Birds entering chimney

[jorswift]

Ok all. So this has been my first heating season with the new EPA Summersheat wood stove. The heat was amazing and helped subsidized my heating bill. Even though we are out of the woods yet for temps in central IN, we have had some visitors recently.

I have about 18' of Supervent Class A with a deluxe rain cap. How can I combat the birds? I see that the manufacturer offers a "spark arrestor".

Please advise. Thanks.

 

[showrguy]

Spark arrestors will and do clog quickly, then you have that to deal with..

 

[Bad LP]

Please advise. Thanks.

Don't let the fire go out???

At a house I manage they got chimney swifts for the very first time last year right up to the little fellas flying around the inside of the house. It's a very complicated chimney and so was the chimney cap that needed to be fabricated.

 

[Stinkpickle]

Mine has a screen small enough to keep birds out...but bats are a different story.

 

[SteveKG]

What I did was, for my three caps, formed up some 1/2" hardware cloth and attached it to the rim of the caps. Had to drill a few holes, use some wire. Yes, screens can clog; no, so far mine haven't in some years.

 

[MoDoug]

Mine has a screen small enough to keep birds out...but bats are a different story.

What size screen do you have? I have the 1/2 hardware cloth, that wants to collect ash, I'm thinking about switching it out for 1". My concern is bluebirds, I never thought about bats.

The spark arrestor that supervent sells looks like it would accumulate ash and creosote a lot worse than the hardware cloth.

I posted this last week about it --> https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/ash-on-the-rain-cap-screen.180621/

 

[Stinkpickle]

What size screen do you have? I have the 1/2 hardware cloth, that wants to collect ash, I'm thinking about switching it out for 1". My concern is bluebirds, I never thought about bats.

The spark arrestor that supervent sells looks like it would accumulate ash and creosote a lot worse than the hardware cloth.

I posted this last week about it --> https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/ash-on-the-rain-cap-screen.180621/

I think it's 5/8" diamond pattern, if I remember correctly.

 

[MoDoug]

Never realized bats could squeeze through a small opening, they fly around our dusk to dawn light throughout the summer. That would cause quite the ruckus if one of those got loose in the house. We had a flying squirrel get in years ago, dead of winter at night, my wife was the only one home, that was a mess. Actually it makes for a funny story now...

Anyway, didn't mean to throw this discussion off.

@jorswift, I think you ought to consider hardware cloth about 1" mesh.

 

[bholler]

We use 3/4" expanded stainless mesh on caps unless it is in an area requiring spart arrestors. That screen is smaller and does tend to clog more

 

[Dataman]

I have cleanout outside on my 8" pipe. I put metal fabric in part that goes thru wall. Birds fall thru and fly away. I remove it for heating season (clogs up with smoke from Pellet Stove).

 

[MoDoug]

We use 3/4" expanded stainless mesh on caps unless it is in an area requiring spart arrestors. That screen is smaller and does tend to clog more

bholler, just curious since I'm going to change out my screen this summer, and it won't be a simple job since my rain cap is 11' above the roof line, but is the hardware cloth a bad idea? I have 1/2" cloth, and have some ash accumulation, so I was planning on using my tin snips and expand it to 1" mesh. You're in the industry and have a lot of experience with it, so now you've got me rethinking what I should be using. I don't want to do this again.

 

[Woody Stover]

I think it's 5/8" diamond pattern, if I remember correctly.
Mine has a screen small enough to keep birds out...but bats are a different story.

That's what I have, 5/8" expanded metal mesh. No buildup to speak of if you burn dry wood. Never had a bat in the stove..

 

[bholler]

bholler, just curious since I'm going to change out my screen this summer, and it won't be a simple job since my rain cap is 11' above the roof line, but is the hardware cloth a bad idea? I have 1/2" cloth, and have some ash accumulation, so I was planning on using my tin snips and expand it to 1" mesh. You're in the industry and have a lot of experience with it, so now you've got me rethinking what I should be using. I don't want to do this again.

Galvanized hardware cloth doesn't last long at all. I would get stainless. Expanded screen is best

 

[jorswift]

Thanks for the help. But some temporary hardware cloth up there for time being.

Haven’t burned in a couple weeks. First burn since the birds. Wood stove has an order it seems now. Smells hot, but it’s not. Weird..

 

[Woody Stover]

Could it just be a little dust or whatever, from not burning for a couple weeks?