Wrong chimney cap for dura vent?

[kbrown]

After cleaning my chimney this season for the first time, I quickly found that I hate the cap that is included with the Simpson DuraVent flex liner kit. As you see from the picture below, it became clogged with creosote from our inexperience, but even in the best of burns I am sure it will still need to be cleaned, and for that reason, I hate this cap. I have also had comments from my thread describing my first cleaning experience that this cap is not good for overall operation. Well, after doing some more work on our insert over the past couple of days the neighbor and I came up with an idea for using our old rectangle standard chimney cap that screw to the top of the clay flue. What I was going to do is take the existing top plate and invert it so it will seal and cover the clay flu with the ss liner coming flush to the top. I would then trim the top plate it so it's flush with the outside of the clay flue; then just pop back on the original cap we had when using the fireplace. Wouldn't this provide a better draft as well as having an easier to clean cap? I also included a pic of the type of cap that would be going back on.
Thoughts?

 

[kbrown]

Oh, yea, what was the extra work you ask? Well, I had never trusted the original install job done and didn't like the fact they used high heat silicone so after much prodding from the guys around the forum as well as my own gut feeling, another forum member Capt and I decided to seal it right with furnace cement. However, after tearing it apart we quickly found it was much worse of an install since they used deck screws on some connections and in most cases, the connections weren't even tight! The pics below show the before and after. Took another night and another neighbor to work on correctly setting the flex liner in the adapter to the insert then properly securing it.
On the chimney, they did a sloppy job of sealing the top plate on so off that came this evening and that is what the extra work was! In the picture with the silicone, there was silicone around the top joint; I took a picture after removing most of it on both connections.

 

[greythorn3]

just take the cap apart and the screen easily removes.

Ray

 

[gpcollen1]

Yep, just ditch the screen like so many others have. You may be able to snip those band going around it too??

 

[Metal]

I agree, just remove the screen, but save it for the off season in case you have critter problems. If you go with your idea you will void the liners listing and warranty.

 

[BrotherBart]

I ran that same cap for a couple of years without the screen in it and it was great.

 

[Highbeam]

I currently run that cap without the screen and it doesn't clog at all now. Your inexperience might have made it clog faster but you are right that it would clog up regardless and need to be cleaned several times per season even when your liner is nice and clean.

It looks like you shoved the adpater much farther into the insert as well. It looks much better.

 

[Capt]

Those were not deck screws, they used DRYWALL SCREWS!! None were even in the liner, cept maybe one. Karl, I told you to come look at my cap, it's the one you wanna get. I am working tomorrow, but should be home Sunday. See ya at work!

 

[kbrown]

I was able to reassemble the top of the chimney in the correct manner but did pull the screen from the cap and sealed the top plate to the clay flue correctly with silicone; just in time before the all day downpour today! Now it's 72F outside and not even close to burning weather! :-S