Our Process

Inside a vent repair on your Indian Mound Village fireplace

Keeping insulation out of the air space

Insulation belongs away from the vent unless the maker says otherwise. DuraVent's direct vent instructions allow only listed non-combustible insulation, such as mineral wool, within the clearance space and only where the appliance maker approves it, and they state that fiberglass insulation is not approved. Its Type B instructions say the air space inside a wall thimble is not to be filled with insulation.

Attic work and wall repairs can push insulation against a vent. If your Indian Mound Village home has had either, our team checks the vent where it passes through those spaces and clears anything packed around it.

Supporting the vent pipe

Vent pipe is heavier than it looks once elbows and long runs are involved. DuraVent's direct vent instructions ask for horizontal sections to be supported at least every 4 feet to prevent sags, and its Type B instructions call for wall straps every four feet, with offsets supported so the weight does not stress the elbows.

Missing straps, a run hanging from its joints or an elbow carrying a long section alone are things our team looks for on your Indian Mound Village fireplace. Supports are added or replaced as their own line on the estimate.

Condensate and corrosion in the vent

Continuous condensate can corrode vents, caps and draft hoods, the Type B instructions warn, and they call the situation extremely dangerous and in need of immediate correction. Named causes include incorrect vent sizing, long lateral runs, too many elbows and cold spaces, with laterals kept to no more than three quarters of the vertical height.

Beads of moisture on the outside of the pipe and rust at the joints are early signs. If our team finds them on the vent for your Indian Mound Village fireplace, we trace the cause, whether sizing, layout or an exposed section, before replacing the damaged parts.

Planning a vent route for a new fireplace

Every direct vent appliance has limits on horizontal run, vertical rise and the number of elbows. DuraVent tells installers to check the appliance manual for those restrictions, and its Type B instructions advise keeping turns and lateral runs to a minimum, noting that a 45 degree turn is preferable to a 90 degree turn.

At your Indian Mound Village home our team lays out the route from the fireplace location to a termination that meets its clearances, checks it against the appliance's venting table and shows you the route before work begins. Permits are discussed where the local authority requires them.