Famco Flue Liner Replacement in Houston, TX

Famco Flue Liner Replacement: The Houston Owner’s Guide

We stock and install Famco-compatible flue liner replacement in Houston, with most jobs running $1,800 to $3,400 installed depending on chimney height and liner diameter. Same-day service is available when you call before noon, and we carry the common Famco diameters on our trucks. Most Houston homeowners discover the problem during a heating season startup, when smoke backs into the room, or when a Level-2 camera inspection reveals the corrugated stainless steel has separated at a joint or developed pinholes from years of acidic flue gas exposure in our Gulf Coast humidity.

Call (877) 516-5603

Which Famco Models This Applies To

Famco manufactured flexible stainless flue liners in 3-inch through 12-inch diameters, with the 6-inch and 8-inch sizes dominating Houston’s pre-1990s brick chimney stock. The critical compatibility gotcha is this: Famco’s early-1980s liners used a .005-inch wall thickness that was later increased to .006-inch, and the two do not mix at coupling joints. If your original installation date falls between 1978 and 1986, measure the wall with a caliper or call us to verify before ordering replacement sections.

Identification starts at the cleanout. Look for an embossed Famco label near the top termination, or check for the distinctive triple-rib coupling band that Famco used before their 1994 design change. If the label is gone, which it usually is after thirty-plus Houston summers, we match by inside diameter, total linear feet, and whether your setup requires a top plate or direct-connect appliance adapter.

On OEM versus aftermarket: Famco as a brand has been absorbed into larger manufacturing groups, so true OEM Famco liner is largely unavailable. We source replacement from Olympia Chimney and DuraFlex, both of which exceed the original Famco specifications for 316Ti stainless and carry factory warranties that Famco never offered. A clean flue doesn’t announce itself. That’s the point.

Signs Your Famco Flue Liner Replacement Is Failing

• Smoke spillage at fire startup. The liner joint nearest the appliance has separated or the bottom section has corroded through. Houston’s high humidity accelerates this at the condensation point, usually eighteen to twenty-four inches above the smoke chamber.
• White or orange staining on exterior brick. Condensate is leaking through liner pinholes and carrying salts through the mortar joints. In the Heights and Montrose, we see this pattern frequently on north-facing chimney breasts where the brick never fully dries.
• Deteriorated or missing liner sections visible from the cleanout. The lower section has collapsed or pulled away, often from improper support spacing. Famco’s original installation manuals called for support every six feet; many Houston jobs from the 1980s spaced them at eight or ten.
• Strong odor even when the fireplace is cold. The liner is no longer containing combustion byproducts, and downdraft is pulling them into living spaces. This is more common in Houston’s spring and fall when temperature differentials create pressure imbalances.
• Chunks of metal or rust flakes in the firebox. The 430-grade stainless used in some budget Famco lines is failing from the inside out. We replace these with 316Ti, which handles the acidic condensate from modern gas appliances far better.

Replacement Cost & What’s Included

For a typical Houston single-family chimney, Famco flue liner replacement runs:

What drives the range: chimney height, whether we need to remove the existing liner in pieces (common when it has collapsed), and if the clay thimble or smoke chamber needs refractory repair before the new liner drops. Every estimate includes the liner, insulation wrap for NFPA 211 compliance, new support hardware, and the termination cap. Our 90-Day Done Right Promise covers the installation in writing, no arguing. The number on the estimate is the number on the invoice.

DIY or Call Us?

There is an honest line here. A homeowner can safely inspect the cleanout for visible liner damage, check that the damper opens fully, and confirm the cap is not clogged with leaf debris. What you cannot safely do is work from the roof to extract a failed liner, handle the 316Ti stainless in twenty-foot sections that kink if mishandled, or properly insulate and support a new liner to code. The NFPA 211 clearance requirements are specific, and Houston’s municipal inspectors do check them.

We have pulled Famco liners that homeowners started and abandoned after the first section jammed in the offset. That turns a straightforward job into a chimney rebuild. If you are unsure what you are looking at, call (877) 516-5603. We will give you a straight answer and a free estimate.

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