a fan but it is usually  to send heated air out into the room not the chimney.
James