Draft King Chimney Liner Cap: An Honest Review

Chimney caps are typically installed on a clay flue tile (or, in the case of a multi-flue chimney cap, the chimney’s crown). If you’ve had to have a chimney liner installed, though, a typical chimney cap may not be the right choice for your chimney.

The lining process involves retrofitting your existing chimney flue with a flexible or rigid pipe that essentially becomes your new flue. To ensure your heating appliance operates correctly, these liners are better suited to liner-specific chimney caps.

At HY-C, we manufacture dozens of makes and models of chimney caps in a variety of materials. One such style is our Single-Flue Stainless Steel Chimney Liner Cap manufactured under our Draft King brand. And in this guide, we’re going to look at these caps in depth.

We’ll cover the sizes they come in, how much they cost, and the best way to install one. By the time you’re finished here, you’ll be armed with all the information you need to decide whether or not a chimney liner cap is right for you.

Table of contents (click to jump to a section):

• Sizes
• Prices
• Installation

Discover the Draft King Single Flue Stainless Steel Chimney Liner Cap

Draft King Chimney Liner Cap Sizes

The chimney liner cap size you need depends on the size of your chimney liner itself. And the liner size you end up with depends on a few factors, including:

• The dimensions of your original clay flue
• The length of your original clay flue
• The size of your firebox opening

The professional who installs your chimney liner is equipped to determine which liner size you’ll need. And, depending on which liner size you end up with, the Draft King series of liner caps offers 11 different chimney cap diameters to fit a number of different liner sizes:

It’s important to note that all of these caps are circular. Some chimney liners are square, rectangular, or ovular — these caps won’t work on those liners.

Also important to note is that each cap size is adjustable, offering about an inch of variability (give or take) to accommodate liners of all diameters between 3-½” and 14-½”.

Draft King Chimney Liner Cap Prices

Lining a chimney usually costs several thousands of dollars. Materials and labor both factor into this cost, but the peace-of-mind that comes with knowing your chimney is safe to use is priceless.

Thankfully, a chimney liner cap — despite its importance to your lined chimney system — doesn’t cost anywhere near as much as installing the liner itself.

The main factor that determines the price of these caps is their diameter. Let’s take a look at the manufacturer’s suggested retail prices (MSRP) of the Draft King series of liner chimney caps:

As you can see, the price of each cap increases with the size of its diameter. This makes sense; a larger diameter means that the cap took more material to produce, resulting in a higher cost.

The other factor that affects chimney cap cost is material. Galvanized steel caps tend to have an economical price point, stainless steel caps cost a bit more, and copper caps demand a premium price tag for their premium materials.

All Draft King liner caps are made from stainless steel, a solid metal that holds up well over time and resists rust and corrosion within 25 miles of a saltwater coast.

Draft King Chimney Liner Cap Installation

Most chimney caps are installed using a few bolts and a screwdriver. Liner caps are unique, though, in that they utilize a clamp-on installation method.

Each cap has a metal band with a gear train installed on its base. This gear train makes the caps adjustable, expanding or contracting by way of a screwdriver.

To install the cap on your liner, the first step is to ensure you have the right size. For instance, using the table above, if your liner has an eight-inch diameter, you’ll need the cap with the model number LC8.

Once you have your cap, use a screwdriver to adjust the gear train, loosening it to the point where the cap can slide onto the liner. After the cap is on the liner, tighten it into place. Tug upward on the cap firmly to ensure it doesn’t come loose.

If you’ve installed the cap correctly, it should last for decades on your lined flue, locking out nuisance wildlife and precipitation.

Should You Get a Draft King Chimney Liner Cap?

From sizes and prices to the installation process, this has been a close look at the Draft King series of chimney liner caps.

You may still be wondering, though: should you get one of these caps?

For starters, whether you have a masonry chimney, a chimney liner, or an oil-burning or coal-burning appliance, it’s always necessary to have a chimney cap installed. The question really is whether or not one of these caps is right for you.

The first thing to consider is the shape of your liner. If you have a square, rectangular, or oval liner, these caps are not for you — they’re designed for round liners only.

The next factor to consider is the diameter of your round liner. These caps will fit most chimney liners you’re likely to come across. Some liners are as small as three inches or as large as sixteen inches, though. And if your liner falls outside of the 3-½” to 14-½” range, a Draft King liner cap will not fit your liner.

Finally, there’s the cost factor. A chimney liner cap will set you back anywhere from $100 to $200 (though compared to the price of actually having the chimney lined, the cap should be the least of your cost-related worries).

If your liner is the right shape and size and one of these caps is in your price range, don’t hesitate to purchase one. It’ll improve the life of your heating appliance, keep it protected, and it will last for the entire time you own your home.