by blogediter | Sep 5, 2018 | Chimney Problems
Cable Coming Down the Flue
Q: Jason, I have a 113-year-old house with 6 fireplaces … they were originally coal-burning units .. they all have the damper on the top of the chimney … will the Chimney Ballon work with that configuration? -GB
A: Dear GB, WOW 6 fireplaces! that has to be some kind of record! It is very wise that you have a chimney top damper on these chimneys, however, the chimney top damper still allows the warm air of your home to rise up into the chimney and cool in the chimney and sink back down. You may notice a slow cool release of air from your fireplaces. That cool air is likely not outside air but just cooled inside air sinking back down again.
I have had customers with chimney top dampers that have used the Chimney Balloon on the bottom of their chimney in addition to their top damper and it has made a difference. With 6 chimneys the difference would be significant.
Q: Jason, thanks for the response … one of my concerns is if the damper cable will interfere with the Chimney Balloon sealing properly.
A: Recently a homeowner in Detroit asked me the same question you are asking when he ordered 3 Chimney Balloons for his home. He had Lock-top dampers just like you, on all three chimneys as well. After he installed the Chimney Balloon he reported that it sealed just fine despite the cable & chain. The balloon simply presses the chain against the flue wall or expands around it causing no leak or draft. You can install the Chimney Balloon with the cable tight or relaxed. The image above is a picture of the Chimney Balloon installed with the damper cable relaxed. But here is an article with a picture of a Chimney Balloon with the cable tight: http://www.chimneyballoonusa.com/blog/2007/11/my-lock-top-or-.html
– Jason
by blogediter | Aug 29, 2018 | Chimney Problems
Dust and Ash
Q: Jason, I rent a very old house – built 1927 and I have 5 unused chimneys. Besides helping with the drafts and the odors – will the Chimney Balloon also stop some of the dust that is coming in through the old chimneys? – EL
A: Hi EL, Yes, The Chimney Balloon will offer a tight seal that will stop the dust and soot from falling down your chimney and circulating about the house in two ways.
1) The Chimney Balloon will close off the fireplace low and tight to eliminate the air movement that transports the dust.
2) The Chimney Balloon will also seal off the dust that is up in the chimney so it cannot fall down to the firebox area. Some people also use the Chimney Balloon to prevent Asian beetles, bats, wasps, spiders, and other little critters from entering their home through the chimney flue.
I hope this answers your question thoroughly. – Jason
by blogediter | Aug 22, 2018 | Chimney Problems
Q: Jason, I have two issues. The website indicates that the chimney pillow should go above the damper. Our damper is about 4 feet up the chimney chute. It’s attached to a chain and when open, the damper bisects the flue in an up and down position. Would we still position a pillow above the damper? How?
Also, We have a set of vents below the damper on all four sides. There are about 6 horizontal vents per side and they extend from right below the damper to about 8 inches below. Can I install over those? – SS
A: Dear SS, It sounds like you have a Heatelator brand fireplace. I have done many installs like this one you described. As a matter of fact, there was a condo association in IL that had hundreds of these Heatelator fireplaces with butterfly dampers and vents underneath just as you described. See attached picture.
You will find a small ledge just above the firebrick lining the firebox. That ledge is a perfect spot to install a 36×15 Chimney Balloon. That area is trapezoid in shape but the 36×15 will have enough material to plug it anyway. See attached picture of Chimney Balloon installed. – Jason
by blogediter | Aug 15, 2018 | Chimney Problems
[vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern”][vc_column][vc_row_inner row_type=”row” type=”full_width” text_align=”left” css_animation=””][vc_column_inner width=”1/4″][vc_single_image image=”2601″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” onclick=”link_image” qode_css_animation=””][vc_column_text el_class=”.caption” css=”.vc_custom_1516055029460{padding-top: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 30px !important;}”]
Flies in fireplace
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”3/4″][vc_column_text el_class=”.underlinelink , .blackh3″]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 a too much extra material. – Jason[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row]
by blogediter | Aug 6, 2018 | Fireplaces, Chimney Problems
Fall and Winter
Q: When I light my wood burning fireplace, my gas furnace pilot light on the other side of the house blows out. How do I stop this? – ST
A: Dear ST, Well without actually seeing this particular situation in action it is hard to tell. Two major questions are: How old is the furnace, is this an open fireplace or enclosed fireplace?
If I had to take an educated guess…I would say that the stack effect in your home is rather strong, and the draft is accelerated through your furnace when you light the fireplace and this is blowing out the furnace pilot light.
When you open your fireplace damper there is heated inside air immediately rising out of the chimney. As you light and stoke a fire the volume of air escaping your house through the chimney is higher and higher. That is why heating with an open fireplace is a losing battle. Since your home has to take in air in other areas to replace the air it is loosing out the flue, your normal drafts in your house (around baseboards, outlets, doors, windows & furnace flues) are under pressure to allow in more and colder outside air. This type of increased draft could be what is blowing out your furnace pilot light.
This has the potential to be a dangerous situation so you will want to have an HVAC tech over to check the furnace draw during the fireplace use. – Jason
by blogediter | Aug 3, 2018 | Chimney Problems, Gas Logs
Downstairs fireplace
Q: Jason, I live in a main-floor condo with one upstairs neighbor. We have separate chimneys that are contained in one wood encasement. When my neighbor is burning a fire in his fireplace I have a strong smoke smell in my condo. My best guess is that the smoke is getting in through the top of the chimney. Is the seal on a Chimney Balloon tight enough to prevent this from happening?- MH
A: Dear MH, Maureen, This is a classic case of smoke crossover from one chimney to the other and it is a very common issue especially in apartments and condos, but it happens in homes with more than one chimney as well.
The answer to your question is, Yes, the Chimney Balloon will stop the smoke and odor from entering your home through the chimney. Your condo is “breathing in” through the chimney (which is often the path of least resistance for air entry into a home). And your neighbor’s condo is outputting smoke right next to your chimney. After putting in a tight-fitting Chimney Balloon your home will no longer be taking in air through the chimney. The air will find another entry point that is easier to draw through like a window or door jamb. This change of entry point will prevent the smoke from entering your condo. – Jason
Followup:
Q: Jason, I figured an update might help someone unsure if this product works. I received and installed my Chimney Balloon a week ago and it has made a drastic difference! I am no longer smoked out! What a relief! Because my chimney was very small(9″ round),(and my damper door was angled in such a way that it was impossible to get my arm around it)I had a friend come over and help me remove the damper door, position the Chimney Balloon, and then reattach the damper. I am so glad I did. Thank you!- MH
A: Dear MH, Sometimes the damper hardware can be very difficult to contend with. I’m glad you applied your ingenuity to get past the troublesome damper hardware to solve the smoke chimney crossover problem. As you found the Chimney Balloon will seal the chimney flue tightly so the home will not “breath” through the chimney anymore and take in the other chimneys smoke. – Jason
