by blogediter | Feb 7, 2018 | Chimney Plugs
Chimney Balloons
Q: Jason, The dimensions you give for Chimney Balloon sizes appear to be for rectangular or square openings. What size do I use if I have a 9 inch round diameter pipe? – SH
A: Dear SH, The Chimney Balloon inflates into place so the Chimney Balloon membrane only goes out as far as the flue wall allows it to. See attached images of a Chimney Balloon inflated in an 8″ ID clear tube. This allows the Chimney Balloon to fill a round or square area.
For a tube type fireplace flue that is circular in shape, you would measure the diameter of the flue and buy a Chimney Balloon that is the same size or slightly larger. So an 8″ or 9″ diameter flue would require a 9×9 Chimney Balloon and a chimney flue that is 10″ to 12″ in diameter would require a 12×12 Chimney Balloon, and so on…
Most round chimney flues are between 6″
to 12″ in diameter, so 95% of the time a 9×9 or 12×12 Chimney Balloon will match the application on a round flue. – Jason
by blogediter | Feb 5, 2018 | Chimney Problems
My chimney into the fireplaces firebox
Q: Does precipitation ever present a problem if it comes down the chimney and lands on the Chimney Balloon? Does it matter if it is snow, rain or whatever?- EL
A: Dear EL, Precipitation of any kind does not affect the Chimney Balloon, but sunshine is not good for the Chimney Balloon.
The UV in sunshine will break-down the rubber retaining ring on the interior of the Chimney Balloon. That is the reason we use Viton retention rings if you are going to use a Chimney Balloon in a skylight chute to stop cold air from coming in around a skylight.
If you get a significant amount of precipitation in your chimney you may want to seriously consider a cap. The freezing and thawing of moisture in a chimney can cause problems with the tuck pointing and the bricks.
Q: Jason, Since I don’t live between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, I don’t have to worry about the sun ever being directly overhead. So, UV from the sun is not a concern.
I don’t believe I have excessive precipitation as I live in New England in the US. But I do get some. I’m purchasing a house with many fireplaces. The heat is off this winter and I have noticed some small amounts of snow have accumulated in a couple of the fireplaces. So, my concern was about having this accumulation sitting on top of an inflated Chimney Balloon and eventually melting.- EL
A: I understand EL, Snow or rain will just sit on the top of the Chimney Balloon until it evaporates. It will not affect the material of the Chimney Balloon at all. – Jason
by blogediter | Feb 2, 2018 | Chimney Problems
Lingering burnt smell
Q: Dear Jason, I inflated the 15 x 15 Chimney Balloon and placed it above the damper to get rid of chimney smell. It’s much better, but I still smell it a bit after about a week. Any suggestions on how to completely get rid of the odor? Thanks, EP
A: HI EP, Fireplace odors can be tricky but here are some tips. Feel with your hand around the edges of the flue wall to make sure you have the Chimney Balloon installed as tight as possible.
If the positioning is good then it is likely that the firebox has some stinky creosote and ash residue that is creating the lingering smell. Make sure you vacuum out the firebox again really well with a shop vac. Then take a couple of boxes of baking soda and throw it all over the firebox surfaces blow the Chimney Balloon. Throw the baking soda against the firebox walls, against the damper, shake it out on the firebox floor and just basically coat everything with baking soda. If you have a hard time getting it to stick to vertical areas use a light spritz of water to get it to grab.
Let that set in your fireplace for at least 48 hours, or if you can stand the sight of it leave it for a week. The longer the better. Then shop vac all of it up. That should take care of the left-over smell. – Jason
by blogediter | Jan 31, 2018 | Chimney Problems
Flies in fireplace
Flies in Fireplace
Q: Jason, I have an awful fly problem, and I think they are coming down the chimney looking to get away from the outside heat. Will the Chimney Balloon stop flies for sure? – MH
A: Hi MH, From our conversation on the phone, I was glad to hear you had your fireplace cleaned recently. Sometime fireplace flies have to do with a dead animal in the flue, or pigeons using your chimney top as an outhouse. But since you have a screened chimney top and a clean flue we can rule that out.
Flies and wasps coming down through the fireplace is a very common issue, and the Chimney Balloon does stop them. Especially in spring and fall insects follow food and other smells down into the fireplace chimney and end up inside. We get this questions so frequently there is a section of our website dedicated to it: http://www.chimneyballoon.us/bat_wasps_in_fireplace.html and some other blog articles regarding wasps as well: http://www.chimneyballoonusa.com/blog/2009/11/help-wasps-are-coming-in-through-my-fireplace-damper.html
The key to stopping flies in particular is to get an accurate measurement. Here is a section of the website that outlines how to do that measurement: http://www.chimneyballoon.us/Chimneyballoonsizing.html also you can give me a call or email pictures if you want advice on the measuring.
Once you have the measurements we need to get a Chimney Balloon for you that is as close to your measurements as possible (even if we have to go with a custom size), so you get a perfectly tight seal. Flies and maggots can be persistent in their entry techniques so you don’t want wrinkles in the Chimney Balloon from the too much extra material. – Jason
by blogediter | Jan 29, 2018 | Fireplaces
Large fireplace Frank Lloyd Wright home with pull chain damper
Large fireplace in Frank Lloyd Wright home with Chimney Balloon installed
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”3/4″][vc_column_text el_class=”.underlinelink , .blackh3″]Hi Jason, This is an old fireplace that is brick and masonry. When I look up the chimney I see the long rectangular metal damper door that pivots in the middle, and two pull chains [or linked pull rods] on the left and right that open and close the damper door by flipping it from horizontal to vertical like a big carburetor choke. The area below the damper is 52″x17″. How can I size a Chimney Balloon for this type of fireplace? – AE
Hi AE, From looking at the photo it looks like the damper is set up about 12 inches vertically above the termination of the lintel. This will give you enough room to put a large Chimney Balloon under the damper. I see the walls taper some on the sides, but are reasonable straight up and down in the front and back.
I recommend we go with a custom size 52″x17″ Chimney Balloon below the damper. As you inflate the Chimney Balloon the chains will be pushed off to the side and the Chimney Balloon will seal around them.
BTW, you are going to want a pump to inflate this 52×17 Chimney Balloon. It takes a lot of air to fill a Chimney Balloon of this size. – Jason
***three weeks later***
Hi Jason, I got the 52×17 Chimney Balloon in the mail a few days ago and Saturday I got it installed. Attached is a photo of the floor looking up at it.
After I inflated it I noticed that about 2 inches of the belly of the Chimney Balloon are still visible below the lintel, but since the Chimney Balloon is clear it is not very noticeable. Especially since I keep the chain spark screen closed anyway. This isn’t going to negatively affect the seal the Chimney Balloon offers, is it? – AE
Hi AE, This large of a custom Chimney Balloon will be about 12 inches tall when inflated, so it is not too surprising is protrudes below the lintel a bit. However, the Chimney Balloon is clear and the fireplace is dark so you won’t notice it.
And, no the seal will not be affected by the Chimney Balloon hanging down below the lintel a few inches. The contact seal will be on the upper side of the Chimney Balloon anyway. If you use a strong flashlight to look through the Chimney Balloon, you will see how the Chimney Balloon sealed to the walls.
Good Job BTW with the measurements and the install. You handled that application like a pro! – Jason
