Chimney Terminations
Termination
The top of the chimney, its termination, can bring up questions of both function and design. The method of termination should be considered carefully, since safety issues are involved.
Chimney Caps
A properly designed chimney termination cap serves many if not all of the following functions:
- Prevents the entry of rain, snow and debris into the flue and other chimney openings.
- Provides separation of the flue and other chimney passages that depend on outside air for cooling purposes.
- Minimizes the effect that wind and air turbulence have on chimney draft.
- Provides an aesthetically pleasing termination for the chimney.
Because of the multiple and complex functions a chimney termination or chimney housing performs, only assemblies listed and labeled for use with each fireplace and chimney system should be used. The special fabrication of custom terminations, the use of a damaged assembly, the alteration of a labeled assembly, or the improper installation of a termination can result in serious malfunction and hazardous consequences.
When installing a termination directly on the chimney, follow the manufacturer's instructions precisely in order to make the connection safe and secure. This is most essential for those systems where the termination is a critical part of the engineered cooling system, which is true for nearly all air cooled systems.
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