by blogediter | Apr 27, 2018 | Chimney Plugs
Chimney Balloons to squirrel, raccoon, opossums and larger vermin.
Q: Jason, A couple of times in the last few years we’ve had flying squirrels come down the chimney.
How resistant are the Chimney Balloons to the claws of little critters such as this? (I would put a screen on top of the chimney but I’d have to rent a lift to do so. Tall house, taller chimney, steep roof…) Thanks, – ADH
A: Dear ADH, Have you got a friend with a bucket truck or cherry picker? No?, neither do I, but I wish I did many times.
Chimney Balloons hold up well keeping out birds, bats, insects, and wasps, but they fall short when it comes to raccoons, squirrels, mice, and opossums.
If the critter has teeth and claws, you are going to need a wire mesh cap on the chimney and I would spend the extra to get a stainless one so you don’t have to replace it soon. Don’t risk your neck on your steep roof, call a chimney sweep to put the cap on for you. And if it is opossums or raccoons you are trying to keep out of your chimney make sure you anchor it VERY well. Those critters have the strength of a Gorilla when it comes to removing chimney caps! – Jason
by blogediter | Apr 25, 2018 | Fireplaces
Smoke goes up the one chimney and back down the other.
Q: I have a house built in 1870, and the flue I would like to seal appears to be very narrow, somewhat jagged, and irregular in shape. The best I can tell, the opening appears to be about 6 inches deep, and 12 inches wide. Which size would be best for me? And do you think there is a wider opening further up the chimney? If so, would I be able to push the Chimney Balloon up there and then inflate it??
Also, like Maureen in the previous post, I have a smoke situation and am hoping your product will help. We have multiple fireplaces, and when I burn a fire in the living room downstairs, smoke enters my son’s bedroom upstairs. They are in the same chimney. This started happening after we added a chimney cap to keep birds and animals out. The guy who did the work came back and claims he sealed the flue heading into the boy’s bedroom. But we had one more fire at the end of last season and still smelled smoke in his room during the fire downstairs. Please advise… – JW
A: Dear JW, Well, to answer your first question… I would go with a 9×15 Chimney Balloon for that size hole to plug. It does not matter much if the hole is jagged and rough in shape as long as the hole is not any larger than 9″x15″ and has roughly parallel walls on at least 2 sides.
On your smoke crossover question…Yes, the Chimney Balloon will give you a very tight seal on your unused chimney so the smoke smell will not be sucked back into the home. I’m sure your Chimney sweep gave it a good try to seal it up, but there is no way to get as tight of a seal as a Chimney Balloon will offer. Even a fiberglass bat plug will allow odor back in through it. – Jason
by blogediter | Apr 23, 2018 | Chimney Plugs, Fireplaces
Air seal a small coal burner fireplace
Q: I have an old coal fireplace, with a cast iron insert. The chimney itself has no damper but the insert does have a narrow flap that I suppose is used as a damper (though a very inefficient one when it the fireplace is not in use). I had to slide the insert out to see what the chimney looks like from the inside, as there was no way to see through the damper slot (which measure about 20″x2″).
The highest and narrowest part of the chimney is 9″x9″. Then it looks like it’s relatively straight/slightly sloping at about 9″x15″. And then slopes again over about 20″ to it’s the largest point of 9″x20″, just above that damper slot in the insert.
From what I’ve read, you don’t recommend positioning the Chimney Balloon on the slope. I’m almost positive I wouldn’t be able to get the Chimney Balloon up to the 9×9 spot (certainly not without removing the insert every time, which I want to avoid).
So, a bunch of questions:
1. What’s the likelihood of me being able to maneuver the Chimney Balloon through the damper slot in the insert?
2. What’s my best position?
3. Related to #2, what’s my best sizing?
4. Oh, and I think the 9″ is really more like 9.25… how exactly are you Chimney Balloon sizes?
Thanks for your help! – ZE
A: Dear ZE, We spoke on the phone briefly about how your coal inserts slide into the fireplace. Considering there is significant clearance between the top of the insert and the 9×9 fireplace flue area, you will find the 9×15 area to be the best location to install the Chimney Balloon. I understand the walls of this area taper upward on two sides and are vertical on two sides in this area. The Chimney Balloon will grab and hold firm on the two parallel and vertical walls, and it will seal the two slanted walls as well.
Once in place, it is possible to uninstall the Chimney Balloon through the very small 2″ damper opening, but honestly, it is not easy to do. You will have to reach the Chimney Balloon through the damper so you can open the air valve. Once the air valve is open you will have to give the Chimney Balloon 5 minutes or more to release its air. Then you slowly and carefully thread it down through the damper little by little. Fortunately, a 9×15 is a relatively small Chimney Balloon, so there is not a lot of Chimney Balloon material.
If I can be of further assistance to you in this coal fireplace insert application please let me know. – Jason
by blogediter | Apr 18, 2018 | Chimney Problems
Bird nest material
Q: Jason, Every year during February and March I get birds nesting in my fireplace followed by a swarm of flies getting beyond the closed grate and into the house. Would a Chimney Balloon work keep the flies out or how do I stop the birds from nesting in the fireplace? I would appreciate any suggestions that would help.- LR
A: Dear LR, Birds nests are pretty disgusting places when it comes to bacteria and bird po-po, but this is a springtime wonderland for flies!
So the flies hang out and lay eggs in the bird’s nest material. Then the fly eggs turn into the larva which turns into flies, and they follow the warmth and smells from the chimney down into your home. Voila! you get a swarm of flies down your flue into the house.
Putting in a Chimney Balloon will keep the flies out of your house since you will be effectively sealing their route of entry. As you have already found the metal damper will not keep flies out since dampers do not air seal and flies and maggots can get right through.
Now to stop the birds… You will need a chimney cap with screening on it to keep the birds from entering the chimney top or nesting on the crown. You don’t need anything fancy just a simple cap with a screen on it will do. If you already have a cap, you may be able to fashion a metal cage around it with thick wire mesh to keep the birds out.
Stopping the birds from nesting is important because their nesting material can collect moisture and be detrimental to your chimney interior and it is just nasty bacteria laden stuff. – Jason
by blogediter | Apr 16, 2018 | Chimney Problems
Install Chimney Balloon
Q: I have several questions. My experience with inflatable devices is that they leak. Can one insert the Chimney Balloon and leave it in for months, or does it gradually leak air?
Can one use the Chimney Balloon in a fireplace that one uses almost daily? For example, inflate the Chimney Balloon in the morning and then remove it in the evening when one wants to build a fire? If this is done, does the Chimney Balloon get “messy” covered with soot etc? We have the fireplace cleaned yearly but use it a lot.What is the life expectancy of a Chimney Balloon if it is inserted and not removed for months (a fireplace that we don’t use) vs. one where we would remove it quite often. I wonder if the Chimney Balloon is to be used only in a fireplace that is not used often. Thanks!- DR
A: Dear DR, If you use a fireplace daily you are going to find a Chimney Balloon to be a hassle, if you use it occasionally you will find it a keen energy saver. Since you use your fireplace daily I would recommend that you use your Chimney Balloon seasonally. So put it in when you are done using the fireplace for the season.
If you put a Chimney Balloon in and leave it, it will stay in good shape for 10-12 years. I would suggest once or twice a year you can top off the air, but other than that it is a long-term fixture if you leave it be. The fact of the matter is, if you are constantly inserting and removing your Chimney Balloon sooner or later you will wear it out. The more you move it around the more you wear on it.
The best example I can give is my own. I have a Chimney Balloon in my fireplace and I use my fireplace 6 times per year on average. My Chimney Balloon is going on 5 years now with no issues. I hope this answers your question. – Jason
