by blogediter | May 8, 2019 | Fireplaces
Q: Jason, I have a Majestic SR42A 42″ prefab wood-burning fireplace with gas logs. The damper is 8″ round and opens/swivels in the middle of the circle. The firebox is a trapezoid with approximate dimensions of 24 X 33 with the sides being 15″.
There is a front “panel” that seems to be angled inward making the 15″ sides taller at the top and smaller at the bottom. There seems to be sufficient room between the damper and the top of the fireplace opening (9″) for a larger Chimney balloon. The front panel may also make a good “shelf” for the Chimney Balloon to rest on.
I’m wondering if the best bet is to go with a smaller Chimney Balloon and install it above the damper with the extender or get a bigger Chimney Balloon and install it under the damper, in the trapezoid firebox area. My preference would be for easy installation and removal as we use our fireplace a lot in the winter. I don’t mind if part of the Chimney Balloon or pole shows. – CA
A: Dear CA, You have a couple of choices in how to install your
Chimney Balloon.
Option 1: If you plan on putting in the
Chimney Balloon and leaving it (ie. not using this fireplace much) than I would suggest you get a 9×9 and put it above the damper with an HEK extender. This configuration will get your
Chimney Balloon up and out of sight from the
firebox area and it will give you a nice tight seal in the
flue area.
Option 2: If you will use this gas log fireplace regularly and you are looking for the easiest place to install a
Chimney Balloon to take it in and out. I would recommend you get a 36×15
Chimney Balloon and install it right in the firebox below the damper. When your damper is closed the handle will be up and out of the way and you have a nice trapezoidal spot there that is 9″ tall to put the
Chimney Balloon in. The only downside is that you may be able to see the
Chimney Balloon a little bit in the
firebox. Also, you will want to be careful of the sharp edges on the damper handle bracket that I see in this picture that holds the damper up when it is closed. Those brackets can have a sharp edge on the tip of them so you may want to put a piece of tape over that spot so you can get maximum longevity out of your
Chimney Balloon. Sharp spots like that can tend to wear out the
Chimney Balloon early if you are installing and uninstalling regularly. – Jason
by blogediter | Dec 19, 2018 | Chimney Plugs
Gas log
Q: Jason – I have an old vented gas log that is crumbling and needs to be replaced. What is better to replace it with, a vented gas log or a vent-less gas log?-NW
A: NW- If you go with a vented gas log install you will certainly have to commit yourself to having the chimney damper removed or clipped or disabled in the open position according to current code for vented fireplace install. This means you will have a gaping hole to the outside
all the time. Many gas log owners are surprised to find that their fireplace flue damper has already been disabled when their original gas log was installed. The building fireplace code that states to disable the damper, is often an adequate enough reason for a homeowner not to go with any vented variety gas log.
In the vent-less model, you do get the benefit of retaining all of the heat if you keep the damper closed, but any of the CO, CO2, Nitrogen or moisture that it puts out will enter your living area as well. In the winter when your home is closed up you really want to minimize the extra pollutants you introduce to your already recycled inside air. This is not just with the fireplace, this goes for candles, sprays, paints and other pollutants. You obviously can’t avoid these items all-together, but do you want to introduce new contributors like a vent-free fireplace?
From our conversation on the phone, I am sure you have your heart set on a vented gas log, and you were just looking for brand-name references from me. But please take into account other options like electric fireplace inserts if you are looking for fireplace ambiance, or maybe even a candelabra with candles burned with the damper open as other suitable ambiance option that won’t cost you in heat loss. – Jason
by blogediter | Nov 21, 2018 | Gas Logs
Gas Burn
We have often fielded the questions about Gas log fireplaces and why a damper has to be removed or restricted when a gas log fireplace is installed. If a gas log fireplace was installed after 1991 the building codes state that the damper must be disabled or removed. Below is a portion of a Q and A session on www.doityourself.com about this very topic. You can see our Q & A writeups on this topic here. http://www.chimneyballoonusa.com/blog/vented_gas_logs/index.html
Here is the Q & A session from DoIt Yourself.com on gas logs and dampers:
Q: The folks who are buying my home, upon advice of their home inspector, have asked that I remove the fireplace damper prior to closing escrow. I’ve explained that this would be impractical since an open chimney would allow warm air to escape from the home during the winter months. They agreed with this point but insisted that dampers are unsafe when fireplaces have gas burners. This is a new one on me. Are the buyers right about removing the damper? -B
A: Dear Bl, Changes in the safety requirements for fireplace dampers were enacted in 1991, but current standards apply only to newly installed gas log fireplaces…. click here to read the rest of the article”
by blogediter | Oct 12, 2018 | Chimney Plugs
Chimney Balloon
Q: Jason – Somehow I knew I was making a mistake when I took the inflation tube off of the installed Chimney Balloon. I figured I would remember it was in there, no problem but I neglected to tell my wife about it and she fired up the gas log. So we know the safety release function works on the Chimney Balloon. What do I do now? This melted Chimney Balloon doesn’t look fixable. – TM
A: TM – Well the good news is the safety release function on the Chimney Balloon worked like a charm. The bad news is, your Chimney Balloon is irreparable. But we do have a $5 coupon on the website at http://www.chimneyballoon.us/chimneyballooncoupon.html. Send that coupon in with a check and the downloaded order form from the website and order fulfilment will honor the coupon. It is called the “I melted it coupon”. I’m sure you are aware of the safety function of the Chimney Balloon and why we created it to break away if a fire is lit under it, but in case you want to know more on the topic please see the blog entry on the Chimney Balloon and carbon monoxide and gas logs.
by blogediter | Sep 21, 2018 | Gas Logs
Gas Burn
Q: Jason, I have a wood fireplace right now but no supply of wood. I am thinking of converting to a gas log fireplace to supplement my home heat. What do you think? -CM
A: CM, I have my opinions on this but this story from a customer speaks so well on the subject I will share that with you instead:
“…If you live in a cold climate area I wouldn’t really recommend you do anything with a wood burning fireplace, but plug up the chimney and maybe put a few candles in it. Why?… because I learned the hard way that fireplaces and gas logs are excellent ways to suck money right out of your pocket.
A few years ago I thought I would supplement my heat by burning wood in my fireplace. Turns out my heating bill went up because the fireplace was sucking the air out of my house when I burned. So I converted to a gas log fireplace (which it sounds to me like you have a partial gas log setup right now that needs fixing.) Well, part of having a gas log installed to code is to disable the damper or clip it open. This was even worse! I was constantly losing heat and the living room was drafty.
I ended up plugging the chimney with a Chimney Balloon to stop the cold draft from coming down the fireplace flue. This was allowable under code since the Chimney Balloon would melt and fall out if I accidentally light a fire under it. You see, this stupid “disable the damper building code” is only there so people don’t light a gas log and leave the damper closed on accident and therefore asphyxiate everyone in the house or set the place ablaze.
OK, long story short…I ran up my heat bill and spent $500 on a professionally installed gas log only to end up with a fireplace I don’t use because it wasted too much heat. So I put candles in it and plugged it with a Chimney Balloon.” – Terry B
