I have a huge fireplace with no damper. How big do you make your Chimney Balloons?
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
