LenS wrote:

On Fri, 26 Dec 2003 06:44:05 GMT, "George E. Cawthon"
wrote:

I'm with you. A screen on the flue is not a chimney cap, it
is exactly what you said. However, erosion of the chimney
cap in 5 years, is possible only if the chimney were
improperly built.

We've lived in the house for just over 5 years but I don't know how
long the chimney cap was there. We're the third owners of a 45 year
old house.

However, who knows what the HVAC guy was talking about.
What he found certainly wasn't due to failure of the chimney
cap, it was due to stuff falling into the flue.

Um...I thought the cap was to keep stuff out of the chimney so it
won't drop into the flue (assuming the flue is the exhaust for
combustion byproducts from the furnace.] I'm really not too bright on
this stuff.

Anyway, since I'm not inclined to climb onto the roof to find out
what's in the chimney (my across-the-street-neighbor broke his hip
falling from his roof) I'll just have to hire someone trustworthy to
do it.

Thanks to you and all the others for the comments and help.

-Len

Hey, you could call the guy and find out what he really
meant. Masons call the mortar at the top of the chimney, a
cap, that is, it caps the bricks. But people don't use
words very precisely and like to make up their own
definitions. Makers of metal chimenys call the attachment
on top a weather cap, a cap, or a screen,or maybe something
else. Brick chimneys with clay flues used for fireplaces
often don't have a weather cap or screen. But if it is for
a furnaces I would certainly want a screen or weather cap at
the top.