It’s getting chilly, so you go to put some wood in your fireplace to get some heat in your home. After a few minutes or so, you notice the living room getting a bit too smoky. Your first thought might be, “How is this happening?”
Well, it’s simple. The weather outside is so windy that it’s causing a chimney backdraft. In other words, the wind is pushing the smoke coming from the fireplace into your home, rather than out through the chimney.
In this case, you’re going to need a suitable chimney cap for windy weather. In this article, I’ll highlight my three favorite options and explain what I like about them!
The 3 Best Chimney Caps For Wind
There are several types of chimney caps available in the market. Since you’re looking for a high-wind solution, we’ll be tackling the best wind-directional chimney caps you can find.
1. FAMCO Wind Chimney Cap
The FAMCO wind direction chimney cap is strategically designed to eliminate any windy weather issues. You won’t have to worry too much about chimney downdraft or spooky wind-whistling noises.
The chimney cap has a hooded shape that allows the wind to flow above it, rather than into the chimney’s flue.
The wind cap’s mechanism works by spinning according to the wind’s direction. That way, it’ll encourage updrafting, allowing all the smoke to flow upward.
Not only will the wind and smoke be directed upwards, but the FAMCO’s wind chimney cap is composed of 26 gauge stainless steel. The material is ideal for durability and corrosion resistance.
On top of that, the wind directional cap model has several sizing choices, ranging from 5-inch to 14-inch in diameter. Meanwhile, the chimney cap’s height can reach from 14.5 inches to 27 inches.
The main concern that may arise from FAMCO’s chimney cap is that it doesn’t come with a bird screen. The added layer helps prevent any pests or debris from traveling into the flue.
You can still manually install a bird screen inside the chimney cap, but it would have been a nice addition!
Additionally, you may need to annually check up on the chimney cap’s rotating bracket. It’ll need to be cleaned out from creosote to spin properly.
Pros
- Budget-Friendly
- Offers suitable wind protection
- Long-lasting
- Comes in several sizing options
Cons
- Doesn’t come with a bird screen
2. CHIMCARE Wind Chimney Cap
The CHIMCARE wind directional chimney cap is similarly designed to the FAMCO model. The cap also has a hooded shape that promotes updrafts and deflects the wind from flowing into the flue.
The main difference between both products is that CHIMCARE’s model comes with a protective cage. It’ll help prevent birds from nesting in your chimney cap or rodents and debris from finding their way in.
Apart from that, the product comes with a lifetime warranty in case anything goes wrong. CHIMCARE’s chimney cap is also made of a strong and long-lasting stainless steel material.
If you decide to purchase this chimney cap, you’ll need to have an air-cooled chimney. The chimney cap will fit in the inner pipe.
Pros
- Promotes updrafting
- Comes with a protective bird screen
- Made of durable stainless steel
- Easy to install
Cons
- Costly
3. Vacu-Stack Wind Chimney Cap
The Vacu-Stack chimney cap is one of the best options for windy days. The wind-resisting cap can tuck all the wind from going into your flue.
The chimney cap is also equipped to keep out any pests or debris from falling into your fireplace.
The best part is that the installation process is easy. You only need to measure the diameter of your pipe and seal the cap.
After installing the Vacu-Stack wind chimney, you’ll also get maximum protection from snow and rainfall.
Speaking of installation, you can place this chimney cap in single wall, masonry, class A, B vent, and solid-pack insulated chimneys.
The product is made up of stainless steel, giving you the best resilience against any rusting or corrosion.
Pros
- Made of durable material
- Protects from rain and snow
- Prevents pets from entering
- Easy installation process
Cons
- It may require caulking to snugly fit the cap
Chimney Caps Buying Guide
With the large variety of chimney caps available, it may get difficult to choose one. Here’s our buying guide to help you pick the right chimney cap for you.
Type of Chimney
Before getting a chimney cap, you’ll want to consider what type of chimney you own. For instance, do you have a masonry chimney or a pre-fab metal one?
This will ultimately decide the type of flue you use, which will also determine your chimney cap type.
Flue Type and Shape
There’s a plethora of flue types available depending on the type of chimney you own. If you have a masonry chimney, then you could have a single wall, extended, or non-extended flue.
The extended flue type is more versatile and allows you to choose between rectangular, square, round, and oval flue shapes. This information will help you determine what kind of opening you need for your chimney cap.
Chimney Cap Type
Since you’re looking for wind resistance, then weathershield, draft-increasing, and directional wind chimney caps are your best bet.
These types of chimney caps will ensure more updrafts and minimal smoke. You’ll also get protection from other elements such as snow and rain.
Measurements
Lastly, you’re going to need to grab your measuring tape to decide the size of the chimney cap you want to get.
For most flues, you’ll usually want to measure the innermost and outermost diameter of the pipe. In other cases, where you have an extended flue type, you’ll have to measure the area of the flue.
To Conclude
You may not be able to enjoy the full benefits of owning a fireplace without installing a chimney cap. The cap provides more than just protection from debris and pests.
High winds tend to let more smoke in your house. Plus, you wouldn’t want to live in a horror movie with all the wind-whistling going around.
By choosing one of the mentioned chimney caps, the smoke will be able to escape. You’ll get to enjoy a soundless and cozy evening next to your fireplace.
