I'm having trouble removing my chimney cap to clean off some creosote buildup. I had the upper section of the chimney replaced last summer, and the new cap has a different design than my old one (which was held on with a metal band and a single screw). I think the new cap is made by Dura. The installer says it's a twist-lock design and I don't need to remove the screws at the base of the cap's "legs," but I can't get the cap to budge when I try to twist the whole thing off. What am I doing wrong?
Chimney cap stuck?
- Thread starter dstover
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It's s crappy design that locks up lots of times especially if you have some creosote buildup. Pull the screws out of the legs
I took out three screws, but the fourth one is impossible to access from the ladder and I don't feel safe going up on the roof right now. I've removed most of the creosote but I'd really like to be able to get the whole cap off.
I’ve even tried applying anti seize lube to make it easier to get off. They really seize on there. Mine are both duravent. When you try to twist off the cap be careful not to unthread the pipe sections!
I find that you turn it a little ways and it stops. Then you lift it off. It doesn’t unthread all the way like a lug nut.
Of course, get rid of that optional bird screen if you don’t have a local law requiring it and then you can just sweep from below with a sooteater.
I find that you turn it a little ways and it stops. Then you lift it off. It doesn’t unthread all the way like a lug nut.
Of course, get rid of that optional bird screen if you don’t have a local law requiring it and then you can just sweep from below with a sooteater.
Or if you have birds that like to make nests in chimneys. They can be a real pita much worse than a gunked up screen
kennyp2339
Minister of Fire
I have a dura vent class a chimney w/ cap, the locking feature is kind of a joke, what I do is turn the cap a quarter turn counter clockwise then with the heal of my fist I give it a little "pop" to get it off the class a.
I can't get the cap to turn at all, so I don't have the option to "pop" it off after turning it. I do not currently have a screen installed. I installed a screen on my old cap after finding a live bird in my firebox one summer (in time to save it, thanks to my cat staring at the glass door), but the screen required much more frequent maintenance than the cap alone, so I ended up uninstalling the screen for the burning season (about 7 months where I live) and then reinstalling it for the other months. My new cap does not have a screen yet. I have a steel roof and don't burn any paper, so I haven't worried too much about the spark danger. I really appreciate the input here! The videos showing how to remove the cap made it look so easy that I thought maybe I was missing a step. I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who has had a problem getting it off.
Do others recommend the Sooteater for cap cleaning from below? I'm not familiar with that product. I have been getting my chimney professionally swept once a year for almost 30 years, which seems to be fine for maintaining the pipe but not often enough to prevent a buildup in the chimney cap between cleanings. With the Sooteater, do you have to disconnect the stovepipe from the stove to access the pipe?
