I cleaned my chimneys today, one of which has a 6 inch round metal liner in it. I installed the liner last year, and this is my first time cleaning it. At the botttom there is the T that goes into the wood stove, and on the bottom of the T is a cap. I pulled that cap off so the crosote could fall down through. My question is, do I have to put that cap back on? Its kinda difficult for me to do, but I really don't see a purpose. Theres about three feet between where that cap goes and the bottom/clean out of the chimney. Can't I just leave the cap off? It'd be much like a normal chimney.
Metal chimney liner...do i need this?
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Yes, the cap is absolutely necessary.
Your chimney will draft very very poorly with all the cold air entering it form the open cap. If even a small air leak can have an effect on draft, imagine what that would do.
Your chimney will draft very very poorly with all the cold air entering it form the open cap. If even a small air leak can have an effect on draft, imagine what that would do.
hmmmm....I guess I'm going to have to get the cap on. Then it sounds like it'd be pretty important to keep the clean out door closed on the bottom of every normal chmney, huh? Mine don't work too well and could be open all winter for all I know. I'll have to see to that too. This would give the same effect as leaving the cap off the bottom of my liner, right?
I smeared refractory cement all around my cap on the bottom of the t for my liner. When I clean the liner, I simply remove the stove pipe from the t thimble and vacuum out the junk.
As far as the clean out door goes, I am going to shove some insulation into mine as I'm sure it's not sealed very well.
As far as the clean out door goes, I am going to shove some insulation into mine as I'm sure it's not sealed very well.
Air leaks into the chimney will hurt your draft, whether they come from the cleanout door, seams in the connector, or old thimbles.
poooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooook said:
EPA stoves are designed and engineered for a certain amount of air draw (draft). By leaving the cap off your T and using the reasoning "Well, the chimney clean out is closed so it's still a closed system....." just doesn't fly with me because you would be circumventing the EPA stove designed air intakes. Further, using the reasoning that leaving the cap off the T then rain water can run down & out the T therefore puddling inside the chimney clean out instead of entering the stove doesn't fly with me either. A chimney cap stops rainwater from entering! Sheesh!
Shari
poooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooook said:
So, when a homeowner ends up filing a fire claim, they can then quote your jr. high science book thereby ignoring local codes and engineered science?
In the event of an insurance claim the first questions an insurance company are going to ask is: "Was this stove installed according to manufactures specs and approved by local code? Have you made any alterations to this installation?" Yes is the correct answer to the first question and No is the correct answer to the second question.
Poooooooks jr. high science book example would not pass the sniff test on an insurance claim.
Shari
burnwood said:
Any way you could get a section of rigid pipe on the bottom of the Tee to extend the cap down? Probably would have been best thought of before the liner was dropped down though... I assume you have a branch Tee with a removable snout.
I don't think the specs call for it to be glued on, but I think they do say to fasten it to the bottom of the t somehow. I glued mine on with refractory cement, because it is in a spot where I basically can't put it back on if it comes off.
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