Chimney cap

[Jon]

Hi...for those of you who burn wood for heat. I have a wood stove with a stainless steel chimney.

I have had a problem over the last week that the chimney cap on the bottom has fallen off and therefore messed up the draft, causing smoke to enter my house. No I did notice that alot of creoset (sp) had fallenon the cap and I think that caused it to fall off.

Two questions.

1. Should I be removing the cap every couple of days and knocking out the stuff? I am going to be cleaning the chimney in the next couple of days.

1. Should the cap be falling off at all? Is there way of securing that on so it doesn't fall. I recently bought the house (~6 mths ago), and the chimeny has been in the house for a while > 10years. Is there newer method of securing that now?

Thanks Jonathan

[Colbyt]

I don't have a lot of experience with metal chimneys. Friction fit is all I have seen. Sounds like it worked as designed since it called a major problem to your attention.

Chimneys that service a wood stove should be cleaned at least once per year. Slow smoky fires may require more.

Chimney fires are a lot like a rocket taking off inside your home. I suggest you clean the thing before you burn again. And then either burn a hot fire

20 minutes per day or check it monthly.

Best wishes.

Colbyt

[George E. Cawthon]

Not sure if you are serious or what you mean by "the cap on the bottom." The cap on a metal chimney is always at the tops to keep rain, snow, and animals out of the stove. Perhaps if you explained exactly where this piece is in your chimney we could answer your question. But, you should not have to do any maintenance on your stove pipe more often that once every 2 months no matter how poorly your stove burns.

[Joseph Meehan]

It sounds like you have some serious (dangerous) problems and it is time to call in a profession and get things straightened out.

[Ian]

The Chimney cap on my chimney is secured with sheet metal screws. I have a piece of flat steel with a hole in it and a flange. the liner comes through the hole and the cap is attached to the liner with screws. The flat metal piece is actually just caulked to the original chimney flu. All supplies were bought from the wood stove store where I bought the stove. Once a year I remove the cap and clean the flexible SS liner. I have one of those stiff brushes with a piece of rope tied to each end. My son pulls one piece of rope through the wood stove which pulls the brush down the liner and then I (standing on the roof) pull the other piece to pull the brush back up. We repeat this a few times, then replace the cap and I'm done.

[Bill]

Here is a catalog of new SS chimney parts...

[Jon]

[barry]

All parts of the pipe should be solidly attached. With something like bayonet joint or at least (3) sheet metal screws at each slip joint. Because things happen, and house fire should not. That simple.

Strap bracing may also be advisable. Think in terms of having a raging chimney-fire going, with white-hot pipe roaring like a jet-engine. (As I've heard it described.) Under such conditions, everything should stay together, and threaten nothing. (I'm implying also that, given the picture so far of shoddy workmanship, _you_ should check all clearances from flammables, too. That includes lumber behind sheetrock.) Think 3' between uninsulated pipe and flammables.

In fact, you might be well-served by having your fire marshall check out the installation. Often it's cheaper to do it right once- certainly it's safer.

J

[Joseph Meehan]

[e-mail] wrote: ....

I would agree, as I would guess your insurance company would. Remember your insurance will not replace someone who dies or make everything whole again. Money can't do that.