rain cap

[bull]

i have been using my insert that i installed early this year jan - feb didnt run it much . now have been using it some time since before thanks giving . i noticed that when i open the door smoke would seep out a little couple days later alot . got up on the roof took off the rain cap and it was clogged up . it has a screen around the perimeter of the cap . i left the cap off and it is drawing like it should. is it ok to leave it off . it is a direct connect 6'' stove pipe inside a 9x13 flue.

 

[i3bpvh]

you should have something on top to prevent rain or birds from entering the chimney. might want to look around for a cap with less restrictive openings.

 

[xman23]

Most find the screen clogs very quickly. Mine was plugged the beginning of the second season. The screen has been gone foe years but I still use the cap. I would get the cap back on to keep the rain water from getting in. Without the screen you may find birds in the stove. I have only had one. One other solution would be to replace the screen with a much larger grid. Mine was 1/4.

 

[begreen]

I would not say that most find screens clog quickly. We do see that complaint here a lot because folks come here with problems. Most of the time it's from burning wet wood. But if you know what you are doing and burn cleanly with dry wood, a cap screen can and should stay clean for years.

 

[bull]

thanks for the help . my wood is not 100% dry but it is not wet or green. burning same wood in basement and no trouble although i am using the regular flue . with no rain cap have been for 12 yr with no trouble except when i got a load of green wood never again will i go green. will put the cap back on with out the screen to see what will happen . with it off it sounds like a train when the doors is open . any other advice . great site and great people for those in need
MERRY CHRISTMAS THE BULL

 

[savageactor7]

bull we don't have a rain cap and haven't had any problems. But the stove has 2, 90° elbows going into the chimney so any rain in the chimney doesn't drop straight in the stove either. I guess it would continue toward the clean out in the basement.

 

[xman23]

I surely burn cleaner now than I did when the cap screen plugged after a year. Now I keep the glass and the chimney clean with good wood and burning techniques. But the cap being cold does get a bit gooey every year. So for me the screen is not worth the trouble. I do need the cap because even with it I do get a bit of rain water down the straight chimney and into the stove..

 

[bull]

rain cap back on , and rain is coming tonight . will see how the cap does with out the screen the screen holes were 1/4 or 3/16 square. they were completely covered. thanks for the comments

 

[begreen]

What are the normal running temperatures for this stove? One thing that helps is to burn hot for the first fire of the day, get the flue up to 600 for 30 minutes and it should help keep the cap clean.

 

[LLigetfa]

Using paper to start a fire can probably lead to screen clogging too. My cap doesn't have a screen but I see large black flecks on the snow when using paper.

 

[cycloxer]

My cap has a wire mesh screen with large opening. I start my fire with paper. I burn to 650 degrees everyday. It has never clogged. I think your problem is a combination of running the stove too cold and the fact that your openings may be too small.

 

[LLigetfa]

My cap has a wire mesh screen with large opening. I start my fire with paper..

Just because it doesn't happen to you doesn't mean it cannot happen to someone else. If the cap is cold enough for moisture to form, particulate can build up like a snowflake does. It only takes a small grain of dust to start a snowflake and it snowballs from there. The flue temps, MC of the wood, and RH of the combustion air are all factors.

There is anecdotal evidence from several people that posted here linking paper to screen clogging.

 

[cycloxer]

Just because it doesn't happen to you doesn't mean it cannot happen to someone else.

Totally plausible. Every setup is different. My recommendation to the original poster is to use a larger opening wire mesh screen as shown in my photo. You can buy this stuff at your favorite color box store and it is real easy to bend up to the shape of your cap and secure.

Before I bought my stove, I used to treat my fireplace like an incinerator. I burned pretty much any and every paper and wood type product with all sorts of colors, coatings, inks, etc. It never clogged my screen. I go up there 1X per year, take the cap off and brush it off in about 30 seconds.

I have seen a lot of people running caps with screens that are simple a piece of sheet steel with openings punched out. They are much more problematic and easier to clog as there is much more metal surface for contaminants to stick to and begin clogging. If it is a real problem, then run one like this:

 

[cycloxer]

I would not use a cap like this. It clogs much more easily. If yours looks like this, then try the wire mesh.

 

[bull]

cycloxer
that is the same desighn i have on my flue. now with out the wire mesh. hope it helps cut down on clogging.

 

[LLigetfa]

I'd be tempted to take side cutters to it and double the size of the openings.

 

[bull]

mine looks like the first one with the witches hat