Capping a class A chimney for the summer?

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Knots

Minister of Fire
Mar 13, 2013
1,173
Alfred, Maine
I'd like to take the rain cap off the top of my 6" chimney and cap it for the summer to keep out animals/humidity/rain/bugs. Anybody else do this? What do you use?
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Is that 8.5" on the OD?
 
Is that 8.5" on the OD?
Looks like that or a little less. Tough to measure with a fire going at the moment. I'll do a good circumference measure and some math in a little bit.
 
I don't do it, but I have a cap that is on the bottom of my "T", same thread as a pipe section, made by chimney company, I'd use another one of those if I wanted to cap it.
 
I know that on Selkirk pipe, the Tee Plug will fit into the Selkirk pipe, but with this pipe, I believe this is Ventis and the Tee plug goes around the outside of the pipe, and is smaller on the Tee bottom, so it will not fit. You also probable should cover the insulation material to prevent water intrusion inside the pipes.
Since those pipes screw together, and already have 3 small pre-drilled holes in them, you could take a single wall stainless 9" Tee bottom cap ($40) and put it over the 8.5" OD pipe and run 3 screws into it. That will seal it off and protect the insulation also. It would provably be prudent to have a reminder somewhere so you don'y forget to remove it before your next fire.
 
http://www.selkirkcorp.com/supervent/lowes/whybuyimg.html

Decent image of a piece of class "A" that I'm familiar with. Essentially a sealed unit, unlike you're picture with the holes in it. Given the fact that the insulation is sealed within the pipe, there's no penetrations for water to get in, and I have a decent cap, I can't see any need to seal or cap the pipe for the off season.

If I were to cap, I'd definitely need a reminder, as I'm sure there will be at least one cool summer evening that chases us inside off the back patio with cocktails in hand and I'll have the urge to light a fire inside away from the cool air and mosquitoes.
 
Cut a piece of round material and put a couple of bags over it
 
I found a coffee-can lid similar in diameter to the OD of the stovepipe up top. (8" approx) I set it on the stove pipe and reinstall the chimney cap once burning is done for the year.
 
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I use the standard cap that came with chimney, Duravent, no need for sealing for summer.
 
I do this myself. I take the top 3 ft of chimney pipe off to keep a bad storm from damaging it and honestly just think the roof line looks better without it sticking up. I was a sheetmetal fabricator once upon a time so I just whipped up a snug cap on my own. But a local hvac or sheetmetal shop should be able to make you a cap easily for pretty cheap if you cant find something that works. Round duct pipe cap or even aluminum cake pan might fit nicely. Just don't forget to put the chimney cap on in the fall......
 
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