Chimney cap question

11 years ago my wife and I had a nice 1000 sqft home. It had a nice little free standing wood burning stove. The chimney cap did not have the screen that we have now. I never had to clean the chimney in the 3 years we lived there. It was always good and shiny. Last year my beautiful wife worked from home. The problem I had was the chimney cap got plugged and when I got home and looked at the stove I filled my house with smoke. So I emptied the stove into the yard. It was covered in snow. So I am wondering if you nice folks have this screen.

I was not here when the stove was installed,but my wife was. The installer told her you don't need it,but it will keep the birds out. I think we need it,but what do y'all think? Thank you for your help in advance.

 

I don't have that type of cap but my screen is similar on my square cap. I used to get a build up with the old stove but not since I put in the Buck stove or very little I should say. I like the idea of the screens for the bird issue. Now that you know to watch just clean it a little more or take it off during the winter and put back on in the spring when the birds are looking for a nesting spot.

 

That looks like a Selkirk cap......the "deluxe". Same one I have, but that one is cleaner.
If the screen is easy on/off, I'd take it off once full time burning starts, then put it back on in the spring like Locust Post suggested.

 

I vote for a screen. Last year when I was feeding my father in laws stove ( affectionately known as R2D2) I had a blackbird fly out of the door of it one night, scared the bejeezus out off me. Then I was scrambling to beat it to the door to the upstairs before it got from the basement to the house!

Here is a picture of R2D2.

Gary

 

I Am Ironman!!!!!

 

I started to burn the epa without a screen on the cap. Then, during the off season one summer, a guest pointed out a bat hanging from the glass door gasket! Can you imagine the smell of an extended/repeated visit from a bat once the fire got lit? Hoo Boy! After removing the bat, I made a screen from hardware cloth and installed it onto the cap.

I also feel the need to caution anyone who has such a screen in place to occasionally check it. My neighbor neglected to do so until the screen plugged up completely with creosote! No, he doesn't have an epa stove or the dry wood they require,

 

Yeah, looks like mine, but mine doesn't have a screen. I get a couple bluebirds in the stove every spring.

 

No screen, twenty years, one bird in the stove, he flew out the back door

 

The cap for my ICC Excel chimney doesn't have a screen. We have birds that get into every dammed thing around here. What should I buy to make a screen? I'm assuming normal galvy hardware cloth will burn through in short order. Is there something tougher made for this?

 

I went with a screen since local raccoons have been know to hangout in people's chimneys around here. I have dual caps, 1 for the wood stove in the downstairs and on the fireplace chimney (future insert)

 

Cleaner maybe, but I only have 2 burning seasons on mine. I'm guessing you have a lot more.

 

Granted, I do not burn the cottage stove 24/7, but I put the hardware cloth on years ago and have had no problems with it as far as burning out, rusting out or deteriorating.
I'm sure that if you prefer it, stainless steel hardware cloth could be found also.

 

I have the same exact chimney/cap. I do not have a screen in mine. It was a separate purchase and I chose not to go with it. It's considered to be a "spark arrestor." I've never had an issue with birds in my chimney or wood stove. I've had wasps though and I don't think the screen would stop that.

 

Same cap, no screen, no birds, I awalys do a short hot quick burn before I venture forth for annual brushing- takes care of any pointed end surprises most of the time. when they build under the rain cap thats another story. Carb cleaner or similar solves that in short order.