Spark Arrestor?
- Thread starter Gareth96
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Highbeam
Minister of Fire
I bought my simpson chimney cap without a screen to be used above my princess and a comp roof with woods about 75 yards away. I have two screenless chimney caps and have never had a bird come down the flue. The screen is not there to help, in fact it can only hurt, stove performance. It is there to prevent fires. How many centuries have we had open top masonry chimneys? I feel the risk is extremely low of starting a fire on your roof or from a floating ember. The modern woodstove does not allow much chance for floatables to make it to the cap.
You have to decide if you can tolerate the risk. See if your insurance company requires it or if your AHJ requires it.
You have to decide if you can tolerate the risk. See if your insurance company requires it or if your AHJ requires it.
Well we install many wit out screens but we have started putting them on most because the damn starlings here like to make nests in chimneys by dropping stuff down it until it hangs up and they can make a nest at the top. It is a real problem in some areas.
fire_man
Minister of Fire
We met 3 little brown bats up close and personal. The flue cap/screen put an end to their visits.
then it would just be a screen no sparks to arrest lol. Some areas require spark arresters near us especially properties that back up to a state park.
Hogwildz
Minister of Fire
Put a screen with 1/2" to 3/4" openings, and burn dry wood properly, and you won't have any problems with performance.
chemical_man
Member
My brother-in-law's installer put a cap on without a screen. The cousins were playing in the basement and after a while they came up claiming that there was a ghost down there. Of course, we brush it off, there are no ghosts here. They came back a while later with the same story, we go down and after 10 minutes we heard their ghost. It was coming from the stove, he opens it and a bird flies out! We managed to get it outside. It happened a second time, there is now a screen up there.
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