Chimneys Caps: Cap or No Cap?

 
Hoytman
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Post by Hoytman » Thu. Feb. 02, 2017 11:51 pm

Based on some discussion and mention of chimney caps mentioned on this thread Coal Burning and Acid Destroying Roofing I decided to start a new thread.

Lost of recommendations these days in favor of having and using chimney caps...aka spark arrestors. I'm not too sure they all could be called spark arrestors. However, the metal concaptions...pun intended...with the wire around them seem to be pushed a lot by fire experts as well as chimney experts. They cite spark arrest, keeping animals out, stopping down drafts or at least slowing them, stopping rain from entering the chimney. Lots of good logical suggestions with 2 exceptions.

1. A better draft without them and...

2. On some folks chimney's they seem to build-up quite a lot with creosote. (Though most of this is caused by the user in more ways than one. Burning too low too often, and lack of proper maintenance, for two (2) examples.

When I listen to modern day thoughts from those in the know I am tempted to attach two of these things to my chimneys. However, when I start looking at all the old building and houses without them, the ones where the masonry chimneys still look like the day they were built, then I pause and think...

...those old timers sure did have things figured out...just like the stoves they created that have lasted for a 100 years and more. Sometimes I just want to say to heck with the educated fire marshals and insurance company personnel...of which my wife are one...He he he.

What's your thoughts, concerns, opinions?


 
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SWPaDon
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Post by SWPaDon » Thu. Feb. 02, 2017 11:57 pm

My thoughts are to use a cap. If you are burning wood or Bituminous, ditch the screen. A cap will stop rain, and can increase your draft and eliminate downdrafts. A cap on mine did all 3.

 
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Post by Sunny Boy » Fri. Feb. 03, 2017 12:08 am

My house has brick chimneys - two of which were built for coal stoves at the height of coal use when the local coal dealer bought this place and expanded it. The third is a large fireplace.

They used slate caps on many of the chimneys back then and mine still have them. The chimney I have my kitchen range hooked up to was the original kitchen range and basement bucket-a-day hot water heater chimney. The thimble was still in the kitchen wall behind the plaster covering. I just popped out the plaster and put the stove pipe in.

The chimney is unlined and still works after 125 years (built 1892).

Paul
Last edited by Sunny Boy on Fri. Feb. 03, 2017 12:09 am, edited 1 time in total.

 
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Post by Logs » Fri. Feb. 03, 2017 12:09 am

I have a masonry chimney in the center of my house. 3 flues , coal stove on one, woodburner on one and a fireplace. I've been burning wood for 33 years and coal for 3. I have no caps and never have. My grandfather burned wood in a insert with steel flue liner and a cap on top. He had problems with the cap getting clogged as you said. Being old and living alone , he would go outside and shoot holes in it to increase draft. I don't have a cap but maybe In some instances they would be helpful. I don't see how they could become clogged if your not burning wood. :)
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Post by Lightning » Fri. Feb. 03, 2017 4:26 am

I use a chimney cap. I don't want rain in the chimney or animals making a home in there during the summer. It's important to use a good stainless steel cap. The first cap I used was a cheap one I found downtown. It actually started to collapse during the second season. If I wouldn't have noticed, it would have blocked the chimney.

 
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Post by coaledsweat » Fri. Feb. 03, 2017 7:09 am

Look at how the old timers did it, slate cap on top of two walls fixed against the prevailing wind IIRC. Metal has no place on a chimney.

 
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Post by scalabro » Fri. Feb. 03, 2017 7:16 am

Use the search function Luke....


 
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Post by corey » Fri. Feb. 03, 2017 7:28 am

Lightning wrote:I use a chimney cap. I don't want rain in the chimney or animals making a home in there during the summer. It's important to use a good stainless steel cap. The first cap I used was a cheap one I found downtown. It actually started to collapse during the second season. If I wouldn't have noticed, it would have blocked the chimney.
I had a metal cap do this same thing. Hopefully this stainless cap last longer.

 
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Post by warminmn » Fri. Feb. 03, 2017 8:24 am

When my factory screw on stainless cap collapsed on my stainless chimney I assumed rust. The wind broke 2 legs off :lol: I havent replaced that cap yet and actually I had stronger draft with that cap on, but I have too much draft anyway.

My brick chjimney is in the center of the house and its one of those that ends upstairs. If it rains real heavy of course it drips down and into my house. Ive tried a couple different caps and one got blown off and the other the wind broke off :lol: Cant win :)

 
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Post by freetown fred » Fri. Feb. 03, 2017 9:50 am

Get stoned W! whoops, I mean, use a piece of flagstone if it a masonry chimney.

 
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Post by franco b » Fri. Feb. 03, 2017 9:58 am

To add to the confusion, chimney pots were once very common.

 
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Post by warminmn » Fri. Feb. 03, 2017 10:40 am

freetown fred wrote:Get stoned W! whoops, I mean, use a piece of flagstone if it a masonry chimney.
I get more scared of heights every year, but I do need to get something like that up there. Even a pail over it in the summer with an anvil to hold it on would help :lol: Hoping to attach a ladder on the roof to do some shingle patching this summer, as that wouldnt scare me as much. The airport north of me is the 6th windiest recording spot in the lower 48, and Im at a higher elevation. There seriously arent any hills to the west until the Missouri River in SD, over 300 miles I think. So I get wind.

 
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Post by Hoytman » Fri. Feb. 03, 2017 10:54 am

I don't think I've ever noticed any chimneys with a stone for a cap. Maybe I can recall just one. Can someone provide a couple pictures?

I'm not disagreeing with a couple comments, but I am having trouble wrapping my brain around the increases in draft that a few are claiming by using a cap. I can understand for wood burning how getting a cap without a screen and/or removing the screen can help decrease creosote build-up, but there's usually an obstruction 4"-5" above the outlet in the form a some sort of plate. How can that increase draft when it has to slow down to go around it? That's not an argumentative question.

Now I can see where some styles of chimney pots could work just like the cap without the screen, but even some of those designs that I've researched, even many pot designs, to me also seem like they would work against the draft and add to creosote build-up with wood?

Of course this is a coal forum and coal isn't so much a problem for creosote and chimney fires that I've read and perhaps not at all. In that case a cap is a no brainer.

I will say this...
Even though my Pap ran the chimneys, on the house I now own, without chimney caps and never had an issue, I have been heavily leaning towards using a cap without a screen just to keep the rain out of my chimneys. I am more concerned with freezing and thawing, spalling of the masonry and clay, and the water mixing with the creosote of my oil burner creating an acid and eating the liners out of one of my chimneys. If you go back to my opening thread post I provided a link with pictures and you can see how different fuels can be on chimneys that are very close in age. It's just one example, but around here the chimneys sweeps I've talked to don't like to clean oil burner chimneys, it seems because it's such a dirty job.

 
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Post by SWPaDon » Fri. Feb. 03, 2017 11:59 am

Hoytman wrote:I'm not disagreeing with a couple comments, but I am having trouble wrapping my brain around the increases in draft that a few are claiming by using a cap
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernoulli's_principle

Hope this helps
It's been discussed extensively here on the forum.

 
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Post by PRengert » Mon. Feb. 06, 2017 4:16 pm

I have a 2 flue chimney with a stainless cap over the whole thing. Been burning wood in one flue for 15 years and coal in the other for 8. Other than some rust stains from the capcons I have no issues and I am up there every year so I know.


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