Ideas for opening stack rain covers

[cfenton86]

I am looking for ideas for how to rig up something to be able to open my steam and smoke stacks from inside the sugar shack. Currently I am climbing on the roof every time we start up and shut down. I have 12' stacks for each

[unc23win]

I am looking for ideas for how to rig up something to be able to open my steam and smoke stacks from inside the sugar shack. Currently I am climbing on the roof every time we start up and shut down. I have 12' stacks for each

Mine has a flip top lid from Lapierre. http://www.equipementsderabliere.elapierre.com/produits_en.asp?id_categorie=40&id_groupeproduit=297&page=1 All manufacturers have them in their catalogs or online. I remember seeing pictures on a thread where someone made their own. For my smoke stack I have two ropes one for up and one for down through a rubber grommet and it works great. My steam stack is a chinese hat style so there is no need for a lid.

[maple flats]

Mine is like unc23win's except I used light gauge SS cable, I think it is 1/16", I then drilled a 1/4" hole thru the steel roofing, one one each side near the ridge cap. Thus I have 2 cables just behind my base stack, one to open and the other to close the cap. My 15" steam stacks only have the Chinese hat style. On my flip open one I bought one from Bascom that was listed in their clearance section a few years ago. I had been used and had some very miner dents, but it is SS, works and looks good.
I suggest that if you buy used or dented, that you even look for a flip open cover that is 2 or 3" bigger size, it will still work fine on the smaller stack and the next time you grow to a bigger evaporator, it will fit that too. My smokestack is now 12" and my cover is 12" but when I bought the cover I had an old 2x6 with an 8" stack. I installed it and it worked well.

[cfenton86]

Thanks guys for the suggestions

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

CDL stack covers close themselves and only require one cable or wire from inside of building.