Q: Hi Jason,
I am a South Florida resident with a Chimney in my home. Does a Chimney Balloon or Flueblocker help at all in reducing warm & humid air from entering the home? And for that matter, do they limit escape of cold air from the home? Thanks in advance for your assistance – MB
A: Hi MB,
Yes, the Chimney Balloon and the Flueblocker both help quite a bit from stopping hot and humid air infiltration. In the summer your AC, clothes dryer, bathroom vent fan, etc…can cause a reverse draft through the Chimney. This causes the fireplace to siphon super-hot air from your roof area down the Chimney into the house. If you have a wood burning fireplace this reverse draft will often manifest itself by a slightly smoky smell near the fireplace when you start to use your AC, clothes dryer, etc… Installing a Chimney Balloon or Flueblocker seals off the flue, so the Chimney cannot snorkel the hot air down into your home.
Cold A/C air, on the other hand, tends to stay low and doesn’t fly up the Chimney. So you will find your energy savings comes from keeping the hot air out. – Jason