by blogediter | Dec 28, 2018 | Fireplaces
Exhausto Fan 2
]Q: Jason I have a 7 unit apartment building that has a very unusual setup for the fireplaces in each of the flats. In order for the fireplaces to draw well enough to use the fireplaces, I had to put an exhaust fan on the top of the chimney. Unfortunately, this makes all of the dampers whistle all the time because the dampers are not tight enough and the air is being drawn through them. Will a Chimney Balloon stop the whistle of the air through the damper? The diameters of the flues are 6″-8″ round stainless flue liners – EC
A: Dear EC, The Chimney Balloon will stop the air flow through the chimney but the stainless liners are a pretty slick surface for the Chimney Balloon to grab hold of considering there is an exhaust fan trying to suck it upwards. My suggestion is to use a 9×9 Chimney Balloon for each of the flues. When you install the Chimney Balloon take some string and tie the handle valve portion of the Chimney Balloon to something in the fireplace that is ridged and not going anywhere like the damper hardware. Leave some slack on the string. If the Chimney Balloon begins to be sucked upward by the fan this string tether will keep it from going too far. Also, if you leave slack on the string tether and the slack stays as it was when you installed it then you know the string is an un-needed precaution. The Exhausto fan can suck a lot of air volume through those small 6″ and 8″ flues, and I don’t want to see it suck your Chimney Balloon up into chimney oblivion.
by blogediter | Dec 26, 2018 | Save Energy
Razor Shave
This is a little off topic from my usual fireplace banter, but I wanted to share a trick I learned a few years ago on how to save money on shaving razors.
Stainless steel blade shavers like the slick marketed Quatro, Sensor or Mach 4 have blades that take a long time to go dull. However, they do tend to corrode if kept in untidy or wet conditions.
That is right! Some stainless does corrode in wet conditions. You see the blades are made of a certain type of stainless that is susceptible to corrosion if kept wet. The best thing you can do to get a blade to last a very long time is to keep it clean and dry.
When I finish shaving I take a spray bottle and clean out the blades very well by spraying directly into the blade cartridge to flush out the leftover shaving cream and whiskers. Then I blot the blade cartridge on a towel and keep it in the bathroom closet (NOT the shower)
Practicing this I have kept my Quatro blades in operation for 6 months at a pop, shaving every day of the week except Saturday.
If you are an experienced shaver you know the toughest spot to shave without nicking is the chin…so grow a goatee! Then you can get maximum life from your shaver blades and keep more out of the landfill. besides those shaving cartridges are expensive little buggers – Jason
by blogediter | Dec 24, 2018 | Chimney Plugs
Bad Brick
Q: Jason – I have an old chimney that occasionally drops a brick off the outside of the chimney or inside of the flue. The damper of this fireplace is in terrible shape and I want to use a Chimney Balloon to seal it up, but will the Chimney Balloon stand up to falling bricks? – TR
A: Dear TR, The answer to your question is…maybe. I have seen the Chimney Balloon hold back quite a bit of falling debris before. Some masons even use a Chimney Balloon in a fireplace they are demolishing just so they don’t fill the house with dust and crumbled mortar. But I cant tell you a brick falling from 2 stories up won’t puncture it because that fully depends on the shape of the brick, the velocity it hits with, and the way you installed the Chimney Balloon. That and we really have not done any testing on the Chimney Balloon on falling bricks. But you pose a very interesting question.
I may be stating the obvious here, but if you have entire bricks spalling from your chimney and dropping both inside and out…you have a real problem. You should not be using this fireplace or chimney at all and you should have it looked at by a professional. This chimney may be on the verge of collapse and this can be a deadly situation. – Jason
by blogediter | Dec 19, 2018 | Chimney Plugs
Gas log
Q: Jason – I have an old vented gas log that is crumbling and needs to be replaced. What is better to replace it with, a vented gas log or a vent-less gas log?-NW
A: NW- If you go with a vented gas log install you will certainly have to commit yourself to having the chimney damper removed or clipped or disabled in the open position according to current code for vented fireplace install. This means you will have a gaping hole to the outside
all the time. Many gas log owners are surprised to find that their fireplace flue damper has already been disabled when their original gas log was installed. The building fireplace code that states to disable the damper, is often an adequate enough reason for a homeowner not to go with any vented variety gas log.
In the vent-less model, you do get the benefit of retaining all of the heat if you keep the damper closed, but any of the CO, CO2, Nitrogen or moisture that it puts out will enter your living area as well. In the winter when your home is closed up you really want to minimize the extra pollutants you introduce to your already recycled inside air. This is not just with the fireplace, this goes for candles, sprays, paints and other pollutants. You obviously can’t avoid these items all-together, but do you want to introduce new contributors like a vent-free fireplace?
From our conversation on the phone, I am sure you have your heart set on a vented gas log, and you were just looking for brand-name references from me. But please take into account other options like electric fireplace inserts if you are looking for fireplace ambiance, or maybe even a candelabra with candles burned with the damper open as other suitable ambiance option that won’t cost you in heat loss. – Jason
by blogediter | Dec 17, 2018 | Chimney Plugs
Chimney Balloon large
Q: Jason, I have a masonary fireplace that appears to have no chimney damper. I have measured the rectangular area after the firebox and it’s approximately 25.5″ X 9.5″. What size Chimney Balloon would be best suited. thanks. – RG
A: RG, For an area that is 25.5″ x 9.5″ I would recommend the 30×9 Chimney Balloon. Chimney Balloons are slightly oversized by their inflatable nature, and a half inch will not make a difference when you install it. – Jason
