Since we’ve already done our measurement and we know we have a 9-inch round flue, we can use a 9-inch round Flueblocker.
The Flueblocker is a one-inch thick wool disc that’s sewn together with an air barrier into the middle.
You prepare it by screwing in the handle. It’s very durable and it’s easy to take in and out.
Chimney Balloon is a 9 x 9 Chimney balloon inside of a 9-inch round tube.
You attach the inflation tube to the bottom and then prepare the material by pulling up on the white cap and stretching the sides. After you do the your measurement that means you would use a 9×9 Chimney Balloon.
Take out one Chimney Balloon out of the package and connect up the inflat tube and then prepare the Chimney Balloon by grabbing hold of the white cap on top pulling the chimney balloon up and scrunching in the side.
When you have the blue wadded up in one hand, we can go into the chimney and tuck it past the flue damper. Take the Chimney Balloon and put it in past the flue and then put a couple of puffs of air into it it and close the valve.
If you need to remove the Chimney Balloon, open up the valve and it will start relaxing. Crumple up and bring it down.
Measure and install a Chimney Balloon
Q: Who can come out to get the size needed for the installation of the Chimney Balloon? Do they install? – MR
A: Dear MR, If you prefer not to do the sizing and install of a Chimney Balloon yourself, you can have your local chimney sweep, insulation contractor or handyman do it.
It is good to have a chimney cleaned every so often anyway to remove dangerous creosote buildup. When the chimney sweep comes over to clean your chimney you can show him or her the sizing page on this website (or you can email them about it in advance) and they can certainly size a Chimney Balloon up for you according to the directions. It is a very simple measurement, so it should not cost any extra in labor in addition to the cleaning.
Installation of a Chimney Balloon is even easier than measuring for one, but your handyman or chimney sweep can handle that too. That will likely cost you another house call though. – Jason
Side note: I hate to have to admit this about my own industry, but some service contractors use a simple house-call to upsell a customer to death! If your contractor is suggesting a new chimney liner or expensive cap to fix your fireplace problem, get a second or third opinion. We have talked with too many homeowners who have spent thousands on their chimney only to find they could have fixed their problem with a $50 solution.
Q: Dear Jason, Attached is a picture of a very large fireplace in our 260 year old home. You will also see another picture of the flue are of this fireplace at eye level when I am standing in the fireplace. As you can see this is a very large fireplace (10 feet across) and it has no damper at all. I am afraid to think how much heat is wasted up the flue in the winter since it is also a very drafty fireplace. How big do you make your custom size Chimney Balloons? The measurement of the area in the flue just above the pot-holding bar in the second picture is about 23″x92″. How much does a Chimney Balloon of that size cost, and when can I get it? – CW
A: Dear CW, This is certainly one of the largest fireplaces we have sized for a Chimney Balloon, and fortunately we do make a 23×93 Chimney Balloon. That is pretty close to our maximum size (the largest we can make them is 96″x40″).
A 23×93 Chimney Balloon is not inexpensive since it is of triple construction, it cost $243. However, the cost of this Chimney Balloon will pail in comparison to the cost of the heat that is pouring our of this fireplace flue. I find it remarkable that this fireplace does not have any type of damper on it at all. That is essentially like having a full size door wide open all the time. Considering you live in New England you should recoup the cost of the Chimney Balloon in saved heat in a matter of a few months.
A custom of this size will take about 14 days to build and another few days to get to your door. I will see what I can do to speed the process up for you. You will notice an extreme difference when you install it. – Jason
Q: Hi Jason, my fireplace is a sort of rectangular shape (more like a trapezoid) measuring 26 x 14. It goes straight up at those dimensions, then changes to slanted pieces of sheet metal up to the damper that is a circular opening 8″ in diameter. I’ve attached my attempt at a drawing. I’m not really sure what size Chimney Balloon I need. Can you advise, please? – CC
A: Dear CC, The diagram helps quite a bit. Thank you for sending that. In this particular case, I would install the Chimney Balloon just above the damper. A 9×9 Chimney Balloon with an HEK extender attached will give you the length of handle you will need to get it installed in the proper place. I would assume from your circular flue that you have either a butterfly damper (one that picots in the middle) or a drop-down damper (hinged on one side and it drops down like a trap door). The 9×9 and HEK combination will work well with either configuration. – Jason
The Chimney Balloon will stop drafts in your chimney when you’re not using your fireplace.
All you have to do is tuck it up into the flue when it’s deflated and you can inflate it by mouth or use an air mattress inflator. This is going to expand and insulate your flue.
It’s very easy to use when it comes to a variety of sizes and to deflate it. All you have to do is turn the valve.
I’ll put some more information underneath the video.