This was a relatively interesting article on how Marketing and advertising efforts are focusing on Green Products in 2007. Here is a link to the article in Financial Times
http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/ggoMgAsyhTlVwSCibitAKhEI here is a long link to the article
]Q: Jason I have a 7 unit apartment building that has a very unusual setup for the fireplaces in each of the flats. In order for the fireplaces to draw well enough to use the fireplaces, I had to put an exhaust fan on the top of the chimney. Unfortunately, this makes all of the dampers whistle all the time because the dampers are not tight enough and the air is being drawn through them. Will a Chimney Balloon stop the whistle of the air through the damper? The diameters of the flues are 6″-8″ round stainless flue liners – EC
A: Dear EC, The Chimney Balloon will stop the air flow through the chimney but the stainless liners are a pretty slick surface for the Chimney Balloon to grab hold of considering there is an exhaust fan trying to suck it upwards. My suggestion is to use a 9×9 Chimney Balloon for each of the flues. When you install the Chimney Balloon take some string and tie the handle valve portion of the Chimney Balloon to something in the fireplace that is ridged and not going anywhere like the damper hardware. Leave some slack on the string. If the Chimney Balloon begins to be sucked upward by the fan this string tether will keep it from going too far. Also, if you leave slack on the string tether and the slack stays as it was when you installed it then you know the string is an un-needed precaution. The Exhausto fan can suck a lot of air volume through those small 6″ and 8″ flues, and I don’t want to see it suck your Chimney Balloon up into chimney oblivion.
Here is an article on Fireplace accessories and how to identify a quality fireplace accessory like a poker set or fireplace screen or doors. http://fireplacemantel.4houseandgarden.com/fireplace-accessories-for-every-household/
Here is an excerpt from the article:
“Two main factors that determine the purchase of most fireplace accessories are style and convenience. Style requires that the accessories you buy fit well with the design and look of the fireplace. Convenience refers to the ease of using the accessories. Without convenience, even the most stylish accessories are practically worthless, since you do mean to enjoy the warmth of your elegant fireplace (or do you really want a showpiece?)… ” Read more
Dear Jason,
We have used the Chimney Balloon for over a year now and it is like a weight lifted off our shoulders. We have tried many things to get rid of the smokey smell from our fireplace. We had even duct taped plastic sheeting over it. That worked for awhile until the duct tape lost its hold eventually and we were constantly pressing it down again to get a tight seal.
We had the chimney cleaned and a locking top [damper] installed. Even after spending several hundred dollars we were left with the same smoky smell. It was really bad on hot humid days!
Your [Chimney Balloon] product has been the perfect solution and now we have one less thing to worry about. Thank you so much!
Anna Marie B.
Lake Forest, IL
Q: Jason, Can the Chimney Balloon still work if we don’t have a chimney cap or damper on top? Will rain affect the Chimney Balloon? We have a damper below. – MM
A: Hi MM, The Chimney Balloon will still work in a fireplace that does not have a cap or top damper on the chimney. The precipitation does not affect the Chimney Balloon at all. As a matter of fact, an open chimney top is often the case with large older constructions buildings with fireplaces (especially pre-1900’s).
However, there is something to be said about what a large amount of precipitation does to the inside of your chimney. Bricks are porous and absorb moisture, so when your chimney is getting wet on the inside and outside it can be hard on the bricks and tuck pointing. Sealing off the flue with a Chimney Balloon will eliminate the air current that flows through the chimney that assists the chimney brick drying it out.
If this is a fireplace you use I would recommend you look into a metal screened cap for it. If this is a fireplace that you do not use at all and will not use in the foreseeable future, you may want to cover the chimney crown with some type of simple metal or wood weighted lid to keep the precipitation from having free access to the inside of the chimney. See the attached picture of a homemade chimney cover made with plywood and a birch log screwed together. If you do cover the non-used chimney up-top on the chimney crown make sure to leave a large clear note down below in the fireplace that the chimney is plugged at the top. You don’t want any unsuspecting person to start a fire in that fireplace with that cover on there.
If you have a vented gas fireplace I DO NOT recommend putting a Chimney Balloon at the top of the chimney at all. The Chimney Balloon is too far away from the heat source at the top of the chimney. If someone accidentally and unknowingly lit the fireplace and the Chimney Balloon was too far away to burst from the heat, that would result in a deadly CO backup in the house. So if you have a vented gas fireplace don’t risk it. – Jason
Q: Jason, We have been renovating an older home from the 70’s for quite some time and have just recently moved in. The problem is the drafty original brick fireplace. No unpleasant odors, just drafty cold air. We’ve done quite a bit to update the look, but now the beautifully tiled hearth is always cold as well as the entire room. (Even though we live in the South, our winters can get cold.)
We have resorted to putting a huge piece of cardboard in front of the firebox because we do not have any glass doors. It does seem to help but is not an acceptable permanent fix.
The damper does open and close but does not provide a good seal. There is an ash fire grate in the center of the firebox floor, from which I feel a small draft. The fireplace also had a gas “starter” which uses a key to turn the gas off and on (No pilot light). There is a good amount of draft coming from the opening around the key. This area does not seem, to be connected to the chimney or flu area so I don’t know if the Chimney Balloon would even help with this.
There appear to be some cracks in the fire bricks in the back of the fire box, which may also be contributing to the problem. Will the Chimney Balloon help? Do you think there are other things I could do to improve situation – glass doors, repair bricks… – DE
A: Dear DE, Since you just have a gas starter there you will be fine to use a Chimney Balloon as long as you make sure the gas is turned off completely with the key. Turning off the gas essentially is disabling the gas starter. Be certain though that the gas is completely shut off to the starter and you mark the key or gas tap with a note that the flue is plugged.
You have a few options of where to put the Chimney Balloon. If you have at least 8” of vertical lintel area below the damper handle you could put a Chimney Balloon in below the damper. If the damper is too low for that or the handle is in the way, you could also put a Chimney Balloon in just above the damper. Essentially you would open up the damper and use a folding carpenters ruler folded into an L shape to get a measurement up there. You would measure wall to wall from left to right and from front to back and that would tell you what size Chimney Balloon to get. The Chimney Balloon would rest right on top of the open damper.
Next, take a close look at the ash cleanout. You can remove the cover and measure the rough opening and install a Chimney Balloon into that ash chute. I am certain the majority of your draft is coming from air being exchanged between the ash chute and the chimney. This is a very common issue since and ash cleanout essentially is an air path that connects the basement or crawlspace to the chimney and results in a strong air pull through the fireplace that makes it cold.
After this, if you still have a draft coming from the keyhole, you can look into filling that with fireplace caulk if needed. – Jason