Creosote at stove pipe cap

[jzinckgra]

I've got~ 21' of metalbestos then a cap. I cleaned my pipe couple weeks ago from bottom up with sooteater. I can see from the outside the cap is somewhat black but I can't get to it since our roof is too steep. I gor the sooteater as close as I could but don't want to push too hard for fear of popping the cap off. Does it get hot enough at the cap whereby a fire could start if too dirty?

 

[begreen]

The cap is the coolest part of the system. It's at the end of the line and where the hot flue gases mix with outside air. A little creosote there is quite normal.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I think you are probably more at risk of the cap plugging with ash, soot and creosote, but it certainly can catch if given the chance.

 

[jzinckgra]

I think you are probably more at risk of the cap plugging with ash, soot and creosote, but it certainly can catch if given the chance.

I'll have to check with the binoculars. I'm thinking of cleaning the pipe again in a couple weeks

 

[jzinckgra]

This seems timely. I just noticed a couple small flakey pieces of creosote in the snow on our deck. When I lit the fire today I usually use a cedar fire starter but also added some newspaper. In our old house sometimes I'd see some ash and what looked like umburnt newspaper coming out the flu, but this is clearly creosote. I'm a bit concerned about burning more wood tonite

 

[begreen]

Is the screen showing signs of plugging up?

 

[jzinckgra]

Is the screen showing signs of plugging up?

It's not a screen but one of those round crown style caps

 

[jzinckgra]

I think it's a vacustack

 

[begreen]

The cap "should" be screwed on. If unsure, insert the sooteater all the way until you feel it hitting the cap. Then clean that area first, moving gently up and down about 6". Then start cleaning down the rest of the pipe, slowly and repeating passes until you reach the bottom.

 

[jzinckgra]

Thanks. Based on the installers I'd bet they didn't screw it on. Heres the" kid" admiring the view during install. High top sneakers and all. Lol.

 

[jzinckgra]

 

[Hogwildz]

Hard to tell for my eyes, but it does not look like there is a storm collar over the top of the roof flashing.
Also looks like the stack may be slightly higher than needed.

Sneakers actually grip the roof well, and is why some folks wear them on the roof.

 

[jzinckgra]

Storm collar was added after. Roof is 12/12 pitch with about 13' pipe. I believe this is short by~ 2' according to 10/3 rule

 

[begreen]

I'm hoping they added the storm collar and two roof braces after this shot, right?

 

[jzinckgra]

I'm hoping they added the storm collar and two roof braces after this shot, right?

yes. All good there.

 

[jzinckgra]

Trying to keep probe temp under 500f tonite

 

[jzinckgra]

Gotta ask again. I just lit my stove again and noticed a few more quarter size flakes of creosote in the snow. This was from last night's burn. Maybe this is a stupid question but is it normal to see this on occasion? I'm assuming the hot flue gases and velocity is causing a fan like situation whereby the flakes around the cap are getting blown off. I'm going to reclean soon but should I avoid burning for now?

 

[mark cline]

I've got~ 21' of metalbestos then a cap. I cleaned my pipe couple weeks ago from bottom up with sooteater. I can see from the outside the cap is somewhat black but I can't get to it since our roof is too steep. I gor the sooteater as close as I could but don't want to push too hard for fear of popping the cap off. Does it get hot enough at the cap whereby a fire could start if too dirty?

How much creosote did you get when you cleaned the pipe with the Soot eater? What did it look like ? Was it flakes like potato chips or more of a powder?

 

[jzinckgra]

How much creosote did you get when you cleaned the pipe with the Soot eater? What did it look like ? Was it flakes like potato chips or more of a powder?

I got about 2 cups of mostly powder. Some flakes came down from the cap and some in the two 45 degree elbows, otherwise pretty clean.

 

[Diabel]

Speaking of dirty caps and at the same time not trying to highjack this thread. should I be concerned with the amount of build up? It is a very exposed chimney in a cold climate.

 

[mark cline]

I got about 2 cups of mostly powder. Some flakes came down from the cap and some in the two 45 degree elbows, otherwise pretty clean.

I myself would not be worried about it , you are going to get some buildup. As long as its not big flakes , shiny flakes , I'd go with it and check it in a month.

 

[mark cline]

Speaking of dirty caps and at the same time not trying to highjack this thread. should I be concerned with the amount of build up? It is a very exposed chimney in a cold climate.

You need to get up there and take a look , brush it down while your up there . Take some pictures while looking down the pipe.

 

[Hogwildz]

I would be concerned. By my eyes, looks like a ton of chunky pcs laying on to of the lower lip of the cap. Put an eyeball on it and might as well clean the cap and check the pipe up there. If built up, clean it out.

 

[Lumber-Jack]

One cold windy night last year my neighbor lady came banging on my door around midnight, she said she was concerned because she saw sparks coming from my chimney. I thanked her for her concern and went out and had a look and sure enough you could see a light glowing under the cap and every time a big gust of wind would pick up it would blow a trail of embers. The cap wasn't particularly thick with creosote, but I guess it was enough to capture a stray ember that made it's way up the chimney to the cap, and the wind managed to ignite the little bit of creosote that had accumulated there. There were no actual flames, it just burned like the end up a cigarette.
I got up on the roof and removed the cap and brushed off the creosote and looked down the chimney with a flashlight. I had cleaned the chimney not that long before so I didn't expect to see much and there wasn't, except for about the last foot or so, and what was on the cap of course. We had been having some cold windy weather leading up to this incident, and I noticed that cold windy weather cools the top exposed part of the chimney and cause the creosote to develop in that part of the chimney much faster then it normally would. Also the wind seemed to be what helped ignite and keep the embers alive in the creosote on the cap.

So the moral of the story is that it is a good idea to keep your chimney cap clean, especially if you don't want your neighbor lady banging on your door at midnight in her nightgown.
Of course it might not be all bad, it really depends on what your neighbor lady looks like.

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