Ash on the rain cap screen

[MoDoug]

I have screening on my rain cap with 1/2" mesh and ash collecting on it. I wasn't sure if it could have eventually blocked the chimney or not so I brushed it off. While I was at it I tapped the top of the cap and some creosote flaked off, it didn't seem excessive and I think because it flaked off is good.

A couple questions, is it normal for ash to accumulate on the screen like that, or is it an indicator of poor wood or temperatures being maintained?

The screening is there to keep birds out, but would I be better off with a bigger mesh that would be less likely to collect ash?

 

[xman23]

How long was that build up? Eventually it will plug up. You will know it when you get a backup of smoke out the stove door when you open it. Mine was 1/4 screen. It plugged up with gooey creosote in 2 months. My wood was wet. I removed it. We have gotten a few blue birds.

 

[weatherguy]

My screen used to plug twice a year with my last stove and I always burned wood under 20%, its at the top where its coolest. For some reason I get zero accumulation with my new stove and Ive burned wood 25%. And yes, put a bigger screen, just enough to keep critters out.

 

[MoDoug]

How long was that build up? Eventually it will plug up. You will know it when you get a backup of smoke out the stove door when you open it. Mine was 1/4 screen. It plugged up with gooey creosote in 2 months. My wood was wet. I removed it. We have gotten a few blue birds.

The build up really wasn't too long, only 4 weeks or so. It wasn't creosote, just ash which kind of surprised me, but I'm new to having a wood stove and learning things as I go. I know blue bird houses call for the hole to be 1-1/2", I probably could have gone with 1" mesh and been ok. This summer I may take my tin snips and enlarge the holes a little. 1/4" screen would really be small.

 

[Smolder]

Do you start with lots of paper?

 

[Highbeam]

I removed mine. They’re an optional accessory on duravent caps and after one or two plugging events I opted to remove it. No bird problems on the house stove but I’ve gotten a couple in my shop stove.

it is normal to get an accumulation, not an indicator of bad practices.

 

[MoDoug]

Do you start with lots of paper?

No, I've used paper some, but so far it's mostly a piece of fat wood and softwood. I haven't burned trash or any kind of cardboard.

 

[MoDoug]

I removed mine. They’re an optional accessory on duravent caps and after one or two plugging events I opted to remove it. No bird problems on the house stove but I’ve gotten a couple in my shop stove.

it is normal to get an accumulation, not an indicator of bad practices.

Sounds encouraging, especially with the practices. The optional screen for my supervent rain cap is a flat pressed diamond shaped screen, which I thought would catch creosote pretty bad, so I went with the welded wire metal type screen which doesn't have any flat surfaces. I'll probably expand the mesh this summer, and monitor it next season. With 1" openings, hopefully it should be open enough to not clog.