Chimney Cap For Top-Down Cleaning


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Old 06-13-19, 04:06 PM
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Chimney Cap For Top-Down Cleaning

I have a double flue chimney and I want to cover it with a top or outside mount stainless steel cap. This is to replace two galvanized metal caps that were making an unsightly mess. I have to climb up on the roof twice a year to clean the chimney from the top because I burn with wood from fall to spring. There is too much of an angle that is difficult to reach for cleaning from the bottom. If I permanently mount a top mount cap with a removable lid, will I be able to clean out the chimney using a brush and rods without damaging the cap? Is there a way to install a top mount so that the whole thing can be easily removed for cleaning? Is a side mount easier to remove? They seem to cost more though. Or would it be best to get two flue-mount caps? I already know they aren't a problem to remove but they look disheveled. Thanks for your help.
Martha
 
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Old 06-13-19, 05:18 PM
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I would look at it on a case by case basis. If there is a cap you like appearance wise but are concerned about removal for cleaning I would look to see if it's held together with rivets. Before installing you can drill out the rivets and replace them with stainless steel bolts, screws or pins to make the cap easier to open up for cleaning.
 
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Old 06-13-19, 05:38 PM
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Thanks, but caps come with removable tops. That wasn't my concern. If I remove the lid to clean, will I damage the rest of the cap? I don't know how easy these things are to bend and break. Would I be better off removing the whole thing first? If so, is there a way to install a top mount so that the whole thing can be easily removed? Is a side mount easier to remove? Or should I get two flue-mount caps? What do people do when they have to clean top down?
 
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Old 06-14-19, 02:45 AM
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What do people do when they have to clean top down?
I always clean my chimneys from the top down. Mine have several inches of flue liner that extend past the top of the masonry so it's no big deal to remove the 'cap' to run a brush down the flue.

A pic or a link to your proposed cap would help us better understand what you have and how it would work.
 
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Old 06-14-19, 04:47 AM
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"...If I remove the lid to clean, will I damage the rest of the cap?..."

Yes, the cap can be removed on most. Many caps are riveted together. Pick one you like the appearance of. If it has bits you think might get damaged like the screen then you can drill out the rivets holding it in place and replace with stainless steel hardware so it can be removed when you clean.

On a previous house it's chimney cap's top was removable but it left the frame and screen in place which made it just tall enough to be difficult to clean. So. I used stainless steel nuts and bolts to attach the cap to the frame. Then I drilled out the rivets holding the screen and frame uprights to the base. Then instead of removing just the cap when I cleaned I removed everything from the base frame up. I used stainless steel TIG welding filler rod as pins that I threaded through the drilled out rivet holes to attach the upper removable part to the base that stayed attached to the chimney.
 
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Old 06-14-19, 06:52 PM
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I think I got it; I rig it so I can remove the frame, screen and lid from the base, which can then be fixed permanently to the crown? You lost me here, though: "So. I used stainless steel nuts and bolts to attach the cap to the frame." Isn't the frame part of the cap, as well as the screen and lid?
I'm afraid mine might be just tall enough to make cleaning difficult as well. That's why I was afraid of damaging the screen/frame. You'd think they would manufacture one where the base fixes permanently to the crown and the rest can be removed.
I looked closely at pics and it looks like the screen may be welded to the bottom frame so it may not be removable.
 

Last edited by mmorris1; 06-14-19 at 07:12 PM.
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Old 06-14-19, 07:03 PM
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It was no problem to remove the cap when I was using two caps that mounted to the flues. I want one top mount cap that will cover most of the chimney crown but they all seem to fix permanently to the crown. I'm thinking about something like this: https://www.efireplacestore.com/cpf-...m=Jun-148-9477
I'd prefer a side (outside) mount but they are much pricier.
 
 

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