| CUSTOMER
SERVICE |
| How can you ship longer lengths
of liner in a UPS shippable box than anyone else? |
| Olympia Chimney has invested in and designed
special containers to ship long lengths of liner safely and efficiently.
We realize that shipping is a large expense. That is why Olympia has
invested in methods to significantly reduce your shipping costs. We
look at this as a win-win proposition. |
| |
| Does Olympia Chimney make a profit on shipping
and handling? |
| Absolutely Not! In fact most products shipped
out of here free, such as: All UPS shippable liner kits, 60ft or greater
of liner, orders of $1200 or more. When shipping charges are billed,
you will NEVER pay handling or crate charges. Olympia only charges
what the freight company charges us. No profit! But, this raises another
question… |
| |
| Do other chimney suppliers make a profit
on shipping and handling costs? |
You “betcha” they do. This old
mail order trick has been around a long time and it is a convenient
way to hide profit. They try to make the price of the item look good,
but make up for it in the shipping cost. Try this exercise: Get a shipping
price for a 6”x25’ liner kit from a few leading chimney
suppliers. UPS charges all of us virtually the same price. See who
takes the liberties of making a profit on shipping.
Another way chimney suppliers make profit is with a “crate charge”.
This is a popular fee when ordering chase covers or large multi-flue caps. Not
only are you hit with large shipping and handling charges, but now you pay a
high “crate charge”. These never ending add-ons continue to dig deep
in your pockets.
Again we are happy to say, we do not charge crate or handling fees here at Olympia.
We know that shipping, handling, and crate fees have been a disappointment for
many. Olympia promises to continue our free shipping policies and when shipping
needs to be billed you will only pay exactly what our shippers charge us! |
| |
| Why are your prices so low? |
Many have asked this question because of
the difference in our prices compared to others. Some wonder if we
sacrifice quality for paying a lower price. Emphatically we can say
no, and here’s why. When Olympia Chimney was formed, it always
put quality before price. That’s why all of our manufactured
products have been UL Listed with the best of warranties. Olympia has
come up with easier and user friendly components that has been copied
by many. Our butt-welding technology is an example of our superior
attention to quality. It would be much cheaper to manufacture lock-form
or spot-welded components, but we didn’t.
But since our quality is high, why are our
prices so low? The answer is, because you are buying straight from the manufacturer,
there is no middleman to deal with.
For instance, if you purchased a vehicle off the manufacturing lines in Detroit,
how much do you think you would save compared to buying it from a dealer? You
and I know there would be a significant difference. Similarly, you benefit from
dealing directly from us, the manufacturer. Look at our next question for yet
another advantage to dealing with the manufacturer. |
| |
| How does our Custom Shop™ benefit
me? |
| We know as installers, you need specific
products made at specific sizes. In our Custom Shop™ we have
produced thousands of these products made from stainless steel and
copper, including chase covers and multi-flue caps. Because of our
manufacturing capabilities, you can benefit from Olympia’s sheet
metal Custom Shop™ full of state-of-the-art equipment. We pride
ourselves in making quality custom parts and shipping them with a quick
turn around. Here at Olympia we constantly get compliments for our
Custom Shop™. Remember only a manufacturer can provide you with
these benefits. |
| |
| Why won’t you sell to homeowners? |
| Our UL Listing requires that a qualified
technician install our products. Because of the experience needed,
the complexity and dangers of the work, these installations require
a professional. Olympia will only sell to a qualified installer. |
| |
| What does “Forever” really mean
in your “Forever Warranty”? |
| Our Forever Warranty means exactly what
it says, it has no time limit. This warranty is the best in the business
because it is transferable to the next homeowner. A “lifetime
warranty”, commonly used by other suppliers, varies in meaning
from state to state and comes with a lot of small print. Our Forever
Warranty is clear and to the point. No other warranty even comes close. |
| |
| OUR
PRODUCTS |
| Can you make me a copper anaconda
snake for my kid’s school project? |
| Or can you make a stainless steel bird bath
for my blue jays? Absolutely! Because of our extremely popular Custom
Shop™ we have come to the rescue many times, in creating unique
parts for specific jobs. The motto of our Custom Shop™ is “if
you can dream it, we can build it”. So give us a challenge with
the next custom part you may need. Yes, we can make it all, including
the kitchen sink. |
| |
| Why do you carry so many different crown
repair and sealant products? |
| Simply put, Olympia believes in selection.
Some of our vendors only want us to carry their brand, but we know
you want a variety. We want you to make the choice. |
| |
| What is the largest diameter pipe you can
manufacture? |
| Our largest Flex Pipe is 16” round,
we can also produce any shape you want. Our largest Rigid Pipe is 42” round.
And because of our Custom Shop™ we can produce virtually any
size square or rectangular rigid pipe you would need. |
| |
| When you rectangularize, squarize & ovalize
is your liner still UL listed? |
| The answer is yes! Incidentally, not all
manufacturers can boast this achievement. |
| |
| Is it ok to cement around Forever Flex liner
at the crown of the chimney? |
| Yes it is and Forever Flex is UL Listed
to do so. Olympia has invested much time and resources into this project.
Why not check and see if the liner you use is UL Listed for this purpose? |
| |
| How flexible is your liner when it is ovalized,
squarized, or rectangularized? |
This question has two answers depending
on the type of flex liner used. No matter what brand you purchase,
light flex will always lose flexibility when shaped. Heavy flex, depending
on the shape, will sometimes increase or decrease in flexibility.
One of the advantages our customers experience with shaped liner is how we ship
it. In most cases, we don’t coil the liner; it is shipped straight which
enables an easier installation. This also prevents the liner from corkscrewing
when it’s uncoiled. |
| |
| SIZING
LINERS |
| How do I get the appropriate liner
size for a heating appliance? |
When you are sizing an oil appliance you
need to obtain the max GPH (Gallons Per Hour) of the unit. Then using
NFPA31 or Olympia’s slide chart, you determine the diameter of
the pipe needed. (When GPH can not be obtained, generally 140,000 BTU’s
will equal 1.0 GPH)
When you are sizing a gas appliance you need
to obtain the max input BTU (British Thermal Unit) of the unit. Then using NFPA54
or Olympia’s slide chart, you determine the diameter of the pipe needed.
When you are sizing a wood or coal burning
appliance, simply line the chimney using the same diameter as the flue collar
size installed on the appliance. |
| |
| With oil appliance sizing, what
if the GPH is higher than what's on the chart? |
| Unfortunately the sizing chart found in
NFPA31 does not go beyond 6 inch diameter pipe. (This was due to lack
of funding.) When the GPH is higher than what is on the chart, simple
line the chimney using the same diameter as the flue collar size installed
on the appliance. The only alternative to this is to get written direction
from the manufacturer for sizing the liner to the appliance. |
| |
| How does Olympia Chimney help you
size oil and gas appliances? |
| We have made this job of sizing a chimney
liner easy and simple for you. Obtain an oil and gas “slide sizing
chart” and in a few seconds you can correctly size the appliance
you’re working with. |
| |
| TECHNICAL
QUESTIONS |
| How often should a chimney be inspected? |
| It is always encouraged to have it inspected
at least once a year. |
| |
| How often should a chimney be cleaned? |
| This depends on how much it is used. When
a ¼ inch of creosote builds up on the chimney wall, it needs
to be cleaned. On average most chimneys are cleaned annually or semiannually. |
| |
| Is your chimney liners UL listed
for use after a chimney fire? |
| Yes it is. When this liner was tested it
was put through the worst chimney fire possible by use of an incinerator.
After a temperature of 2100F degrees was reached for some time, then
the liner was pulled out and tested for strength and durability. The
composition of the stainless steel was also tested. When the liner
was not affected by this high heat attack, it then received its UL
1777 Listing. This chimney liner was manufactured to handle and perform
after a chimney fire. |
| |
| Can you insulate this lining system with
pour-down insulation? |
| Yes you can. We have our own pour-down insulation
called, EverGuard Insulation Mix™. Our insulation is UL Listed
to be used with our chimney liner family. It comes in 45 pound, 2.5
cubic foot bags. |
| |
| What would you use furnace/refractory cement
for? |
| You would use this for practically any high
heat area you would need cement for. Use it for bedding and cementing
firebrick and specially shaped combustion chambers. It is good to 3000F
and it won’t shrink, pull away, crack, sag, or lose its sealing
properties. |
| |
| ALL
ABOUT METALS |
| What does the “Ti” mean
in 316Ti? |
| TI means that titanium was added to the
composition of the stainless steel. |
| |
| What is the difference between 316Ti and
316L stainless steel? |
| A small percentage of titanium adds a lot
of quality to your alloy. Titanium stabilizes the alloy at extremely
high temperatures of 800 degrees and above, which can occur during
a chimney fire. Titanium combines with carbon, preventing the precipitation
of chromium carbide from the material. If this precipitation would
occur it leaves the alloy grain boundaries chromium depleted and susceptible
to intergranular attack (corrosion). The main advantage of 316Ti is
that alloy can be held at higher temperatures longer before sensitization
occurs than in a non-stabilized alloy like 316L. |
| |
| Why does Olympia Chimney use 316Ti rather
than 316L? |
| Even though this alloy has a little higher
cost Olympia Chimney is dedicated to using the best metal available.
We want the liner you install to be able to stand up to even the harshest
conditions, especially during chimney fires. Since this is a better
alloy hands down, does your supplier use 316Ti? |
| |
| What is AL29-4C alloy stainless steel? |
| “AL” stands for Allegany Ludlum.
This company invented and patented this unique alloy. This alloy was
developed to prevent corrosion and breakdown in high efficiency gas
and oil chimneys. AL29-4C offers extreme resistance to chloride ion
pitting, crevice corrosion, chloride stress-corrosion cracking and
general corrosion. |
| |
| When should I use AL29-4C? |
| When there are heating appliances that are
83% or higher efficiency, it is a good idea to use AL29-4C. This provides
better corrosion resistance to condensed flue acids that are formed. |
| |
| Does Olympia Chimney use metals
that are seconds, overruns, or inferior? |
| We know what people who ask this question
are really thinking – “this is such a good price, something
must be wrong”. Be assured that the steel used in the EverGuard
Family of liners is from superior steel mills and processing centers.
All our stainless is prime metal with certificates of analysis, available
anytime for your assurance. This means we never use material that is
seconds or low budget overruns. Our materials are prime all the way. |
| |
| What’s the difference between
304L and 316Ti stainless steel? |
| All liner pipe is made of prime stainless
steel. Depending on the application you could use 304L stainless is
used for wood burning appliances and 316Ti stainless is for all fuels
(wood, oil, gas, coal). |
| |
| Where is the stainless steel market heading? |
| Because of the rising prices of stainless
steel, many have wonder where is it heading, or why have the prices
even climbed in the first place. This is a complicated issue that is
not just experienced in the United States. Most analysts agree, because
of the increase of China as an industrial nation, there is a great
demand for stainless steel. Because of this great demand and a limited
supply of molly and nickel, components that make up stainless steel,
prices have sky-rocketed. |
| |
| What has Olympia Chimney done
to keep our price of stainless steel products down? |
Each year, when our new catalog is published,
we have held our prices throughout the whole year. Even though the
cost of steel increases throughout the year, we hold to our catalog
prices. Also, because of the high volume of steel we purchase, we are
able to purchase steel at the lowest possible price.
One message we want to make clear: We have not downgraded or gone to seconds
or other cheaper sources to sacrifice quality of our stainless steel. Here at
Olympia Chimney we only purchase prime stainless steel. A certificate on analysis
comes with each coil and can be obtained when desired. |
| |
