Chimney Cap Repair

I cleaned my chimney cap today. Had lots of black buildup that was starting to restrict air flow. My wood wasn't quite as dry as I would have liked this winter. In the course of cleaning it, some of the welds that hold the top to the grate failed. This is the chimney cap I'm using. I was curious if I could use solder to secure the grate to the top. Should I just get a new cap? This is was new last August.

pen said:

In the meantime, are you securing wood for next winter so you are sure to stay ahead of the game?

Did you sweep the rest of the chimney? If not and you need help doing it, this place can help since it sounds like it needs doing.

pen

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I've already got next year's wood split. It's douglas fir, so it dries in roughly 6 months I'm told.

I've got a Sooteater chimney cleaning tool. I've not used it yet, maybe I will tomorrow. I know I need to take the baffle out of my insert in order to clean it. So I'll need to find out how to do that first.

begreen said:

Just reach up and pull the back pin that holds in the baffle. Then lift the baffle up in back to clear the secondary air tube that inserts inside the baffle. Once clear, slide the baffle forward and tip it sideways to get it past the support rails. Be careful, it is heavier than it looks. Stuff a rag in the secondary tube in the back to prevent sweeping debris from falling down into it. After sweeping remember to remove this rag before putting the baffle back in. Note: there is a gasket around this secondary tube that will need replacing. Get one (or several) from your PE dealer before starting.

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Thanks begreen, I had already removed it and ran the SootEater up the liner this morning before I read this. I found a video on Pacific Energy's site detailing how to remove the baffle. The pin was a lot harder to remove than they made it look. In the video, he simply pulls it out with his fingers. I had to use a vise grip on it to twist and pop it loose. Once that was out, the baffle was pretty easy to remove.

Here's the video that Pacific Energy linked to, in case anyone else needs this info. You will need a program to play that file, since it's an flv. Normally those are played in the browser using Flash Player. VLC Media Player will play it.

I did not check the gasket while I was in there. Is that something that has to be replaced every time the baffle is removed? I've read that it tears easily.

The SootEater didn't knock anything down until it got to the top, within about 1' of the cap. That's where some black flaky buildup came down. Was only a small amount, maybe 1 cup. I was worried that because my cap had so much buildup, there'd be a lot inside the liner as well, but that was not the case.

I contacted Chimney Liner Depot regarding the cap failing. They asked for a photo of the cap, and then sent me out a new cap at no cost.