Quite often, you can see a cap on the chimney pipe on the roofs of private houses. There are many different opinions about this detail, so let’s figure out why it is needed at all, and how much its decorative function echoes the protection of the channel from precipitation and debris. Plus, let’s consider whether installing attic ladder in Yeovil with a cap over the chimney can affect the draft of the pipe.
The functional purpose of the chimney cap
Sometimes the design of chimney caps is so intricate that they become a real masterpiece of architectural art. However, mistakes made during the installation of the cap can lead to a decrease in draft, up to the point of smoke filling the home.
In the most general sense, the chimney cap replacement in Yeovil is intended to serve as a barrier to rainwater, snow, or debris getting into the pipe channel, as well as nesting birds. Even the simplest umbrella on the pipe will protect against these negative aspects, plus, it will make the roof look neater.
Regardless of the design of the structure and its cost, the chimney cap performs the following functions:
- Ensures the chimney is clean, preventing clogging and moisture ingress;
- Protects the brickwork of the protruding part of the pipe from premature destruction, leveling out temperature differences and the adverse effects of atmospheric phenomena;
- Prevents the influence of gusty, hurricane-force winds on the movement of air in the system, preventing it from blowing into the pipe.
However, not everyone considers a chimney hood a necessary element of the heating system, considering its disadvantages too significant. For example, if the chimney channel narrows as a result of replacing the hood, this affects the performance of the entire heating system, and in the most extreme cases can lead to the filling of the home with combustion products, the most dangerous of which is carbon dioxide.
Arguments against replacing a chimney cap
As a rule, a cap on a brick chimney rises on the roofs of houses in a summer cottage village, almost never found in villages. This is due to the fact that such an architectural element has disadvantages, knowing about which, pragmatic villagers refuse additional expenses. Thus, the cap in any case is a kind of barrier that makes the draft less than in its absence. This leads to the fact that the wood burns worse, and the smoke moves through the channels of the heating system more slowly. At the same time, the canopy is an obstacle to the release of combustion products, which can create a dangerous situation with the slightest violation of the draft.
In addition, the canopy requires maintenance and periodic replacement, which is not always convenient and safe. In particular, ice forms on it in winter, blocking the outlet of carbon dioxide. To remove it, you need to climb onto the roof and mechanically scrape off the ice. However, the main arguments against replacing the fungus concern not only its disadvantages but its inexpediency in general. In particular:
- Modern chimneys are narrow and rounded, which makes nesting impossible for birds;
- a properly designed flue has a special compartment for collecting condensate and moisture;
- Galvanized steel caps are not durable, burn out within 5 years, and require replacement.
The main counterargument against replacing a chimney umbrella for most skeptics remains the need to bear additional costs that can be avoided without compromising safety and comfort.
Types of chimney caps
Today, developers have access to a huge variety of chimney cap options, from budget models made of tin to intricate multi-level products with forged copper elements.
The choice of one option or another depends on three factors:
- Financial possibilities. You can make a simple cap from galvanized steel with your own hands for no more than 1000 rubles, while an exquisite cap from copper with decorations and a weather vane can cost several tens of thousands of rubles;
- Heating system design. When planning a cap for a pipe, consider its diameter and features. A cap that is raised too high will not prevent birds from entering the pipe with all the ensuing consequences, and one that is set too low will inevitably affect the draft force for the worse.
- General concept of the architectural project and personal preferences. The main principle of architecture is harmony, so on a modest one-story building, an ornate cap on a brick chimney pipe will look bulky and out of place, similar to how a makeshift cap on the pipe of an elite mansion will spoil the appearance of the facade.
The classic chimney cap resembles a house with a sloping roof and looks very elegant. Very popular today are caps with a rounded roof, which can be found in old Europe.
Domestic developers of the budget segment prefer conical canopies with an adjustable base diameter, which makes it possible to make their size universal.
As for the new-fangled forged umbrellas for the chimney pipe, despite all their attractiveness, it is important to understand that they will burn out at the same speed as less expensive ones, although they will please the eye many times more.
Basic mistakes when replacing a chimney cap
The most common mistake when replacing a chimney hood is using a bird net around the perimeter. The problem is that even without it, condensation appears along the outline of the visor during the cold season, which freezes in winter, turning into thick ice. As soon as the ice blocks air access to the pipe, the exhaust of combustion products will stop, smoke will start to enter the room, and the draft will disappear. If the head is additionally framed with a bird net, ice will form faster than it can melt, and the owner will have to regularly climb onto the roof, cleaning off the ice.
The second mistake is the failure to observe the dimensions of the chimney cap. It cannot be larger or smaller than the diameter of the pipe. Its height will also affect the draft force, which is due to the specifics of the movement of air flows. The fact is that the wind cannot raise a smooth roof, and the canopy rising above it serves as a diffuser, affecting the process of air movement in the channels of the heating system.
And finally, you cannot choose a pipe canopy at the last moment. If you plan to purchase a complex, multi-level option, especially one equipped with forced ventilation or a spark arrester, you must provide for an umbrella at the design stage so that the engineer and technical supervision service, when coordinating the project, take into account the technical characteristics of each element of the system. If during operation the stove heating is dismantled and replaced by a boiler, you should reconsider the canopy design, as it may no longer meet the technical parameters.
Conclusion
A cap on a chimney pipe allows you to protect the channel from contamination, and extend the service life of the heating system, but somewhat reduces the draft force. It can serve as a roof decoration and chimney protection, or create a real problem, icing up in winter. Everyone decides for themselves whether to install it or not, based on the characteristics of the heating system and personal preferences.
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