wren in the flue

[Mrs. Krabappel]

Growing up, many people on my street had at least one unused flue that birds would nest in. Shooting them off the chimneys with a .22 was a community service, welcomed by all our neighbors. We'd done this for years without incident then one day I shot a jackdaw off the neighbors chimney

You grew up in Europe?

 

[Hogwildz]

Well here again you don't know my story. I'm not taking a chance on a screen getting plugged up on a 35' chimney that I can't get up to in the winter. And the timing of the birds against using the stove in the shoulder season is such it is what it is. So I elect to do the next best thing and let them out. If I had the typical chimney 1/2 that height eccessible from the roof then I might do something different.

6 season burning here with a 27' Chimney. First year, yes needed 2 clean 2x, due to poorly dried wood. I had to own up to that myself. Screen has been fine ever since. with a 1/2" opening screen. I don't know how others are having clogged screen issues if they are burning wood as dry as they say/think it is. Taking a screen off to quick fix a symptom of a larger problem, is not something I practice here. Not saying this to you or anyone in particular, some have those problems, others don't. Just suggesting that anyone having clogged screen issues may want to see what the issue is behind the symptom of the screen, that is causing the screen cloggage. Not up for debating a usual yearly debate. Just trying to inform newer burners.

 

[Hogwildz]

I follow your lead on this one, my flu is 27' and I have 12 pitch roof. Although I do have a screen on this stove my backup does not, this is the one the birds have fun with in the spring. As of today no stove visitors.

To go back to the issues with the long flu run. I was up there a couple days ago changing out a vent pipe for the plumbing and while I was up there I took a look at the cap and screen. There was quite a bit more deposit this year than in years past, mainly because of the warm winter I'm guessing. I gave it a quick bang and a lot of it fell off. My question is, the fellow that cleans my flu has a set up that cleans bottom up instead of traditional top down. I can't imagine when the brush makes it to the top that it will clean the screen and cap as well. I don't think so. Is he responsible for the cap and screen too? I pay less money for the bottom up service but wonder if I should request top down cleaning instead?

Clean it yourself and know its done all the way. Or yes, request top down cleaning. Cap and top of the liner/stack are the coolest and first place crap will build up if anything does build up.

 

[wkpoor]

6 season burning here with a 27' Chimney. First year, yes needed 2 clean 2x, due to poorly dried wood. I had to own up to that myself. Screen has been fine ever since. with a 1/2" opening screen. I don't know how others are having clogged screen issues if they are burning wood as dry as they say/think it is. Taking a screen off to quick fix a symptom of a larger problem, is not something I practice here. Not saying this to you or anyone in particular, some have those problems, others don't. Just suggesting that anyone having clogged screen issues may want to see what the issue is behind the symptom of the screen, that is causing the screen cloggage. Not up for debating a usual yearly debate. Just trying to inform newer burners.

Maybe I could get by with a screen but haven't had one on in several yrs. Once I saw how polished clean the chimney was from the birds I got real lazy and decided to let them have at it. Takes 1-2days for them to reach the bag. When released they always fly away with plenty of vigor. I even accused a few of making a return trip hehehhe.

 

[TradEddie]

You grew up in Europe?

Jackdaws were the giveaway? I bet they clean the flue better than a wren.

TE

 

[My Oslo heats my home]

What the heck is a jackdaw?

 

[bluedogz]

What the heck is a jackdaw?

I think we call it a crow. You know, truck/lorry, all that...

 

[eclecticcottage]

We had a starling in ours a while back. Easy enough to get out. We will put a screen on this summer. It did clean it well though.

 

[weatherguy]

What the heck is a jackdaw?

I had to look it up myself

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Jackdaw

 

[jjs777_fzr]

gotta put a screen up there - but its about 35ft so...I'll let the chimney sweep do it
opened my stove door and found two dead birds and a squirrel
I just dont want to deal with that stuff - gives me the creeps

 

[begreen]

Just imagine how it feels to the critters.

 

[My Oslo heats my home]

I put a screen up over the louvers last month. My wife kept calling me on the job telling me she rescued another bird today.

 

[Scott2373]

Starting about a month ago, we've had birds, everything from sparrows to wrens to mourning doves fly down our chimney on average one a day. Some days we'll have up to three, some days none. Just this morning I had to let two sparrows out before I left for work. Looking at the cap, I have no clue how (or why) the birds are squeezing their way in there. I recently had the chimney cleaned and inspected for the season, but unfortunately one of the techs had a bad injury that didn't allow him to do any roof work, climbing or lifting, or else he would have installed some mesh. He explained that it was a liability for the manufacturers to place mesh in there because all it would take is one inexperienced / idiotic homeowner to clog the mesh with creosote and kill their whole family with CO2 poisoning when the chimney backs up.