Creosote build up on chimney cap help

[Mustang71]

I have an englander epa wood furnace. I have no issues with creosote in my chimney. I clean it every year and get very little out but the cap gets really bad. It's like when hot hits cold air it condenses. I could clean the cap once a month. Is this normal? I've been burning wood for 8 years and I always get worried about the cap lighting off. Occasionally you will see an ember glowing on a windy night in the cap. Do I need a high wind cap or something to block the wind?

 

[savageactor7]

I would take the chimney cap off.

 

[moresnow]

What cap brand are you using? With screen or without? If you are using a screen.... Remove it.

 

[Sandhill Crane]

There are different styles.
Some have screens and some don't.
We have two stoves and one of each.
The screen does build up, and requires about once a month cleaning early on with intermittent burning, and same transitioning in the spring. Pretty normal.
The one without has more above roof exposure. It also builds up but is less visible from the ground.
This one requires removing a section of pipe to access.
All normal maintenance.
If you have embers reaching the cap I would keep the screen in place.
If the roof is bare or has a good snow pack maintenance is no issue.

 

[Mustang71]

When I bought the house the cap on it was a round one with a screen with really small holes that plugged up right away with my old daka wood furnace. I ripped it off took a stainless steel cap from work that came off a 8x8 clay tile and welded it to the base of the old cap so it would lock onto the triple wall chimney. So it's the same cap as a masonry fire place basically.

 

[Mustang71]

There are different styles.
Some have screens and some don't.
We have two stoves and one of each.
The screen does build up, and requires about once a month cleaning early on with intermittent burning, and same transitioning in the spring. Pretty normal.
The one without has more above roof exposure. It also builds up but is less visible from the ground.
This one requires removing a section of pipe to access.
All normal maintenance.
If you have embers reaching the cap I would keep the screen in place.
If the roof is bare or has a good snow pack maintenance is no issue.

Yes if there's good snow or no snow I don't mind cleaning it but last year there was about an inch at one point and I almost slipped off the roof lol. If I didn't have to clean it that would be nice. I think I cleaned it 3 times last year.

 

[Mad Professor]

Normal on the screen. Sucks if it's hard to get to it, especially if ice/snow on roof.

I try to get at it before cold weather, then on times when roof is clear even if not too gunked up. Just a stiff wire brush does pretty good without taking it off.

 

[nathan4104]

I get flaky stuff building up on my cap as well.
lots of people in this area remove caps for the burning season, as the fire is going non stop and we don’t get rain in the winter tee anyways. I’m not sure how ‘legal’ it is to run without a cap, it’s likely required for inspection so should something happen maybe it’s be a way out for insurance? (But what isn’t I suppose…..)
A good hot fire every now and then seems to knock it off sorta. I interesting to hear what others experience…..

 

[Ted Jenkins]

I would have to think that the problem is in the chimney and the burning. Newer wood stoves are EPA approved which mean they are junk. For most part one needs a hot fire at least once and awhile which cleans system. Or the chimney is just plain with poor design. I have many customers who have never cleaned any thing in their chimney in more than 20 years. My current stove is with a cat and it stays clean much of the time but above the cat ashes build up and it needs a thorough cleaning at least once a year. Thanks

 

[Mustang71]

I get flaky stuff building up on my cap as well.
lots of people in this area remove caps for the burning season, as the fire is going non stop and we don’t get rain in the winter tee anyways. I’m not sure how ‘legal’ it is to run without a cap, it’s likely required for inspection so should something happen maybe it’s be a way out for insurance? (But what isn’t I suppose…..)
A good hot fire every now and then seems to knock it off sorta. I interesting to hear what others experience…..

There are times I wake up in the morning or get home from work and there's snow sitting on the cap when im not there to maintain a fire. My neighbor doesn't run a cap but he also almost has a large cloud of smoke coming out of the chimney I almost never have any smoke.

 

[U&A]

I would have to think that the problem is in the chimney and the burning. Newer wood stoves are EPA approved which mean they are junk. For most part one needs a hot fire at least once and awhile which cleans system. Or the chimney is just plain with poor design. I have many customers who have never cleaned any thing in their chimney in more than 20 years. My current stove is with a cat and it stays clean much of the time but above the cat ashes build up and it needs a thorough cleaning at least once a year. Thanks

Wow

20 years eh. Question. Do they ever change the oil in their their mower? [emoji1787]


Sent while firmly grasping my Redline lubed Ram [emoji231]

 

[Mustang71]

Wow

20 years eh. Question. Do they ever change the oil in their their mower? [emoji1787]


Sent while firmly grasping my Redline lubed Ram [emoji231]

We all know lawn mowers come with oil in them that last the entire life of the mower.

 

[U&A]

We all know lawn mowers come with oil in them that last the entire life of the mower.

Sent while firmly grasping my Redline lubed Ram [emoji231]

 

[U&A]

But seriously

Now you can buy mowers with “life fill” engine oil.


Sent while firmly grasping my Redline lubed Ram [emoji231]

 

[Mustang71]

But seriously

Now you can buy mowers with “life fill” engine oil.


Sent while firmly grasping my Redline lubed Ram [emoji231]

Never changed it in my push mowers or all the riders I've had. Now my 68 cub cadet that I own and my tractor with a mid mount mower are a different story. I had a toro push mower with a Briggs that I ran out of oil and it was knocking. I put some oil in it and the knocking went away. That's an oil change lol.

 

[Ted Jenkins]

Then there is this splitter with a Tecumseh HH160 that has not had an oil change in over twenty years. It however consumed a little oil so every other tank of fuel it needs to have oil added. Thanks

 

[Ted Jenkins]

Wow

20 years eh. Question. Do they ever change the oil in their their mower? [emoji1787]


Sent while firmly grasping my Redline lubed Ram [emoji231]

I failed to mention that my chimney has never been cleaned in much longer than twenty years. However I did buy several sections of liner to install. Thanks

 

[nathan4104]

I sweep my chimney a few times a burning season ( every 6-8 weeks say). I get very little of anything, my chimney is completely vertical, no elbows. But that flaky stuff builds on the cap.
I find it’s worse burning Jack Pine (or other softwoods) than our best hardwood, white Birch.
I like the lifetime oil idea, ha! An old hand-me-down mower had old oil so thick in it it was like molasses. But she mowed a few seasons till I gave up wrapping a rope on the flywheel to start it, then the one wooden (plywood) wheel started to delaminate…. But it went to the dump still running! If only I had a use for those little vertical shaft engines.

 

[brenndatomu]

The trick is to find a cap with screen that is small enough to keep the birds out in the summer, and not plug up in the winter...that's what has worked for me.

 

[Ted Jenkins]

I sweep my chimney a few times a burning season ( every 6-8 weeks say). I get very little of anything, my chimney is completely vertical, no elbows. But that flaky stuff builds on the cap.
I find it’s worse burning Jack Pine (or other softwoods) than our best hardwood, white Birch.
I like the lifetime oil idea, ha! An old hand-me-down mower had old oil so thick in it it was like molasses. But she mowed a few seasons till I gave up wrapping a rope on the flywheel to start it, then the one wooden (plywood) wheel started to delaminate…. But it went to the dump still running! If only I had a use for those little vertical shaft engines.

Lawn mower engines are pretty much every where but what to do with them. The make good camp generators and back up for the home. They can run a conveyor anywhere just to name a few. During the winter having peace of mind that if my truck has any issue it can get me started and keep my mini cabin warm. They do not burn much gas and are very handy to have. After a long day and it is five o'clock getting quite dark flip on generator or batteries and lots of light so very nice to see. Then I can do computer work all day long if it is snowing or raining. Thanks