So I found a dead bird in my stove yesterday. Considering the type of stove I have he must have flown down the pipe and made his way into the firebox. I wonder how many other birds are dead between here and the end of my pipe!
ALERT: Dead Bird In Stove
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It happens. Usually you will more often hear the bird flapping in the stove. It's a tough call because if you let it out like I did once, the bird will be covered in soot and you will have a guaranteed mess when it comes out. Easiest remedy is to have a screen on the chimney that prevents birds, squirrels, etc. from getting inside to begin with. The screen will often get creosote/guck accumulating on it since the screen is cold and the hot air will condense on it. I go up on the roof and bang the screen lightly with a stick to clear it every month during the winter.
aansorge
Minister of Fire
hmmm....I wish I could say all this information is comforting LOL. I don't smell any strange odors so that's good.
Ashful
Minister of Fire
On a rare warm day in January 2012, I let the stove go out. Came home from work that day, opened the bypass damper, and heard a faint noise come from the stove as I reached to open the front loading doors. Realized there was an animal (assumed it was a bird) caught back in the cat chamber of my old stove, trapped behind the bypass damper.
Long story short, had to take the internals of the stove apart, to find a healthy squirrel back there. Was lucky enough to get the doors all slammed shut (that stove had two front doors and one top-load door) before the soot-soaked squirrel leaped into our living room, and then spent an evening debating what to do about him. Couldn't really tolerate a soot-covered squirrel getting loose in the house, but didn't want to just leave him in there either.
A rope down the chimney, followed by wrapping the stove in a blanket (such that the only light he might see would be coming down the chimney), coaxed him to find his own way up and out. Following that, I spent about $650 rebuilding the stove, half that cost being repair of damage that the squirrel did and the rest being "might as well, while I have it apart" items.
I installed stainless expanded metal cages on all three of our chimneys, after that.
Long story short, had to take the internals of the stove apart, to find a healthy squirrel back there. Was lucky enough to get the doors all slammed shut (that stove had two front doors and one top-load door) before the soot-soaked squirrel leaped into our living room, and then spent an evening debating what to do about him. Couldn't really tolerate a soot-covered squirrel getting loose in the house, but didn't want to just leave him in there either.
A rope down the chimney, followed by wrapping the stove in a blanket (such that the only light he might see would be coming down the chimney), coaxed him to find his own way up and out. Following that, I spent about $650 rebuilding the stove, half that cost being repair of damage that the squirrel did and the rest being "might as well, while I have it apart" items.
I installed stainless expanded metal cages on all three of our chimneys, after that.
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This year the birds have found my barn chimney very attractive. Four birds have been found in the nc30. Two alive. My chimneys are swept so the birds are clean when I let them fly out of the stove to the open man door.
I burned some pAper to try and make my chimney stinky again.
I burned some pAper to try and make my chimney stinky again.
cableman
Minister of Fire
A few weeks ago we were out camping, came home and didnt notice it right away until i got close to the stove, ugg thats a bad smell. Sparrow had made his way to the glass and must have been bouncing all over the fire box. 2nd one this year, would have made it if we were home! This year is the only time ive had any get in my modded supervent cap.
1/4" hardware mesh wrapped around the chimney cap eliminates this issue. Just say'in -and NO I have NEVER had the hardware mesh load up with creosote. Its shiny, just like the cap.
For the first few years I used chicken wire wrapped around my cap held together with two small ty wraps, after the first good fire the ty wraps would melt and the wire would be off for the winter... I haven't put it back for a few years and I have had about 6-8 Birds,I close the blinds and open the door then open the stove and they fly right out..
Ashful
Minister of Fire
I did the same, using 5/8" stainless expanded metal mesh, but was smart enough to substitute two small scraps of solid copper wire as twist ties in place of your Nylon zip ties. I clip them off and replace with two new, but similarly free, scraps of wire when I remove for cleaning. Not rocket science.
Lake Girl
Moderator
Years ago, as new wood stove owner, I opened the door to load and was greeted by a squirrel. Total panic ensued with two kids and a dog in about 1,000 sq ft. It would have been comical if I hadn't been the one in charge of escorting him out. Once the kids and dog were in the bedroom, he settled down long enough to find the open door. A cage/screen is pretty valuable!
My intention was to have them melt and the wire shroud fall off, worked perfect..
Ashful
Minister of Fire
I do not want a spark screen in the winter so if the birds continue to find my chimney then I would have to consider a warm season screen. Pita to put on and take off every year.
Since rethinking my chimney with a paper fire, the birds have stayed out. Maybe they can smell smoke.
Since rethinking my chimney with a paper fire, the birds have stayed out. Maybe they can smell smoke.
Before I lined the chimney it was a squirrel magnet. I once heard one bouncing around inside. I bent down to open the door, then stopped and continued on my way. I pulled it out the next week.
Scott2373
Member
We use the Vacu-Stack with the the wire mesh inserts. Not only is it a phenomenal product in and of itself, the wire mesh has kept our chimney/stove bird-free this year! First year we've had no birds since we installed the stove!
Ashful
Minister of Fire
Why? Creosote troubles? Icing from burning wet wood? Do I have a rude BK awakening in my future?
Even on the hearthstone with it's very clean burning and high flue temps I would have cloggage of the factory Simpson chimney cap. Clogged with dry, brown, crunchy junk, I suppose you could call it creosote. The entire flue below that was very clean.
The BK makes way more creo in the flue than the non-cat hearthstone ever did. Same wood, hearth, house, operator. It's black and fluffy but will certainly clog a screen at least as easily as the hearthstone did. The low flue temps of a BK cause most operators to experience more flue deposits than a less efficient non-cat.
I do not want any "filter" on my flue to restrict flow and cause trouble.
So Ashful, keep an eye on your flues this first year. The BKs may have a low particulate emissions rate but the low flue temps can lead to creo accumulation.
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