by blogediter | Apr 2, 2018 | Chimney Problems
Badbrick
Q: Jason, I purchased a chimney balloon last July. It got smashed by a falling brick that fell inside our fireplace chimney down to the fire box (a 2 story fall), so I need to purchase another one. It worked great until last night when a shower of brick, mortar, feathers, and leaves fell into our bedroom fireplace- yuck! Can you tell me what size I purchased last time? – CS
A: Dear CS, Last time you purchased a 12×12 Chimney Balloon. You may want to have the structural integrity of your chimney looked at if the spalling bricks are falling down inside your chimney.
If one brick falls then there could be more on the verge of falling. A good chimney sweep can tell you what your looking at for issues with this fireplace chimney. You don’t want to have a chimney that is in the habit of throwing bricks off on the inside or outside. Worst possible case scenario would be a chimney collapse, so this is nothing to mess with. I would have it checked out soon. – Jason
by blogediter | Mar 26, 2018 | Chimney Problems
Bat in Chimney
Q: Jason, We rent a very old house (150yr+). We are not sure how well the top has been capped. And we don’t think the damper works very well. I have had a bat in the house the last two years. I assume they have come in through the chimney. Absolutely hate this more than the drafting!! Do you think a Chimney Balloon will help? – JT
A: Dear JT, Chimney Balloons are used all the time by Chimney Sweeps and Animal Mitigation to keep out bats, bugs, and birds from coming in through the fireplace flue. If used correctly Chimney Balloons are quite effective at bat blocking. Bats are sneaky little critters so here are a few tips to use your Chimney Balloon to keep them out.
- When you size up your Chimney Balloon go for one that is a few inches over-sized in both width and depth. This will ensure that when it is installed there will be no gaps at all in any corner or crevice.
- When you install the Chimney Balloon inflate it as tight as you can with lung power. Normally I don’t recommend that you inflate a Chimney Balloon this tight, but bats can try to creep past the Chimney Balloon if it is too loose, so don’t give them any slack to play with.
If you have any questions about sizing up your application feel free to call the helpline 608-467-0229. – Jason
by blogediter | Feb 28, 2018 | Chimney Problems
Vacustack
Q: Jason – I cleaned our fireplace hearth several weeks ago and still notice a smoke smell in the living room. I did the vinegar fireplace smell deodorizer trick that you suggested in another article and had little results. On windy and/or rainy days, the smell is worse. I am thinking of purchasing a special chimney cap, such as a vacu stack, which would prevent downdrafts especially when a fire is burning. That would solve back-drafting when the fireplace is lit.
I am wondering, in addition to the cap, if the Chimney Balloon would stop the odor from coming into the room especially days after the fire is out. Just wanted your opinion on that. I also measured just above the damper and came up with 36″ X 14″. Which Chimney Balloon would I need? – PM
A: Dear PM, In order for the vinegar and baking soda trick to have a lasting effect in neutralizing the smell coming from the chimney the trick, is to seal the flue first so more creosote laced air doesn’t descend the flue into the room.
The 36×15 Chimney Balloon will fit well in a 36×14 flue and it will help you stop the smelly air from descending the chimney. It will all but eliminate the fireplace smoke smell as long as you install it in a low location (like by the damper).
The vacu stack (photo of one above) is great if your fireplace belches smoke during your burn from a deflecting outside downdraft that is pushing down at the chimney. This can sometimes be an issue if the chimney top is not above the roof-line or if trees deflect winds at the chimney.
If the issue is due to limited stack effect in your home then a vacu stack may not work so well. A fireplace that is smokey during the burn can have any number of issues causing the problem, but your Chimney Professional will likely be able to diagnose the issue.
by blogediter | Feb 16, 2018 | Chimney Problems
Smoke Backing Fireplace
Help! Smoke is backing up into my home from the fireplace!
One of the most common issues with fireplaces is they sometimes do not draft well. You open the damper and place your starter paper and kindling properly and ignite the fire…next thing you know you have smoke billowing into your home because the smoke does not want to go up the chimney. When this happens your fireplace is not drafting well.
The damper is open, so why does a smoke backup from my fireplace?
This could be happening for any number of reasons. Your house might be sealed up too tight, or you might have a bathroom or kitchen fan on that is creating back pressure into the house. There might even be a wind outside that is hitting your chimney just right and forcing air down the chimney. Whatever the culprit is, it would be better to know about it before you light the fire.
Know about a draft problem before you light the fire
Wouldn’t it be nice to know if you have a draft issue with your fireplace before you light that fire, so you don’t have the smoke backup? You can use a smoke pencil puffer (sometimes called a smoke stick) to test the draft of your fireplace before you light your fire. By pulling the trigger on a Smoke Pencil it allows you to make a small plume of smoke that will test your fireplace draft, and then immediately you can stop the smoke by releasing the trigger. Just watch the smoke to see if it lifts up the chimney like it should, or if it wafts back into the room. The smoke stick gives you a nice visible controllable smoke that is non-toxic and has a faint sweet smell that fades in seconds.
How much does a smoke pencil cost?
A Smoke Pencil puffer like this costs $25 and will work hundreds of times. If you have ever had to clean and deodorize your home after backing up smoke from the fireplace you know that $25 is a small price to pay to keep this from happening.
What else is a smoke pencil good for?
Besides using them in the fireplace, Smoke Pencils are also used to find air movement drafts in the home due to bad door or window seals, or other small gaps in the homes energy envelope. Home energy raters use Smoke Pencils to test homes for air tightness. HVAC professionals use them to see if they have sealed up a home’s ducts well. You can use them to test your homes HVAC ducts as well and see if you need to tape your ducts to save energy. Click here to buy a Smoke Pencil Puffer
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
