Well that worked out well!

[RomanW]

My stove has been super finicky the last couple of months, and yes, I'm still getting used to how to run it. But we get some pretty serious wind here (more than I'm used to), and it was causing havoc with the stove. Even had it push smoke out of the joints once on a big gust (While fully warmed up).
Anyways, even when it was nice out with no wind, it never really ran on low very well, and my secondaries only lit up around halfway open. (Escape 1800, with 14' chimney)

Well, I bit the bullet and got the revolving rain/wind cap from ICC, and what. a. difference.

I now burn 5-6 hours on low with pine (3-4 before), and the secondaries are going almost all the time now. I can hear the wind howling out there and the fire just carries on like nothing is happening. Sure, it looks dumb... but hey, fixed is fixed (or maybe just improved lol)!

 

[Newbie78]

I've been toying with that too.

I have trouble with a strong wind straight out of the west. Even a slight bit off-west is fine, but straight west can be poor at times. Annoying, for sure.

 

[GrumpyDad]

My stove has been super finicky the last couple of months, and yes, I'm still getting used to how to run it. But we get some pretty serious wind here (more than I'm used to), and it was causing havoc with the stove. Even had it push smoke out of the joints once on a big gust (While fully warmed up).
Anyways, even when it was nice out with no wind, it never really ran on low very well, and my secondaries only lit up around halfway open. (Escape 1800, with 14' chimney)

Well, I bit the bullet and got the revolving rain/wind cap from ICC, and what. a. difference.

I know burn 5-6 hours on low with pine (3-4 before), and the secondaries are going almost all the time now. I can hear the wind howling out there and the fire just carries on like nothing is happening. Sure, it looks dumb... but hey, fixed is fixed (or maybe just improved lol)!

View attachment 308881

I see someone else forgot to take the label off their stove pipe. Man I thought I checked three times on mine.

 

[Newbie78]

Those labels are important as identification of the product, imo. I just faced all of mine away from easy view, except for the ones I wanted to easily view....

 

[RomanW]

I see someone else forgot to take the label off their stove pipe. Man I thought I checked three times on mine.

To be honest, It doesn't bother me. Noone's on that side of the house anyways lol

 

[barnaclebob]

I have no experience with those chimney caps but I tell people that every single chimney I saw on my drive down the oregon coast had one...

 

[RomanW]

I have no experience with those chimney caps but I tell people that every single chimney I saw on my drive down the oregon coast had one...

I bet they had a tonne of wind coming off that ocean!

 

[begreen]

I see someone else forgot to take the label off their stove pipe. Man I thought I checked three times on mine.

That would be chimney pipe. Stovepipe is the connector pipe inside the room. It's ok to leave the label on the chimney pipe and helpful for later ID.

 

[begreen]

I bet they had a tonne of wind coming off that ocean!

You've got that right. Winter storms can deliver steady 50 knot winds and higher gusts.

 

[vatmark]

I've been thinking about a cap like this as well. We get some crazy winds out of the north and it's pushed smoke back down the pipe and once put my fire out. It is to the point where I won't use the stove when it is too windy.

Can you tell me do you think birds would be able to make a nest in it? We have Bluebirds that end up in our stove every spring. I think they look for a place to build a nest and with our current cap they just end up falling down the chimney. My worry is if we went with a cap like you have that they would be able to make a nest in it. I just don't know what the actual inside of that type cap looks like. Also how do you clean a cap like that? We can't get on our roof so we clean from bottom up. Will the cap require lubrication at some point?

 

[begreen]

Wind vane caps need occasional cleaning and lubrication. Some are better than others in this regard, but with soot and sote collecting on the bearing they can freeze up.

 

[vatmark]

Wind vane caps need occasional cleaning and lubrication. Some are better than others in this regard, but with soot and sote collecting on the bearing they can freeze up.

Thank you. I figured this and why we haven't gotten one.

 

[RomanW]

I've been thinking about a cap like this as well. We get some crazy winds out of the north and it's pushed smoke back down the pipe and once put my fire out. It is to the point where I won't use the stove when it is too windy.

Can you tell me do you think birds would be able to make a nest in it? We have Bluebirds that end up in our stove every spring. I think they look for a place to build a nest and with our current cap they just end up falling down the chimney. My worry is if we went with a cap like you have that they would be able to make a nest in it. I just don't know what the actual inside of that type cap looks like. Also how do you clean a cap like that? We can't get on our roof so we clean from bottom up. Will the cap require lubrication at some point?

It doesn't look that involved. Loosen the nuts, pull it off, clean it and apply ICC high temp lube. Reassemble. Probably take you 5-10 minutes. TBH for me, it's worth it for the benefits I gain from it.

Also, yes, they will most likely nest in it since the top of the chimney is wide open under this vane. That being said, I plan on putting a screen overtop during the summer when not in use.

 

[vatmark]

It doesn't look that involved. Loosen the nuts, pull it off, clean it and apply ICC high temp lube. Reassemble. Probably take you 5-10 minutes. TBH for me, it's worth it for the benefits I gain from it.

Also, yes, they will most likely nest in it since the top of the chimney is wide open under this vane. That being said, I plan on putting a screen overtop during the summer when not in use.

If me or my husband were able to get on the roof and reach the cap then it wouldn't be a problem lubing it ourselves. We will not get on the roof and our chimney is tall so I have no idea how we would even get it down if we were on the roof. Bluebirds show up in March here and again we can't get on the roof to put on screening. I wish we could get on the roof and reach the cap. It would solve our problem with wind. But if we can't reach it, can't clean it and birds can build nests in it then it is a no go for us. All the wind caps I looked at would have these issues for us.

 

[begreen]

A cap with a wind band and a coarse screen may be the best compromise in this case.

 

[vatmark]

A cap with a wind band and a coarse screen may be the best compromise in this case.

Do you have any that you recommend?

 

[begreen]

I was thinking of something like the Supervent SuperPro cap.

https://www.selkirkcorp.com/images/made/images/uploads/JSC-DRC_1920_1819.jpg

Excel puts a band around their cap that may help baffle the wind a bit.
The Homesaver Windbeater used to be popular.

 

[Wildflush]

I was thinking of something like the Supervent SuperPro cap.

https://www.selkirkcorp.com/images/made/images/uploads/JSC-DRC_1920_1819.jpg

Excel puts a band around their cap that may help baffle the wind a bit.
The Homesaver Windbeater used to be popular.

My installer put on the deluxe Excel rain cap with band with no screen. He said it would help with wind. We have had 60 mph winds and no back-puffing this season. Last night gust were up to 50mph and I could hear what sounded like wind echoing in the flue (not sure if the correct terminology) but no issues with our fire.

 

[begreen]

Glad it worked out. That's good to know.

 

[vatmark]

My installer put on the deluxe Excel rain cap with band with no screen. He said it would help with wind. We have had 60 mph winds and no back-puffing this season. Last night gust were up to 50mph and I could hear what sounded like wind echoing in the flue (not sure if the correct terminology) but no issues with our fire.

Did you have back puffing before and the excel cap fixed the issue?

 

[Eman85]

I've been thinking about a cap like this as well. We get some crazy winds out of the north and it's pushed smoke back down the pipe and once put my fire out. It is to the point where I won't use the stove when it is too windy.

Can you tell me do you think birds would be able to make a nest in it? We have Bluebirds that end up in our stove every spring. I think they look for a place to build a nest and with our current cap they just end up falling down the chimney. My worry is if we went with a cap like you have that they would be able to make a nest in it. I just don't know what the actual inside of that type cap looks like. Also how do you clean a cap like that? We can't get on our roof so we clean from bottom up. Will the cap require lubrication at some point?

That's really very odd that you would get any bluebird near a chimney. I have a lot of bluebird houses and they never go anywhere near any of my chimneys. Bluebirds are real particular where they nest and they always want an open field in front of the nest place and a perch with a clear view of the nesting place.

 

[vatmark]

That's really very odd that you would get any bluebird near a chimney. I have a lot of bluebird houses and they never go anywhere near any of my chimneys. Bluebirds are real particular where they nest and they always want an open field in front of the nest place and a perch with a clear view of the nesting place.

We get them every year. We put up 2 bluebird houses so hoping they choose those instead. Last spring I rescued the male from the stove. Brought him outside and let him go. Came back in and see the female is now in the stove. Rescued her as well.

 

[Wildflush]

Did you have back puffing before and the excel cap fixed the issue?

No never got to that point since when he did the install he recommended this cap with wind band to head off a potential problem. I also have about 23’ from stove top to cap on my class A chimney.