Spark Arrestor on Mt. Vernon?

[RightCoastVA]

Have had a Mt. Vernon running flawlessly for a couple years until today. Long story short, it shot a spark out this afternoon (I didn't see it, but am assuming) and started the flower bed directly below the exhaust on fire. Which is crazy because we had a decent snowfall a week or so ago that just melted off (lawn is still soft).

Stove is an insert with a horizontal exit about 8' above the ground. This is the cap I have currently. Anyone know of something I can put over it to catch any errant sparks or do I need to swap out the cap entirely?

As an aside, mulch fires are a b**ch to put out. I soaked the bed down, and even raked/watered smouldering areas and 10m later I still had a repeat. Had to rake/water the entire bed for a good 10m to put it out.

Just glad that side of the house is all cement foundation, but would really like to not have to worry about it.

 

[Ssyko]

a piece of metal screen like in a window. would keep them in the pipe till it burns out. you certainly have a good draft in that stove.

 

[RightCoastVA]

Will give that a shot, thanks.

 

[zrock]

hmmm well thats a first... may not be a good idea to have mulch under a heat source or cover it with something during the winter so its not constantly getting dried making it a fire hazard?

 

[RightCoastVA]

hmmm well thats a first... may not be a good idea to have mulch under a heat source or cover it with something during the winter so its not constantly getting dried making it a fire hazard?

Yeah, in hindsight it doesn't seem all that bright to have mulch directly below the exhaust. I've seen sparks come out of it but they always go out within a few feet so I figured I was ok.

Here's a video of the layout. Everything that's black and wet was on fire before I hit it with the hose.

 

[tbear853]

I'd maybe make a turn or put a tee in and get a few feet of flue either horizontal or vertical then put a turn down on it to give gasses and embers some cool down time after leaving the stove. Vertical would induce a draft too. Is that a single short run to the stove inside? The flue gasses coming out of the stove are hot and fresh and I would expect a few embers in it, especially if cranked up.

I've seen the one they had set up at a local hardware with just a short pipe to a tapered end like this, only his exited maybe a foot off the ground pointed down ... was a Whitfield ... it would spit a burner out often enough. The ground stayed burned there.