Blaze king and cap problems?? Updated with photo

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kwikrp

Feeling the Heat
Hearth Supporter
Oct 21, 2008
299
SE Mass
I am seeking a chimney cap for my Blaze king ultra. I have a 8 inch insulated interior chimney and I am have poor draft I believe it is due to the cap. The cap that contractor installed was not what I wanted. I believe that it does not have many vent holes enought to provide enough draft. So I am looking for suggestions???
 
Well first you could always remove the cap to see if thats the issue, its cheap. If thats nto it then a host of other factors could come to play. do a search youll find them all. however if you find that it is the cap there are a variety of people that make drfat inducing caps..they all look kinda strange to me but they could work. also there is a company (I think one of the members or moderators here) that make stainless extensions for chimneys and they look pretty nice. howevre either of those options are spendy. would you entertain fabricating one yourself? otherwise you good loook on a website like chimneylinerdepot.com or other comparable liner supplier websites, they have a bunch as well.

mind if i ask for a picture of the cap and or a drawing, better description? like how big, size holes etc.
 
And a lot of folks would be curious as to why you feel you need more draft.
 
whenever I open the door I am getting and increasing amount of smoke coming out from the door and from the stove pipes. I called blaze king and the tech support tech told me that after going through a check list came to the conclusion that the cap maybe clogged up it has a make shift spark arrestor that the contractor just wrapped some wire around it to make a spark arrestor. I was figuring that if I have to get someone up on the roof to check the cap then may just have him replace it with a better one.
 
It is possible the cap is plugged but not necessarily. The only way to know is to look at the cap. I wouldn't race to change the cap either as most times it won't make a lot of difference or at least it has not from our experience.

For sure if you are getting smoke when opening the firebox door there is something wrong. Here is something you might try: before opening the firebox door, open the draft full open. Then wait a couple of minutes before opening the door. When you do open it, open it very slowly as if some animal might escape from there. This many times takes care of that problem.
 
kwikrp said:
whenever I open the door I am getting and increasing amount of smoke coming out from the door and from the stove pipes. I called blaze king and the tech support tech told me that after going through a check list came to the conclusion that the cap maybe clogged up it has a make shift spark arrestor that the contractor just wrapped some wire around it to make a spark arrestor. I was figuring that if I have to get someone up on the roof to check the cap then may just have him replace it with a better one.


What part of the pipe? this really shouldnt happen. smoke roll out from the door would suggest drafting issue. What sort of 'wire' are you referring too? expanded metal? tie wire? Do you have a liner? maybe even the standard issue caps from a big box store would work as both a cap and pest/spark protector. however if this cap or wire is cogged you might want to look at the flue/liner as well.
 
it is a new stainless flexiliner it was installed new last spring. The wire that the contractor used is the same wire that was used to cover over the insulation on top off the liner. It is smoking from the horizontal pipe that connects to the thimble. it is all double walled.
 
Look into a vacu-stack chimney cap.It's designed to help with the draft.
 
kwikrp said:
I am seeking a chimney cap for my Blaze king ultra. I have a 8 inch insulated interior chimney and I am have poor draft I believe it is due to the cap. The cap that contractor installed was not what I wanted. I believe that it does not have many vent holes enought to provide enough draft. So I am looking for suggestions???

The obvious test is to remove the cap and see if the problem goes away. If it doesn't, it's not your cap, and either your flue or your wood (the classics).

If you want advice beyond that, please post pictures of your setup. Otherwise, and a wise man said, we are throwing nerf balls in a windstorm.
 
Rich L said:
Look into a vacu-stack chimney cap.It's designed to help with the draft.

I did, and it's interesting. I see it only helps when the wind is blowing, by preventing downdrafts and turning the wind into suction. Have you tried it?
 
I AM GOING TO TRY ON CANT HURT CAN ONLY HELP ? bUT i AM GOING TO HAVE THE CHIMNEY INSPECTED AND CLEANED.
 
Dennis - This thread has me concerned: I've got a ~13' insulated SS liner, almost a straight shot up. With my draft wide open and my damper bypass pulled out (opening a straight shot up the liner), when I open the door I'm ok. But when I slowly pull the door open I still get puffs of smoke coming into the room - sometimes large puffs.

This happens pretty much everyday.

Does this mean I have a problem with the draft? It's worst when wood is smoldering or on fire close to the door, which seems natural, but it happens pretty much all the time unless the fire is roaring (i.e. only time it doesn't happen is when fire is 500+ degrees).
 
RenovationGeorge said:
Rich L said:
Look into a vacu-stack chimney cap.It's designed to help with the draft.

I did, and it's interesting. I see it only helps when the wind is blowing, by preventing downdrafts and turning the wind into suction. Have you tried it?
Yes I have one.It has increased my draft and reduced my spillage.
 
Rich L said:
RenovationGeorge said:
Rich L said:
Look into a vacu-stack chimney cap.It's designed to help with the draft.

I did, and it's interesting. I see it only helps when the wind is blowing, by preventing downdrafts and turning the wind into suction. Have you tried it?
Yes I have one.It has increased my draft and reduced my spillage.

Thanks Rich! All the time, or just on windy days?
 
It was a blocked cap. They wrapped the screen so tight and multiple times that it got clogged. Took screen off and problem solved. Thanks Everyone !!
 
The cap was blocked due to the screen.BUT Now it started all over again. I have been burning seasoned hardwoods through a blaze king. I thought that throught the cat that there would be very little build up. What is causing this issue again. Sometime I feel that the draft is extremely strong and can actually see it pulling the door closed. Maybe its just in my head. I do Burn it very hot for an hour every once in a while almost every night except the last few because it has been so mild !!
 
suggestions please??
 
any suggestions ? bump
 
all hail ye blaze king, or whatever. sorry not much constructive suggestions here, good luck
 
If your local code doesn't require a spark arrestor, don't have a spark arrestor. If it does require one, it sounds like yours is obviously not doing the job. I think you mentioned the mesh was wrapped around several times. Remove layer(s) until you have only one remaining. You just need to slow down/stop larger embers, not contain a Gorilla.
 
I have completely removed the screen! i THOUGHT THAT WOULD SOLVE THE PROBLEM BUT AFTER SEVERAL WEEKS IT STARTED AGAIN !
 
Time for a pic of said dirty cap, dude.
 
If it happened again, it sounds like your liner needs to be cleaned. That 'seasoned' wood you have been burning may not have been seasoned enough. Wet wood = cleaning once per month.
 
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