Draft King Galvanized Steel Round Chimney Caps Review

When capping a chimney, the first thing to consider — before size, price, material, or any other factor — is the shape of your chimney flue. The answer to that question often informs many of the other chimney cap buying decisions you’ll have to make.

Chimney flues (and, by extension, chimney caps) can come in four different shapes:

• Square
• Rectangular
• Round
• Oval

Square and rectangular flues and caps are the most common by far . But that doesn’t mean there aren’t round flues out there that need chimney caps. In fact, at HY-C, we manufacture thousands of round chimney caps every year.

In this guide, we’re going to take a close look at our Draft King Galvanized Steel Round Chimney Cap lineup.

We’ll cover the sizes these caps come in, how much each size costs, the two available mesh sizes, and even how to install the caps.

By the time you’re finished here, you’ll have what you need to decide whether or not a round Draft King galvanized steel cap is the right choice for you.

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

• Sizes
• Prices
• Mesh sizes
• Durability
• Installation

Discover Draft King Galvanized Steel Round Chimney Caps

Draft King Galvanized Steel Round Chimney Cap Sizes

Round chimney caps sizes are based on the diameter of the chimney’s flue tile. The Draft King line of round galvanized steel chimney caps come in 6 sizes designed to fit a range of round chimney flue diameters:

Model Number	Minimum Flue Diameter	Maximum Flue Diameter
CBO8	7½”	8½”
CBO10	9½”	10½”
CBO12	11½”	12½”
CBO14	13½”	14½”
CBO16	15½”	16½”
CBO18	17½”	18½”

If you have a round flue, you can use the table above to determine the correct round Draft King cap size for your chimney. For example, if your flue has a diameter of 12-¼”, you’ll need the CBO12 cap.

Note: when measuring for a chimney cap, always be sure to measure from one outside edge of the tile to the other outside edge (as opposed to the inner edges).

Draft King Galvanized Steel Round Chimney Cap Prices

When considering the cost of a chimney cap, two primary factors will determine the price:

1. The size of the cap
2. The material of the cap

The size factor is pretty intuitive. A bigger cap requires more material to fabricate it, resulting in a higher price. That’s why a cap with an 18-inch diameter costs more than a cap with an 8-inch diameter.

As far as materials go, some raw materials cost more than others due to their scarcity. Copper, for example, costs much more than stainless steel. As a result, copper chimney caps are much more expensive than steel caps.

With all of this in mind, here are the manufacturer’s suggested retail prices (MSRPs) of our six round Draft King galvanized steel cap sizes:

Model Number	MSRP
CBO8	$94.29
CBO10	$102.59
CBO12	$110.99
CBO14	$119.29
CBO16	$127.59
CBO18	$135.99

Relative to other cap materials (like aluminum, stainless steel, and copper), galvanized steel is very budget-friendly. Also, keep in mind that the prices here are the manufacturer’s suggested retail prices; you may find lower (or higher) prices depending on where you shop for your cap.

Draft King Galvanized Steel Round Chimney Cap Mesh Sizes

Each Draft King Galvanized Steel Round Chimney Cap size comes with two different mesh options: ¾” mesh or ⅝” mesh.

But which one should you get?

The topic of chimney cap mesh sizes is a little involved, but we’ll provide a general overview here.

Chimney cap mesh is all about finding the right balance between a good draft and proper wildlife exclusion. You want the mesh to inhibit airflow in and out of the chimney as little as possible while still being tight enough to keep critters out of the chimney.

For our Draft King and Shelter chimney caps, that balance comes in the form of a ¾” diamond-shaped mesh. However, there’s a third factor to consider regarding mesh sizes: spark arresting.

As fire burns in the firebox, sparks and embers float up the chimney flue and toward the top of the chimney. Chimney cap mesh is supposed to “arrest” (or “catch”) these sparks, blocking them from floating toward nearby dry leaves or brush and starting a fire.

In an area with a wet, temperate climate, these fires are much less common. But dry states (like California and parts of Oregon) deal with forest fires all the time. As a result, they require a tighter ⅝” chimney cap mesh to help lessen the possibility of a large fire caused by a stray ember.

Essentially, our recommendation is to buy a cap with ¾” mesh to achieve the best possible draft unless you’re required to use a cap with ⅝” mesh by law.

Draft King Galvanized Steel Round Chimney Cap Durability

So, how long will a galvanized steel chimney cap last? How strong is it? How durable is it?

The truth is, it’s pretty good — but it’s also not the best in its class.

Galvanized steel is susceptible to rust over time. To combat that, each round Draft King cap is powder-coated to prolong its life and prevent rust.

But if it’s subjected to enough heat over time (which is likely if you’re using it on a wood-burning chimney), the paint will start to degrade, leaving the bare galvanized steel vulnerable.

Galvanized steel is also resistant to nuisance wildlife, which places it above aluminum in that regard. However, the structure of the cap won’t hold up quite as well against impacts (from, for instance, falling tree limbs) as a stainless steel cap.

With all of this said, a galvanized steel cap is an economical option that should last on your chimney flue for many years. In fact, the warranties for our galvanized steel caps fall in the 5 to 7 year range (but realistically, you can expect 15 to 25 years out of them).

The biggest problem with galvanized steel chimney caps is that if they're installed within 25 miles of a saltwater coast, they'll degrade much more quickly. If you're near a body of saltwater, stainless steel is your best bet.

Draft King Galvanized Steel Round Chimney Cap Installation

As long as you find the right cap size, the installation of your round cap should go smoothly. It’s worth noting, though, that the Draft King selection of round galvanized steel chimney caps comes in two different installation styles: bolt-on and slip-in.

The bolt-on caps come with four pre-drilled holes in the base. These holes accommodate four bolts (included with the cap) that attach directly to the flue tile to hold the cap in place. Note that these bolts don’t go through the flue tile; rather, they “clamp” the cap against the flue.

The slip-in styles, on the other hand, come with four legs welded to the base of the cap. To install them, you simply slip the cap into the flue. The legs then hold the cap in place through outward tension.

So, which one should you get — a bolt-on cap or a slip-in cap?

Bolt-on caps provide the most secure fit, so opt for one of those if you can. If your chimney flue protrudes less than 1 inch from your chimney’s crown, though, you won’t have enough space for a bolt-on cap. 

These situations are just what the slip-in cap was made for. They can slip inside of any flue — even those that are directly flush with the chimney’s crown.

Should You Get a Draft King Galvanized Steel Round Chimney Cap?

There you have it — all the ins and outs of the Draft King line of round galvanized steel chimney caps. From dimensions and prices to mesh sizes and installation methods, you should be plenty familiar with these caps by now.

But should you get one for your chimney?

If you have a round flue, it’s certainly a good option among a limited selection (as some manufacturers don’t even bother making round caps).

To start, ensure that your flue falls within the 7-½” to 18-½” size range. From there, there’s two factors to consider: price and protection.

If you use your fireplace lightly, there are no tree limbs hanging over your chimney, and you don’t believe nuisance wildlife can easily access your flue, a simple, budget-friendly galvanized steel cap may be the perfect solution for you.

But if you’re a heavy wood burner, you have a canopy of trees over your roof, or you regularly see squirrels, raccoons, or other critters scaling your home, you may benefit from the added protection of a stainless steel cap.

Whatever style you decide on, be sure to brush up on our chimney cap installation guide. It covers several chimney cap styles (including round caps) to help you learn how to install virtually any chimney cap you purchase.