Cap mesh clogged in a week due to lighting with paper

[CarbonNeutral]

I checked my mesh a week ago as I had an issue last year with it closing up. All fine. These last few days smoke has been coming back in the room on reload, so up again to the roof - the mesh was almost completely clogged.

It's paper that's causing this - as I brushed it the chunks of burnt paper came out - you could almost make out the writing on some of it. The rest of the pipe looks fine. We're still burning pine as the days have been warm (40-50), so a few sheets of paper and away it goes. Going to have to rethink that.

It amazed me how quickly it clogged - I guess all it needs is one blockage, then the paper just builds out from there.

I don't really want to remove the mesh, so I guess I'll either be up there more regularly or not use paper....

 

[madison]

A neighbor of mine who has been a fire chief as long as I've known him, said cardboard and paper burning are the leading ignitors of chimney fires. Add clogged screens to the list.

Only a quarter Super Saver , kindling and small splits work with my draft. I imagine if you have a marginal draft situation, you need to heat up the stack in some way other than without paper products.

 

[CarbonNeutral]

My draft is good luckily - plenty long, insulated liner - I was just being cheap....

 

[madison]

My draft is good luckily - plenty long, insulated liner - I was just being cheap....

I purchased the large box of super's a cpl yrs ago, and it is still three quarters full, i had used fatwood back when we had fireplaces. the cedars light easier and burn longer.

I've turned some of my longtime wood burning fishing friends out west onto them, and they are now converts. (they make great gifts)

 

[billb3]

sheesh, how much paper are you using ?
printing dollar bills in the basement again ?


It does tend to fly though, specially if you have a lot of draft.

 

[myzamboni]

don't use the top-down method if you are lighting pine (I'm guessing you are).

 

[CarbonNeutral]

sheesh, how much paper are you using ?
printing dollar bills in the basement again ?


It does tend to fly though, specially if you have a lot of draft.

Printed Jefferson on my Lincolns, dammit...

I actually only use a page or two from small local papers....

 

[firefighterjake]

Interesting . . . I use paper all the time with zero issues . . . of course different stoves and different drafts most likely can make quite the difference.

Perhaps for you this might be a good case for using commerically available starters . . . such as . . . wait for it . . . Thomas' Super Cedars.

 

[madison]

Interesting . . . I use paper all the time with zero issues . . . of course different stoves and different drafts most likely can make quite the difference.

Perhaps for you this might be a good case for using commerically available starters . . . such as . . . wait for it . . . Thomas' Super Cedars.

jake is your cap screened ?

also i believe my fire chief friend said that colored paper tends to burn less completely or quickly, and would end smoldering on folks roofs or stuck to screened caps? What is your opinion?

 

[joefrompa]

Is your draft and flue really that easy for paper to go up the whole thing without burning? Wowser.

Consider a bigger mesh screen?

I'd think you'd want to do bottom-up procedure to launch the fire and use regular newspaper or paper stock (i.e. printer paper).

 

[Badfish740]

Interesting . . . I use paper all the time with zero issues . . . of course different stoves and different drafts most likely can make quite the difference.

Perhaps for you this might be a good case for using commerically available starters . . . such as . . . wait for it . . . Thomas' Super Cedars.

I was going to say the same thing. I have a good strong draft and no mesh on my cap though. Still, the paper doesn't seem to ever make it up the chimney-and in the interest of full disclosure I have access to literally hundreds if not thousands of pounds of old newspapers at work so I bring home boxes full of them every few months or so. Since the supply is so plentiful I think nothing of tossing an entire Sunday New York times in with some pallet wood on top-gets a hell of a fire going in no time

 

[Dakotas Dad]

Do you tie knots in the paper, or are you just crumpling it up? I do the roll, then knot deal, never seen a piece even look like it was going to go up the flue, and we do have a pretty good draft situation, 26' total, 24' of it triple wall in an enclosed chase. But if I was having that trouble..

I would use...

you guessed it...


Super Cedars.

Actually, ordered a 100 pack today, because, while I can build a fire from scratch, why? 1/4 SC, some splits, light, done. Heck I even gave up on real matches and use a long butane lighter now.

 

[argus66]

i have excellent draft and have only ever used newspaper to start fires and i use a lot with the top down method and NEVER had a problem at at all ever.

 

[madison]

Interesting . . . I use paper all the time with zero issues . . . of course different stoves and different drafts most likely can make quite the difference.

Perhaps for you this might be a good case for using commerically available starters . . . such as . . . wait for it . . . Thomas' Super Cedars.

I was going to say the same thing. I have a good strong draft and no mesh on my cap though. Still, the paper doesn't seem to ever make it up the chimney-and in the interest of full disclosure I have access to literally hundreds if not thousands of pounds of old newspapers at work so I bring home boxes full of them every few months or so. Since the supply is so plentiful I think nothing of tossing an entire Sunday New York times in with some pallet wood on top-gets a hell of a fire going in no time

No mesh cap may be a blessing, I was wonder who's NY Times I was reading as it was floating past my place... in flames :snake:

 

[Badfish740]

No mesh cap may be a blessing, I was wonder who's NY Times I was reading as it was floating past my place... in flames :snake:

:lol: LOL...In all seriousness I think it's the ginormous baffle in the 28-3500 that keeps that from happening. I've watched the burning paper tumble endlessly as it burns under the baffle with only flames curling around and over it. Brings up a funny story though-we get so many newspapers at work I can't possibly read them all, so when I'm down in the basement shoving them in the stove every so often I'll catch an interesting headline. I've gotten so engrossed a few times the only thing that got me back on track was my wife yelling down the steps "Why isn't the fire going yet? I'm cold!"

 

[wkpoor]

I got rid of the mesh cap the first year I started burning and went to a plain rain cap. Its just something else to have to maintain. Also since I have a 35' chimney I typically sweep from the bottom up. If the mesh where to be plugged I would be forced to get out the 40' ladder and you know it will be 10 below and blowing the day I need to do that. A couple years ago the wind tore off the rain cap (busted the spot welds) and that was even better. Ran it that way all winter. If you burn 24/7 like I do there is no need for a cap at all.

 

[LLigetfa]

If you burn 24/7 like I do there is no need for a cap at all.

No nead for paper then either.

My cap has no screen. When I was using paper, I hated seeing the big black flecks on top of the snow near the house. With all the recycled content and clay fillers, today's paper will hardly even burn. I'm glad I switched to Super Cedars.

 

[wkpoor]

If you burn 24/7 like I do there is no need for a cap at all.

No nead for paper then either.

My cap has no screen. When I was using paper, I hated seeing the big black flecks on top of the snow near the house. With all the recycled content and clay fillers, today's paper will hardly even burn. I'm glad I switched to Super Cedars.

Your right. I keeps dry kindling just for faster restart from coals. While we are on the paper thing. Probably like most people I was using newsprint to start a fire. I think I found something way better and easier to store. Large bound technical manuals printed in only Black on plain paper. My company throws them out by the hundreds. Paper is thicker than news print, still starts easy, and just tear off a sheet.

 

[firefighterjake]

Interesting . . . I use paper all the time with zero issues . . . of course different stoves and different drafts most likely can make quite the difference.

Perhaps for you this might be a good case for using commerically available starters . . . such as . . . wait for it . . . Thomas' Super Cedars.

jake is your cap screened ?

also i believe my fire chief friend said that colored paper tends to burn less completely or quickly, and would end smoldering on folks roofs or stuck to screened caps? What is your opinion?

Partially screened . . . ICC Excel cap . . . has a band/screen, but not totally enclosed . . . which as you pointed out may be what makes the difference.

 

[CarbonNeutral]

I use bottom up, just crumpled. The Simpson mesh is pretty small - maybe 1/2"...

 

[ckarotka]

Kindling and a piece of StarterLogg brand from Walmart about the size of mini candybar and the TORCH. Works everytime.

 

[Kenster]

I use 6-8 knotted two-page wide newspaper sheets, with a handful of cedar sticks I cut myself from a $5 cedar fence post. One post makes thousands of pencil sized starter sticks. The newspaper Knots and cedar sticks are sort of mixed together over some small, very dry oak splits, and beneath all of this are are two or three large 11% to 14% MC Hickory splits. I've been doing the top down start this year for the first time and it's amazing how well it works. And I have yet to see any remnant of newspaper anywhere.

 

[CarbonNeutral]

So, mesh clogged again - no paper use at all - so there you go.

Whether it's big flakes of ash (or bark, I'm using black birch at the moment), or (and I really hope not) creosote, I don't know - it's very lightweight, sooty without a doubt, and my wood seems dry..

As per advice though, I just cut the mesh out today - that will solve at least that problem.....

EDIT: as for the mesh - it was very small less more like 3/8ths (1cm)

 

[thewoodlands]

So, mesh clogged again - no paper use at all - so there you go.

Whether it's big flakes of ash (or bark, I'm using black birch at the moment), or (and I really hope not) creosote, I don't know - it's very lightweight, sooty without a doubt, and my wood seems dry..

As per advice though, I just cut the mesh out today - that will solve at least that problem.....

EDIT: as for the mesh - it was very small less more like 3/8ths (1cm)

CarbonNeutral, I stopped in at the business (Summer Haven) that installed our Lopi with the chimney and he was telling me any (mesh) under one inch squares usually has problems.

He thinks what they installed here for the cap has one inch square mesh.


zap

 

[golfandwoodnut]

I am either going to remove mine or get a different cap, mine was really clogged and they are the tiny holes. I do not look forward to getting up on a 40 foot ladder every year.