by blogediter | Dec 3, 2018 | Chimney Plugs
Plasma cutter
Q: Jason, How do I remove an old fireplace damper? I am putting in a stainless steel
chimney liner tube for protection and I need to remove the damper… – JB
A: JB, The lowest tech way would be to use a Sawzall. But, Using a Sawzall will be a certain mess on your head. All that vibration will certainly bring down an unwanted tidal wave of chimney buildup and metal chips. I don’t recommend that at all.
A plasma cutter will be a better option for tight quarters like a chimney. You make this liner insert project sound as though you are planning on doing it yourself? It is money well spent to have something like this done by a service provider that is experienced, especially if you don’t own your own plasma cutter.
After your damper is removed you may want to consider a Chimney Balloon or some type of chimney plug to serve as your damper. You don’t want that open hole to be left unclosed to release your AC in the summer and heat in the winter. – Jason
by blogediter | Nov 30, 2018 | Chimney Plugs
Lock top damper cable
Q: Jason – I currently have a chimney cap installed with a stainless steel wire and handle on the end which is mounted to the side of the firebox on the face of the brick. The metal damper is removed and this wire extends up through the smoke chamber and up the flue to the cap. Can I still install a Chimney Balloon? – JR
A: JR – This type of damper is often referred to as a Chimney Top Damper. Many are made by a company by the name of Lymance or Seal tight.
Yes, you can use a Chimney Balloon in this configuration. As the Chimney Balloon inflates it will envelop the wire (as in the picture above). You will find the double draft protection of the chimney top damper and the Chimney Balloon together to be very effective. Here is a link to an article that talks further about lock top chimney top dampers and Chimney Balloons work together http://www.chimneyballoonusa.com/blog/2007/11/my-lock-top-or-.html – Jason
by blogediter | Nov 28, 2018 | Save Energy
Solar space heater
I learned of this Do it yourself method of how to make a solar-powered outbuilding or garage heater through The Energy Blog (by Jim Fraser). With some simple ingenuity and a list of needed materials and tools from the website BuiltItSolar.com even an average weekend handyman can pull off this project.
I am tempted to try it myself on my south facing attached garage since I sure would like to be able to use that for winter time projects.
The inventor is Gary Reysa, a retired airplane product development engineer. He has posted his 6 page PDF plan of how to build a suitable solar heat system through Home Power Magazine. There are plenty of other solar related thought-provoking projects on his website.
Image provided by Gary Reysa. Copyright 2006 owned by www.builditsolar.com
by blogediter | Nov 26, 2018 | Chimney Problems
This was a conversation on Google Home Improvement groups that was an interesting recommendation for a Chimney Balloon to stop birds from entering a home:
Q: Hi I have never used a fireplace and never needed one but an old house I bought has one in it. I have not moved into it yet and are updating it here and there.
I was working on removing some wood paneling this afternoon and I heard some bird sounds. Did it seem to come from the inside? I ignored it and then I heard it again, and from the direction of the fireplace. I walked over to the fireplace and I saw two birds, one was standing at the bottom of the fireplace and one was laying at a corner – dead.
I opened the doors and windows and went to get the live one, he freaked and started to fly around and I lead her to the doors and he flew out. I then took the dead one and disposed of it. Then I heard more bird songs. I stucked my head and looked up the chimney and it’s dark. Could the birds be coming from the chimney? Isn’t it supposed to be closed? I think there are more birds up there but can’t find their way out and they won’t come down until they are exhausted or near dead.
What should I do to free them? or should I assume that if they can find their way in they should be able to find their way out? That dead bird obviously did not. – MC
A: MC – It sounds like you have no damper on this fireplace if the birds were just all of a sudden in your hearth. I would go to the roof and inspect the cap. It is likely that there is no screen or a rotted out screen that needs some work. By this rooftop inspection, You will also probably find out if you are dealing with a nest or a couple of curious birdies. If the roof is a steep pitch or not easily reachable be sure to hire a chimney sweep to do the inspection.
Considering the birds came right through you may want to consider a Chimney Balloon to plug the flue to keep from losing heat through the open fireplace and to block the bird noise.
by blogediter | Nov 23, 2018 | Save Energy
Chimney Pillow
Q: Jason, I saw something mentioned about a Chimney Pillow on a newsletter I get from Jim Dulley on home energy savings. I bought one and am very pleased with how it has plugged the flue despite my rusty damper. – TW
A: Jim Dulley of www.dulley.com is a nationally renown expert on home energy usage and an expert on all things “Green”. Jim has written on the Chimney Pillow in a couple of different bulletins. See Below for excerpt from his articles:
“Even though it seems like the damper is closed completely, many dampers do not fit tightly or seal well. You can stuff some old rags up around the damper to help seal it off. The best sealing method is an inflatable chimney pillow. You just place it up into the chimney and blow it up with air. It both seals and insulates. Check at your hardware or home center store.” Link to the article at : http://www.dulley.com/tip/t1119.shtml “The most heated room air is lost up chimneys when there is no fire burning because of a nonexistent or poor sealing chimney damper. To seal the chimney and provide insulation, I use an inflatable chimney pillow in my fireplace. It is clear plastic and you blow it up like a mini-air mattress.” Here is the Link: http://www.dulley.com/docs/f553.htm
Images and article excerpts are copyright property of www.dulley.com, All rights reserved. Copyright 2005
