Wondering how to get the most out of your fireplace or wood stove? Woodheat.org has some excellent tips on burning wood correctly to improve efficiency reduce air pollution. In these excellent articles you'll learn about how wood burns so you have a better understanding of how to make wood burning work best for you. 

A Concise Guide to High Performance Woodburning
How to Build and Maintain a Wood Fire

Natural Air Conditioning?

Problem:

We have a two story open format log cabin. It has a wood burning stove on the first floor. This question is not about the stove! In the summer, when it is 90 degrees downstairs it is 110 upstairs. On a Scouting campout, one of the Scout leaders said what I needed was a flue in the roof to allow for natural air conditioning. Air would come in thru the downstairs windows and doors and go out the top. Your product, set on top of a raised frame that would make it think it was on a chimney top, looks like it would work perfectly. And we could control it from inside the cabin. Natural air conditioning has a nice ring to it. What do you think?

Thanks in advance, 
Tim

Solution:

We were able to create an ASSC with a custom base for Tim's cabin roof that let the hot air escape and cool his cabin naturally. Great idea!

from woodheat.org

1. It's a renewable energy resource 
   Renewable means you don't run out. Renewable means you don't deplete the earth's resources. Wood is energy from the sun, stored by the tree as it grows. When you burn wood you are releasing this stored energy. In the dark of winter, it's like having a bit of summer sun on your hearth.
   
   
2. No global warming 
   When fuels burn they release carbon dioxide, the greenhouse gas responsible for global warming. Burning fossil fuels such as oil and natural gas is like pumping carbon dioxide from the center of the earth into the atmosphere – a one-way trip. Trees absorb carbon dioxide as they grow. When wood burns, the carbon dioxide is released, only to be absorbed again by young trees. Because trees recycle carbon dioxide, woodburning just warms you, not the globe.
   
   
3. You're in charge 
   Stop writing checks every month to the energy utilities. Take control by heating with wood. In our climate, staying warm is right up there on the list of the most important things in life. Do you really want to leave something so important in the hands of a faceless corporation?
   
   
4. No more freezing in the dark 
   The big, centralized energy sources are not very reliable. When a storm interrupts the electrical supply, all the conventional heating systems are useless; the fancy heat pump falls silent, the gas furnace can't work. But the wood stove or fireplace keeps you warm and cozy and safe. Now a power failure is kind of fun; you get to use the candles.
   
   
5. Warms you like no other
   The radiant heat from a stove or fireplace is like the rays of the sun. It warms you through and through. Come in from the storm and stand near the fire rubbing your hands together. It's one of life's small pleasures.
   
   
6. The romance of the flame 
   Sure it's a cliché, but that doesn't make it any less true. The soft glow of the fire is the favorite setting for an intimate conversation. It's the place where friends and family gather to talk and laugh in comfort. Gazing into the fire, your imagination is free to soar on flights of fancy or probe the depths of the soul. Take a break from the harsh world outside – you'll find solace there in the flames.
   
   
7. Raise your energy I.Q.
   Flick the switch, turn up the thermostat. Now, what did that cost? What impact did it have on the natural world? What sins were committed in getting that energy to you? You're in touch when you heat with wood. That arm load will last the day. That log you placed on the fire is a tangible measure of the cost to the environment of keeping your family warm. It's the wood heat way of knowledge.
   
   
8. Heat a space, save some energy
   Well-planned space heating saves energy. That stove or fireplace in the living room keeps you warm and cozy in the place you spend your time. The basement and bedrooms stay cool. Regardless of what you pay for energy, space heating with wood clips 25% right off the top.
   
   
9. Invest in your community
   Spend a buck on oil, natural gas or electricity and you feed a corporate giant. Spend a buck on firewood and you feed a neighbor. Save a buck by heating with wood and you can spend that buck in your community. Heating with wood makes you richer in ways beyond counting.
   
   
10. It's cheaper! 
    We almost forgot to mention it. Wood is the cheapest heating fuel you can use if you don't live in a large city. Some people actually think the only reason we heat with wood is to save money. Poor souls, they miss so much of what is good in life.

Gulland 1992

Article by Ike Johnson , reprinted from Back Home Magazine.

There are several reasons for choosing wood heat over the few available alternatives. Not the least of these reasons is economy. In New England where I live, for instance, 11.4¢ per kilowatt electric rates can give your mortgage a run for its money if you're unfortunate enough to have electric heat. Wood burning boasts advantages other fuels can't mimic: an evenness, quietness, and aesthetic appeal truly unique to wood. There are many who relish the rituals of self sufficiency involved with getting in their own wood. That's not to say that more is necessarily better. No matter how much you admire the sight of a cut and split stack drying in the autumn air, you owe it to yourself to get by with as short a stack as is prudent for the winter in your locale. Here, then, are five strategies for milking the most Btu's out of every stick you burn.


Cut Ahead and Burn Dry
Green wood contains up to 50 percent of its weight in water. The first stage of combustion involves bringing this mass of water up to its vaporization point. The energy expended in doing this does not heat your home. And, while steam heat has its place, that place is definitely not in your woodstove. Worse yet, green wood gives off far more creosote than seasoned fuel, which further robs a stove and chimney of efficiency. On top of that, creosote produces the hazard of chimney fires, which have laid many a home to ash. Therefore, by cutting firewood a full year or more in advance, you theoretically could halve the amount of wood required to heat your home. Buying or cutting two years' worth of fuel may take some up front money and discipline, but it' s an investment that pays for itself quickly in dollars, effort, and safety

Keep It Dry
As obvious as it may seem, let me emphasize that wood cannot dry out beneath a mantle of snow, under a tight fitting tarp, nor pressed three inches into the mud and grass. Many businesses discard used pallets; these can serve as excellent platforms to get each and every precious stick up off the ground where it can dry. Keep stacks of wood separated so that air can flow easily through them. Avoid the temptation to pile row after row end to end, because the wood in the center will not have enough circulation to dry properly. If you have much choice as to where to place a stack, orient it with sun light and prevailing winds working to your advantage. Likewise, avoid if possible over hanging eaves, trees, and structures that can funnel rain onto your fuel. If the stack is against a wall, provide shelter from the dripping roof. Better still, build a woodshed. It would probably take less effort than chasing your windblown tarps after every gale. Here' s a money saving tip for those who do rely on tarps to protect their woodpile from the elements: use old ragged tarps to cover the newer ones and thus shield them from destructive ultraviolet light. Of course, the best strategy for those who enjoy plenty of room is to get all wood indoors before the rain and snow starts to fly. An attached garage or a basement not only spares the seasoned wood from the elements but spares you those midnight trips outdoors in your nightclothes and galoshes, all the time allowing your firewood to continue drying throughout the winter.

Burn Efficiently 
Another great energy saving potential lies in upgrading your stove. While the initial outlay is high, you can be certain that the payback from increased efficiency will be seen within a reasonable time. As of 1994 the EPA has required that all woodstoves sold in this country meet emission control standards. The way most stove manufacturers have complied is through the use of catalytic converters, similar to those in a car. But unlike those in automobiles, catalytic converters in stoves make them run more efficiently, as well as discharge fewer pollutants into the
atmosphere. A new woodstove with a catalytic converter is rated at nearly 76 percent efficiency. Other stove makers rely on "high tech"designs that are specially insulated and engineered to use airflow and secondary combustion to bring efficiency up and particulate emissions down. These burners typically are compact and not quite the performers that catalytic stoves are, but they're not as expensive, either. Compare the efficiency of the new models with your current stove and decide whether it's worth the expense of upgrading. If you're now using a home built variation of the barrel stove, for example, as much as 75 percent of your fuel could be going up and out of your chimney as dirt and heat. Another robber of fireplace efficiency is a clogging accumulation of ash. On the next warm day, let the fire burn out so you can remove those built up ashes. Also keep in mind that a small vigorous fire is more efficient than a large smoldering one, both in terms of heat output and creosote production. 

Keep the Heat In
Naturally, a well insulated home requires less fuel than a poorly insulated one. There is much you can do to control this form of heat loss even after the home is built. You could hire an energy auditor with gadgets galore to come tell you where you are losing heat, or you can try the barefoot test: the next time a cold wind is blowing, take a stroll barefoot around the perimeter of your interior. Your tootsies can provide a valuable input on where heat is escaping.The remedies are beyond the scope of this particular article, but a local hardware store can counsel you on what can be done at what price. It may be as simple as stuffing loose insulation in your attic or as involved as replacing your windows with insulated casements. In any event, try to convert the anticipated cost into cords of wood over the lifespan of the improvement. If you're trying to talk yourself into a given project, factor in convenience and comfort. If not, leave it on a dollars and cents basis.

Burn the Best
Another way to get the most out of your wood is to be a snob; all trees are not created equal. Go for as good a grade of fuel as possible. Assuming 90 cubic feet of solid wood per cord (and remembering that an actual 128 cubic foot cord has lots of air space in it), dry hickory has 24.8 million Btu of energy compared to a tepid 13 .5 million for dry fir. A neighbor once observed that burning poplar in the "old days" usually resulted in pregnancy, referring, of course, to another popular method of keeping warm on a winter's night. Nonetheless, his point about poplar being a poor choice heatwise was valid: given the limited amount of time I had to spend on gathering and processing wood, and the limited amount of storage space, the "free" poplar I was splitting was no bargain. Ask various wood suppliers what kinds of wood they offer (see the heat comparison chart) and in what proportion. Insist on a standard unit of measurement. Face cords, ricks, racks, and tons are all in use, but for comparison use true 4' x 4' x 8' ( 128 cubic foot) cords. Determine what is meant by "seasoned." The dealer may mean a single season (i.e., one winter; not much drying time there) or a full year, which is a decent period for split wood to cure to its full potential. Also, consider the characteristics of the wood in regard to cutting and splitting. The same neighbor with his poplar observation claimed that a cord of elm would last half a lifetime. By then, he maintained, you'd have given up on ever getting it split.

These recommendations are not speculative. In the nine winters we have spent in our home, we have pared down our wood usage from a whopping 6.5 cords to precisely 4. The mess stays down in the basement, and the house is much more comfortable than it was in the old days. The benefits are tangible and real . . . in dollars, comfort, trips to the chiropractor, and wear and tear on the saw. And best of all, our savings no longer leave the house via the chimney.

"Fireplaces are inherently cleaner than stoves". - Paul Tiegs

Almost every fireplace tested in accordance with the Washington State fireplace standard, designed to be "equivalent" to the EPA Phase II stove standard, passed. Some fireplaces, like Rumfords and Rosins, tested two or three times cleaner than the stove standard. (See Rumford Test Results.)

So, why do so many people think fireplaces are dirty and inefficient?

It all began nearly thirty years ago when the American Lung Association tried to get the EPA to regulate the air-tight European stoves that flooded the US market during the energy crisis of the late 1970's and early 1980's. Americans didn't know how to use the stoves and allowed them to smolder as they bragged to their friends how long they could bank a fire. The Lung Association eventually had to sue the EPA which did not want to get into regulating on a retail basis. It was easier to regulate industry than to dictate what people could do in their own homes.

The suit brought against EPA resulted in a very narrowly drawn "smoldering stove" standard. Fireplaces, masonry heaters and other "inherently" clean-burning appliances were exempted. See details)

The American stove industry and their association, the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, grew up developing stoves that would pass the EPA emissions standards - and, while they were at it, keep the European stoves out of the US market and buy up or put out of business all the small US stove manufacturers.

After thirty years of testing and marketing American stoves, is it any wonder that most of the scientists who do the testing and most of the people who write the articles and research papers work for or are paid by the stove manufactures? Not that they were not objective, especially the scientists running certified independent test labs, but they all had an interest in showing how clean the new and improved American stoves were compared with the bad old stoves and fireplaces. ( For example see Skip Hayden's anti fireplace article.)

People who liked and understood fireplaces were not the ones testing fireplaces. Rather it was people who had an interest in showing how bad fireplaces were and how good stoves were who tested fireplaces. How could that be? Does General Motors hire Ford to do marketing? Why didn't the masonry industry take an interest? Suffice it to say fireplaces were "exempt" and the masonry industry, organized like a farmers cooperative, wasn't focused. Who should take responsibility for masonry fireplaces? Masons? Brick and block manufacturers? Flue liner or firebrick manufacturers? Independent dealers who sell the materials? Well none of us took responsibility. We were all out to lunch. We just watched masonry fireplaces denigrated and our markets slip away.

Some fireplaces, like Rumfords and Rosins, have tested as clean or cleaner than EPA certified stoves. With more testing, fair standards and more time, we will find even more improvement. What we need are clear objective performance standards and rules that allow fireplaces that meet the same performance standards that the stoves that are allowed meet. We are now working on an ASTM national consensus fireplace emissions standard that EPA will recognize.

For much more information about fireplace testing and the politics of fireplace certification, see Rumford's article on Emissions.

Here is the letter we received from Mr. Jacobs:

     DW,

     Outside Dimensions - (long side) 36 1/2" 
     Inside Dimensions - (long side) 29 3/8" 
     Outside Dimensions - (short side) 32"
     Inside Dimensions - (short side) 25 3/8" 

     I have included a few more pictures. One is a shot looking down the chimney. You can see the split which I hear is
     called a "Y" design. There are 3 fireplaces, 2 on one side and one on the other. However, there is a belief that there
     is a 4th one that was covered up years ago which would explain why there is a "Y" design. These 300 year old houses
     have a lot of mystery. 

     Regards, Jeff Jacobs

Using his photos and drawings, we were able to create a split lid cover with a ring built in to support the stove pipe. 

Here is what the finished product looks like:

This 300 year old house will be now able to keep those chilly winter drafts from blowing through the fireplaces.

Does your home have a unique chimney? Let us design the perfect solution for you.

The Question: What Features Would a Green Fireplace Have?

1) Clean-burning 
2) Energy Efficient 
3) Integrated Ventilation 
4) Durability 
5) Thermal Mass 
6) Radiant Heat 
7) Renewable Fuel

Current Green Fireplace Rules
There is very little in the Green literature on fireplaces - most of it negative. There seems to be some underlying assumption that fireplaces are dirty and inefficient and, if we must indulge the irrationality of those who love fireplaces, at least we can try to isolate the fireplaces and keep them from interferring with the rest of the modern features in a green house. Some would say the concept of a "green fireplace" is oxymoronic.

The emerging National Green Building Standard mostly views fireplaces negatively, requiring new masonry fireplaces to "have gasketed doors, outside combustion air, and a chimney top damper" and awarding up to 7 points for removing fireplaces altogether in renovations.*

LEED has some comments about fireplaces under "combustion venting" in the LEED for Homes program. They seem to be mostly concerned about smoking fireplaces and indoor air quality. LEED also recently added a preferred "install no fireplace" option.

Googling "green fireplaces" gets a lot of ads about gas and electric fireplaces and some dire predictions about outlawing all wood-burning.

In an article about "green stoves" in Hearth Marketing James E. Houck and David R. Broderick interview EPA regulators. Every one seemed to say it was "too early to tell" but went on to advocate the cleanest and most efficient stoves and urged the manufacturers of other wood-burning appliances (but didn't mention fireplaces) to contact EPA about the EPA's "Green Label program".

Future of Green Fireplace Rules
In a positive note, fireplaces are still permitted according to LEED and National Green Building Standard guidelines, but it may be a struggle to get any "points" for including a fireplace. "Green fireplaces" will have to be clean-burning and efficient. They also may have to be provided with combustion/ventilation air and sealed off with tight-fitting doors and dampers.

The fireplace doors, of course, would block most of the radiant heat but the tight-fitting dampers andcombustion/ventilation air sound good if accomplished in conjunction with the LEED recommended whole house perspective on ventilation.

With a passing familiarity with the LEED program and our masonry industry efforts to emphasize our strengths, I would add durability and thermal mass.

Locating the chimney mass inside the exterior walls of the house and exposing the masonry chimney walls to take advantage of all that thermal mass could be worth points.

By knowing how fireplaces heat I would add the advantages of radiant heat and the use of wood as a renewable fuel.

All material on Green Fireplaces is by permission of Jim Buckley and the Buckley Rumford Company

Chimney Fires

As you snuggle in front of a cozy fire or bask in the warmth of your wood stove, the last thing you are likely to be thinking about is the condition of your chimney. However, if you don't give some thought to it before you light those winter fires, your enjoyment may be very short-lived.

Why? Dirty chimneys can cause chimney fires, which damage structures, destroy homes and injure or kill people. Chimney fires can burn explosively - noisy and dramatic enough to be detected by neighbors or passersby. Flames or dense smoke may shoot from the top of the chimney. Homeowners report being startled by a low rumbling sound that reminds them of a freight train or a low flying air plane.

However, those are only the chimney fires you know about. Slow-burning chimney fires don't get enough air or have enough fuel to be as dramatic or visible. But, the temperatures they reach are very high and can cause as much damage to the chimney structure - and nearby combustible parts of the house - as a fast, explosive fire. With proper chimney system care, chimney fires are entirely preventable.

Creosote & chimney fires: what you must know:

Fireplaces and wood stoves are designed to safely contain wood-fueled fires, while providing heat for a home. The chimneys that serve them have the job of expelling the by-products of combustion - the substances given off when wood burns.

As these substances exit the fireplace or wood stove, and flow up into the relatively cooler chimney, condensation occurs. The resulting residue that sticks to the inner walls of the chimney is called creosote. Creosote is black or brown in appearance. It can be crusty and flaky ... tar-like, drippy and sticky ... or shiny and hardened. Often, all forms will occur in one chimney system.

Whatever form it takes, creosote is highly combustible. If it builds up in sufficient quantities - and catches fire inside the chimney flue- the result will be a chimney fire. Although any amount of creosote can burn, sweeps are concerned when creosote builds up in sufficient quantities to sustain a long, hot, destructive chimney fire.

Certain conditions encourage the buildup of creosote, restricted air supply, unseasoned wood and cooler-than-normal chimney temperatures are all factors that can accelerate the buildup of creosote on chimney flue walls.

Air supply: The air supply on fireplaces may be restricted by closed glass doors or by failure to open the damper wide enough to move heated smoke up the chimney rapidly (the longer the smoke's "residence time" in the flue, the more likely is it that creosote will form). A wood stove's air supply can be limited by closing down the stove damper or air inlets too soon and too much, and by improperly using the stovepipe damper to restrict air movement.

Burning unseasoned firewood: Because so much energy is used initially just to drive off the water trapped in the cells of the logs - burning green wood keeps the resulting smoke cooler, as it moves through the system, than if dried, seasoned wood is used.

Cool flue temperatures: In the case of wood stoves, fully-packed loads of wood (that give large cool fires and eight or 10 hour burn times) contribute to creosote buildup. Condensation of the unburned by-products of combustion also occurs more rapidly in an exterior chimney, for example, than in a chimney that runs through the center of a house and exposes only the upper reaches of the flue to the elements.

How to keep the fire you want from starting one you don't!

Chimney fires don't have to happen. 

Here are some ways to avoid them:

• Use seasoned woods only (dryness is more important than hard wood versus soft wood considerations)
• Build smaller, hotter fires that bum more completely and produce less smoke
• Never burn cardboard boxes, wrapping paper, trash or Christmas trees; these can spark a chimney fire
• Install stovepipe thermometers to help monitor flue temperatures where wood stoves are in use, so you can adjust burning practices as needed
• Have the chimney inspected and cleaned on a regular basis

Proper Maintenance
Clean chimneys don't catch fire. Make sure a CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep inspects your solid fuel venting system annually, and cleans and repairs it whenever needed. Your sweep may have other maintenance recommendations depending on how you use your fireplace or stove. CSIA recommends that you call on certified chimney sweeps, since they are regularly tested on their understanding of the complexities of chimney and venting systems.


Signs you've had a chimney fire and what to do if you have one:

Since chimney fires can occur without anyone being aware of them ... and since damage from such fires can endanger a home and its occupants, how do you tell if you've experienced a chimney fire?

Here are the signs a professional chimney sweep looks for:

• "puffy" creosote, with rainbow colored streaks, that has expanded beyond creosote's normal form
• warped metal of the damper, metal smoke chamber, connector pipe or factory-built metal chimney
• cracked or collapsed flue tiles, or tiles with large chunks missing
• discolored and distorted rain cap
• creosote flakes and pieces found on the roof or ground
• roofing material damaged from hot creosote cracks in exterior masonry evidence of smoke escaping through mortar
• joints of masonry or tile liners
  
  

If you think a chimney fire has occurred, call a CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep for a professional evaluation. If your suspicions are confirmed, a certified sweep will be able to make recommendations about how to bring the system back into compliance with safety standards. Depending on the situation, you might need a few flue tiles replaced, a relining system installed or an entire chimney rebuilt. Each situation is unique and will dictate its own solution.

What to do if you have a chimney fire:

If you realize a chimney fire is occurring, follow these steps:

1. Get everyone out of the house, including yourself
2. Call the fire department If you can do so without risk to yourself, these additional steps may help save your home.
   
   

Remember,however, that homes are replaceable, but lives are not:

1. Put a chimney fire extinguisher into the fireplace or wood stove
2. Close the glass doors on the fireplace
3. Close the air inlets on the wood stove
4. Use a garden hose to spray down the roof (not the chimney) so the fire won't spread to the rest of the structure
5. Monitor the exterior chimney temperature throughout the house for at least 2 or 3 hours after the fire is out
   
   

Once it's over, call a CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep to inspect for damage. Chimney fire damage and repair normally is covered by homeowner insurance policies.


Chimney fire articles provided by the Chimney Safety Institute of America.

We are proud to announce that the All Season Control Cover has been nominated 3 times for the
Energy Innovator of the Year Award for 2014. 

Here's what others are saying about the All Season Control Cover:

1. I would like to nominate Denny Moore and Benson Energy for their All Season Control Cover. I have worked in the roofing industry for almost 20 years and observe closely the building envelope from the roof perspective. I have always been surprised by the open chimney tops that we encounter and the amount of air escaping them in in both the heating and cooling season. In winter months when we are working on homes with open chimney tops, we often utilize the heat escaping from them to thaw out materials, equipment, and frozen hands in order to keep working in the cold.
   Although temporarily useful to us, the cumulative energy loss from decades of an open chimney are enormous and account for a good portion of energy loss in a home with these conditions. Summer months also cause loss, especially if there is a swamp cooler in use. The pressurization of the home will drive a cool stream of air out of the opening and we can find respite from the hot sun over an open chimney top.
   We see some covers in use that are simply critter guards and still allow the air to escape but the ASCC can be easily opened for use or closed to keep critters out and energy in. It was exciting to find a solution that will help homeowners save a great deal of energy with a simple and cost effective chimney cover.
   
   Greg Wood 
   Raintight Roofing, Inc. 
   801.792.9969
   
   
2. Governor’s Excellence in Energy Awards Nomination
   Benson Energy - Control Cover Damper
   For over two decades, our company has turned to Benson Energy and the All Season Control Cover to provide custom solutions to problem chimney restoration projects. The universal hinge mechanism allows different sizes and configurations to be created to handle situations even where there is no existing flue tiles. 
   The Control Cover chimney-top fireplace damper is much more effective at conserving energy than even glass doors or existing in-throat traditional dampers. Glass doors are not sealed, so they leak, and worse, they block thermal radiation, and so lose much of the radiant energy of the fire. In-throat dampers are not airtight when new, and can quickly warp with high heat from fires, and eventually rust with incoming moisture and can become inoperable.
   Sealing off the top of the chimney is also a safety precaution. Moisture mixing with creosote creates an acid that eats away the mortar connecting the flue tiles together over time. This destabilizes the physical integrity of the chimney and can even allow temperatures to rise to a combustion level outside the chimney lining.
   Massive amounts of energy are lost each year through millions of uncovered chimneys, not to mention countless critter home invasions. The All Season Control Cover solves many if not all of the problems associated with wood burning masonry fireplaces.
   
   Jim Buckley
   Buckley Rumford Company
   Port Townsend, Washington
   
   
3. The Patent for the All Season Control Cover was cited as follows:
   The sturdy construction of the hinge for the flue cover is an important feature of the invention... The sturdy construction of the side plates and hinge plates and the lack of any welded joints provides a hinge which is able to readily withstand the forces which are applied to it and the temperature changes to which it is subjected. At the same time, the hinge permits free opening and closing movement of the flue cover and allows the cover to seal against the flue in an air tight manner when closed.
   An additional feature which is important to the invention is the use of a torsion spring to bias the cover toward its open position. The torsion spring is loaded in compression when the cover is closed and is considerably stronger than a tension spring. Therefore, the torsion spring is much less susceptible to being permanently set or to fail in fatigue due to repeated cycling. The torsion spring is also well shielded for the elements by the parts of the hinge mechanism which mounts the cover on the flue. The torsion spring typically lasts as long as the rest of the parts of the assembly and functions in a reliable manner to assure opening of the cover when the cable is released.
   
   Daniel and Samuel Crosby
   Benson Energy
   Salt Lake City, Utah
   

Problems:

• no flue tile
• brick obstructions
• low clearance

This customer needed a solution for an unusual chimney. We were able to create a custom All Season Control Cover from photos and drawings provided by the customer.

Solution:

Here is the custom All Season Control Cover just coming out of the shop and ready to ship.

It was specified by the client as a stainless steel mounting base to bridge the flue opening, and a stainless split lid with dual controls.

The split lid and dual controls not only solve the limited clearance issue, but also give the home owner the ability to adapt to various wind conditions as well.