I cursed a bit while trying to figure out why my chimney was not drafting the way it should (or has been). After brushing and cleaning every conceivable area of the chimney and flue-pipe and it was still not functional, left just one possibility. Realizing that the chimney's cap must be caked badly with creosote I was able to knock the cap off using the brush rods without the brush from the clean-out tee. Instantly the auto draft swung into action... problem solved. I did however, learn a good bit of information from this 'occurrence'. I now know my new chimney maintains a good temperature through its entire length, since creosote only builds in areas where there is a cooler temperature introduced into the area. My chimney is most certainly working well to carry away all the by-products of my wood / oil furnace. In cases where people seriously rely on wood for their winter long source of heat I seriously would NOT recommend a chimney cap, or worry about one that "looks good", go for one that is as entirely open as possible, say a flat piece of tin held up some 6 inches from the opening by maybe three or four 1" bars... It just isn't worth it to try and get one that gives a good finished look.
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