Up to you but instead of dropping thousands on a liner & chase I'd pick up one of the power venters for under a band and be done.

How does that prevent the sulferic acid from causing more damage?

The problem is, you won't be done. Power venters are an ongoing headache for homeowners and heating technicians alike. I lived that life.

Been doing HVAC all my life, as it is fuel oil is already a maintenance pain. These hoods last along time, should last as long or longer than boiler. You still have to clean the flue annually but it's alot easier to do on ground level then swab a liner up through a chimney or chase.


Remove chimney, there won't be any masonry to damage, galvenized pipe from boiler to hood, take apart & clean anually.

I attended a company-wide code enforcement seminar some years back. I'll bet there were at least a hundred technicians there. Somewhere along the way the speaker giving the seminar started singing the praises of power venters. A maestro couldn't have conducted a more massive BS moan that went out from almost all of us in unison.

Builders like them because they're less expensive to install in new construction and it keeps more money in their pockets. They're noisy, dirty, rarely serviced correctly and have a much shorter lifespan than a masonry chimney. I've done a lot of both. I know.

To each their own but I'll take the savings.
Noisy- a little but usually unnoticed unless you hang outside near it in the winter. Typically position them so it's a non issue.
Dirty- not anymore than a chimney the exhaust the same gases
Improper service- that's on the tech to be competent however not sure how anyone could mess that up. If they did however I'm sure they wouldn't be capable of properly cleaning a chimney/ liner either.
Lifespan- I'll give you that one but comes with at least 10x the cost you wont recoup. Masonry also requires upkeep, & chances for roof leaks.
I couldn't tell you the last time someone built a masonry chimney in new construction unless they wanted a rustic wood fireplace.

As you know, most power venters are jammed in the basement ceiling between the floor joists. They typically vent through the sill making access difficult. They vent at ground level. Fumes during your backyard cookout. Snow becomes an issue. Code becomes an issue with distances to window openings. Draft proving switches are a common ailment along with plugged draft proving tubes. Properly servicing a PV can easily add another half hour to an annual tuneup. Techs are usually under the gun to get their minimum number of daily service calls completed. The first thing slighted tends to be the PV. There's no way in which mechanical draft is superior to natural draft.

Let's argue some more.

Not arguing at all, just giving the OP a more economical option & clearing up some misinformation. Like it or not the majority of the industry has moved to power ventilation, especially in LP & NG applications.