Draft issues with stainless chimney

[NSEric]

I have the same brand of chimney and so does my neighbor, we both had to modify the cap on the top of it.
Mine pulled ok draft and didnt puff smoke into the house but plugged up quick, mine's straight up through the ceiling. His is set up just like yours and puffed smoke out the door when putting wood into the stove and really plugged up quick no matter how hot you run the stove.
To test this theory take the cap off and light the stove.
To modify the cap we took an angle grinder and cut the bottom half of the band around the outside of it off, this lets the smoke go almost straight out the side.
I havent had to clean my cap since I modded it, before I had to clean it monthly, it's a horrible cap design. My old chimney cap never had this issue, all I changed was the pipe and cap in my house due to age and then I had issues with the cap.

 

[sean donato]

I'll try and answer your questions the best I can ....
The stove is a Kodiak..id guess it dates back to the 80-90's so it's older pre EPA emissions restrictions .
Chimney is Selkirk brand
I didn't get a manual or instructions with it but I'm sure I could find something via the Internet but I didn't ..I did a lot of research prior to installing it .
I don't know the height requirement for the stove and no I haven't measured the draft but I can actually feel the draft with my hand in the pipe .
The stove outlet is 6" so I assumed that would be the manufacturers recommend diameter chimney size .

Thanks
Ernie

https://www.selkirkcorp.com/en/product/ultratemp/
Down at the bottom of the page, there are a few links for the installation manuals. The ceiling/ attic kit i bought had paper copies with it, but I ended up having to print them out since eit wad very hard to read the tiny little book.

I have the same brand of chimney and so does my neighbor, we both had to modify the cap on the top of it.
Mine pulled ok draft and didnt puff smoke into the house but plugged up quick, mine's straight up through the ceiling. His is set up just like yours and puffed smoke out the door when putting wood into the stove and really plugged up quick no matter how hot you run the stove.
To test this theory take the cap off and light the stove.
To modify the cap we took an angle grinder and cut the bottom half of the band around the outside of it off, this lets the smoke go almost straight out the side.
I havent had to clean my cap since I modded it, before I had to clean it monthly, it's a horrible cap design. My old chimney cap never had this issue, all I changed was the pipe and cap in my house due to age and then I had issues with the cap.

Agree, the cap design is stupid, although I haven't had issues with mine.(yet) any pictures of how you cut it, or did you just cut straight down each side where the "slots" are already located to make them longer?
Edit: this is the style cap I'm referring too.

 

[ErnieG]

I have the same brand of chimney and so does my neighbor, we both had to modify the cap on the top of it.
Mine pulled ok draft and didnt puff smoke into the house but plugged up quick, mine's straight up through the ceiling. His is set up just like yours and puffed smoke out the door when putting wood into the stove and really plugged up quick no matter how hot you run the stove.
To test this theory take the cap off and light the stove.
To modify the cap we took an angle grinder and cut the bottom half of the band around the outside of it off, this lets the smoke go almost straight out the side.
I havent had to clean my cap since I modded it, before I had to clean it monthly, it's a horrible cap design. My old chimney cap never had this issue, all I changed was the pipe and cap in my house due to age and then I had issues with the cap.

I suspected the cap to be a problem from day one but didn't modify it at all .
Iver read a lot of mixed reviews on the caps ..some say they actually help with the draft and some say just the opposite exactly like you did .
I've been burning it every day with some better results after keeping the wood farther back in the fire box when loading it .
It was mentioned by Sean that I may be blocking the draft some keeping it to close to the door and it really helped .
I'm gonna add 36" to the top and a roof brace as soon as my cousin can get me a bucket truck.
I did find some other caps that don't look as restricted but I may just try that modification like suggested and see what happens.
I'll keep everyone posted on the progress
Thanks very much
Ernie

 

[sean donato]

I suspected the cap to be a problem from day one but didn't modify it at all .
Iver read a lot of mixed reviews on the caps ..some say they actually help with the draft and some say just the opposite exactly like you did .
I've been burning it every day with some better results after keeping the wood farther back in the fire box when loading it .
It was mentioned by Sean that I may be blocking the draft some keeping it to close to the door and it really helped .
I'm gonna add 36" to the top and a roof brace as soon as my cousin can get me a bucket truck.
I did find some other caps that don't look as restricted but I may just try that modification like suggested and see what happens.
I'll keep everyone posted on the progress
Thanks very much
Ernie

Is your cap like the one I have pictured above? The offer 3 different caps, after taking a look at their website.

 

[ErnieG]

This is mine ...

 

[sean donato]

This is mine ...View attachment 1229185

Wow, I didn't even see style on their website. Doesn't look good at all.

 

[ErnieG]

I was thinking this one ...looks much less restricted
I wonder if that band around the outside is really needed?

 

[diver64]

I'm having some issues with my chimney in my garage drafting correctly.
I can't seem to get a good draft with it ...I lite it and get it hot and it seems good for a day or so then after that I get a lot of moisture running down the inside of the pipe and it ends up coming out the seems above the stove then I get a terrible smell.
My woods been drying around 2 years now so im confident it's plenty dry .
Its worse on colder and windy days ...I get puffs of smoke back out the draft knobs on the door .
I don't know if the vertical pipe going out the wall is to long at 2' and it's slowing down the draft to much and causing the moisture problem .
Id appreciate any help someone may have .

Thanks
Ernie

Your outside and inside pipe are too long. The smoke is cooling too fast.

 

[diver64]

I'm having some issues with my chimney in my garage drafting correctly.
I can't seem to get a good draft with it ...I lite it and get it hot and it seems good for a day or so then after that I get a lot of moisture running down the inside of the pipe and it ends up coming out the seems above the stove then I get a terrible smell.
My woods been drying around 2 years now so im confident it's plenty dry .
Its worse on colder and windy days ...I get puffs of smoke back out the draft knobs on the door .
I don't know if the vertical pipe going out the wall is to long at 2' and it's slowing down the draft to much and causing the moisture problem .
Id appreciate any help someone may have .

Thanks
Ernie

Use this https://www.amazon.com/Imperial-Manufacturing-Wall-Shield-Spacing/dp/B00702TN3Q/ref=sr_1_4?sr=8-4 with the Imperial wall board behind the stove if you are worried about heat. Before I got too worried about the stove pipe and heat on the wall I'd get a magnetic thermometer for the pipe https://www.amazon.com/JossaColar-T...ure-Fireplace/dp/B0BFFFVJZ7/ref=sr_1_6?sr=8-6 and try it on both the pipe and the wall for actual temperatures. I really don't think that strange bend to keep it away from the wall is needed.

 

[sean donato]

I was thinking this one ...looks much less restricted
I wonder if that band around the outside is really needed?

View attachment 1229188

That's the style that I have on the shop, when we spoke earlier, I had just assumed it was the std cap that you got from them. When I commented it was a crappy design. I hadn't realized there were different styles to choose from.
Wonder if @NSEric has that style or not. Possibly he will chime in and clarify, which cap he has.
I haven't modified mine, I have thought about cutting that center band out, but it hasn't been an issue as of yet.

 

[ErnieG]

That's the style that I have on the shop, when we spoke earlier, I had just assumed it was the std cap that you got from them. When I commented it was a crappy design. I hadn't realized there were different styles to choose from.
Wonder if @NSEric has that style or not. Possibly he will chime in and clarify, which cap he has.
I haven't modified mine, I have thought about cutting that center band out, but it hasn't been an issue as of yet.

I'd guess that band helps on windy days and cuts down on down drafts in the chimney.

Ernie

 

[sean donato]

I'd guess that band helps on windy days and cuts down on down drafts in the chimney.

Ernie

Yeah, zero issue with the shop set up, but completely different stove/ draft control too. All the air comes in under the ash pan, then up through 2 slots at the back of the stove. If the fire is burned way down when I get home I'll try to get some decent pictures of how that draft system works.

 

[woodchuckcanuck]

This is mine ...View attachment 1229185

I had that cap.
Before cleaning






After cleaning it.



but even with a chimney spin cap installed there's still issues.

 

[NSEric]

This is mine ...View attachment 1229185

I have this cap.
Cut the outer ring off about half way up it and it works much better.
Or do what one of my red neck buddies does, throw the cap away and put a bucket on the chimney in the summer lol.

 

[sean donato]

Interesting neither are like the cap that came in the install kit I got. I did just find this style cap. Not sure if it would be any better or worse.

 

[ErnieG]

I'm thinking about just making my own with an old cap I have and I'll weld three brackets that I can clamp it to the pipe with a band clamp

Ernie

 

[sean donato]

Can't hurt at this point.

 

[Del_]

I'm thinking about just making my own with an old cap I have and I'll weld three brackets that I can clamp it to the pipe with a band clamp

Ernie

Run it without a cap for a while and see how it goes.

I don't believe caps are necessary during the heating season.

Here's mine during the heating season: