Free Shipping
If Chimney Balloons are square or rectangle, how do they fit in a round flue?

If Chimney Balloons are square or rectangle, how do they fit in a round flue?

by | Feb 7, 2018 | Chimney Plugs

Chimney Balloons

Q: Jason, The dimensions you give for Chimney Balloon sizes appear to be for rectangular or square openings. What size do I use if I have a 9 inch round diameter pipe? – SH

A: Dear SH, The Chimney Balloon inflates into place so the Chimney Balloon membrane only goes out as far as the flue wall allows it to. See attached images of a Chimney Balloon inflated in an 8″ ID clear tube. This allows the Chimney Balloon to fill a round or square area.

For a tube type fireplace flue that is circular in shape, you would measure the diameter of the flue and buy a Chimney Balloon that is the same size or slightly larger. So an 8″ or  9″ diameter flue would require a 9×9 Chimney Balloon and a chimney flue that is 10″ to 12″ in diameter would require a 12×12 Chimney Balloon, and so on…

Most round chimney flues are between 6″
to 12″ in diameter, so 95% of the time a 9×9 or 12×12 Chimney Balloon will match the application on a round flue. – Jason

How to plug a round 8″ flue pipe with a swivel damper?

How to plug a round 8″ flue pipe with a swivel damper?

by | Jan 17, 2018 | Chimney Plugs

Q: Hi Jason, Here are a few pictures of my fireplace damper and round flue pipe. The diameter is 8″ in the flue pipe. What size Chimney Balloon do you suggest? – LG

A: Hi LG, This application is one of the most common styles of damper and flue that we run into. These pre-fabricated fireplaces are very common, but the butterfly damper that you have there is notoriously leaky. The great news is yours looks like it has never been used, so you will have no soot to deal with when you install a 9×9 Chimney Balloon. Take the deflated Chimney balloon and slide it in past the open damper. Put a couple of puffs of air into it and make sure it is installing nice and horizontal. Then inflate it the rest of the way until it tightens up, and close the valve. The 9×9 install is very easy to do. – Jason

#1: I Have a Round Butterfly Damper High Above the Firebox. How Do I Plug the Flue?

#1: I Have a Round Butterfly Damper High Above the Firebox. How Do I Plug the Flue?

by | Aug 22, 2017 | Fireplaces

#1: I Have a Round Butterfly Damper High Above the Firebox. How Do I Plug the Flue?

1-1 Closed Round Butterfly Damper High

1-2 Open Round Butterfly Damper High

1-3 Where to Measure

Fireplace #1: Butterfly Damper 3 Feet above the Firebox

These high-up butterfly center pivot dampers are usually in prefabricated zero clearance fireplaces made by Heatelator.  Here are the characteristics:

  • The damper handle that opens the circular center pivot damper is usually on the outside lintel face of the fireplace.
  • You will notice that there are horizontal slats cut in the sheet metal just below the closed damper.

Those vent slats below the round damper gives you a pretty good place to tuck in a square Flueblocker. Measure the area below the damper (Image 1-3), and buy a Flueblocker that is a little larger than that area. Most of the time it requires a 12″x12″ Flueblocker, or a 16″x16″ trimmed down to fit. Just make sure you keep that pressure fit by having the pad be larger than the hole.

 

Because this install location is up out of reach, you will likely need to buy some extra 6″ Handle Extenders for your Flueblocker.

 

#3: I Have a Round Butterfly Damper with a Handle Attached. How Do I Plug the Round Chimney?

#3: I Have a Round Butterfly Damper with a Handle Attached. How Do I Plug the Round Chimney?

by | Aug 21, 2017 | Fireplaces

#3: I Have a Round Butterfly Damper with a Handle Attached. How Do I Plug the Round Chimney?How Do I Plug the Flue?

3-1 Open Round Butterfly Damper with Handle

3-2 Closed Round Damper with Handle

above the zero clearance fireplace damper

3-3 Flueblocker above Round Damper

Fireplace #3: Butterfly Damper in a Round Chimney with a Handle on the Face of the Damper

OK, so you have a butterfly damper with a hinged handle attached to it. Sometimes these are inset into the chimney a few inches (image 3-2). Sometimes they are right at the bottom of the chimney, and the chimney widens out to the firebox immediately below the damper (image 3-1). These sheet metal butterfly dampers pivot in the middle like a carburetor choke, and are often in bad shape, rusty and warped. After-all they are just made of sheet metal, and they are in a caustic and heated environment.

Wood Burning Fireplace Users:

Option 1: If you have space below your damper.
 If you are lucky enough to have a small 1”or 2” vertical bit of chimney pipe sticking down below the closed damper before the pipe opens to the firebox (image 3-2). This is the perfect spot for a Round Flueblocker. You can tuck the Flueblocker against the face of the damper. But you will have to cut a slit in the edge of the wool pad for the damper handle to come down through.

Just make a diameter measurement of the hole below the damper (image 3-2), then buy a Flueblocker that will fit in that hole. Or buy one that is a bit big for the hole, since you can then trim it down to fit with a sharp pair of scissors. Here are some examples:

Example 1:  You measure 8” diameter = You buy a 9” Round Flueblocker

Example 2: You measure 9” diameter = You buy a 9” Round Flueblocker

Example 3: You measure a 11” diameter = You buy a 12” Round Flueblocker.

Note: Flueblockers are physically a little bit larger than their labeled size. This is so they can press in to fit and hold in place by pressure tension.

Option 2: If you do not have space below your damper and it immediately opens to the firebox.

If there is no room below the damper (image 3-1), you will have to go with a Flueblocker ABOVE the damper (image 3-3) The wool pad is  semi-rigid, so getting it up past the damper can take some pivoting and maneuvering. You may want an extra 6″ handle extender to make your handle longer.

Gas Log Users: If you have a gas log set in this fireplace, you have a decision to make.

Here are your two options:

  • You can turn off the gas line to this fireplace and put in a small 9×9 or 12×12 Chimney Balloon just above the damper. This way if a house guest come over and fires up the gas logs without asking, he won’t back up exhaust fumes into the house. The Chimney Balloon will burst and fall out, since it is designed to do that. The downside to this, is the Chimney Balloon is an inflatable and not as durable as a Flueblocker.
  • You can turn off the gas line and remove or fully disable the gas log set and then put in a Flueblocker. The Flueblocker does not burn away if you light a fire under it. If you do light a fire under a Flueblocker fumes will back up into the house. DO NOT do that!

#2: I Have a Circular Center Pivot Damper with No Handle. How Do I Plug the Round Flue Pipe?

#2: I Have a Circular Center Pivot Damper with No Handle. How Do I Plug the Round Flue Pipe?

by | Aug 18, 2017 | Fireplaces

#2: I Have a Circular Center Pivot Damper with No Handle. How Do I Plug the Round Flue Pipe?

2-1 Round butterfly damper

2-3 Where to Measure

round Flueblocker chimney plug installed

2-4 Flueblocker above the damper

round Flueblocker installed below the fireplace damper

2-5 Installed Below the Damper

Fireplace #2: Butterfly Damper with External Handle

The good news about this application is there is no damper hardware to fight with around the damper door. The damper handle is usually on the outside lintel face of the fireplace. Sometimes those handles don’t even work, because they get disconnected or rot out. But that doesn’t matter, because we don’t need them anyway!

Wood Burning Fireplace Users: Believe it or not, this application makes you very lucky. You will notice that there is a small 1”or 2” vertical bit of chimney pipe sticking down below the closed damper before the pipe opens to the firebox. This is the perfect spot to install a Round Flueblocker below the damper door (image 2-5). Or you can install the round Flueblocker above the damper (image 2-4).

Just make a diameter measurement of the hole below the damper (image 2-3), then buy a Flueblocker that will fit in that hole. Or buy one that is a bit big for the hole, since you can then trim it down to fit with a sharp pair of scissors. Here are some examples:
Example 1:  You measure 8” diameter = You buy a 9” Round Flueblocker
Example 2: You measure 9” diameter = You buy a 9” Round Flueblocker
Example 3: You measure a 11” diameter = You buy a 12” Round Flueblocker.

Note: Flueblockers are physically a little bit larger than their labeled size. This is so they can press in to fit and hold in place by pressure tension.

Gas Log Users: If you have a gas log in this fireplace, you have a decision to make. Here are your two options:

Option 1) You can turn off the gas line to this fireplace and put in a small 9×9 or 12×12 Chimney Balloon just above the damper. This way if someone fires up the gas logs without asking, they won’t back up exhaust fumes into the house. The Chimney Balloon will burst and fall out, since it is designed to sacrifice itself if introduced to flame. The downside to this, is the Chimney Balloon is an inflatable and not as durable as a Flueblocker so it will wear out after time. Also, you will have to install the Chimney Balloon above the open damper.

Option 2) You can turn off the gas line and remove or disable the gas log set and then put in a Flueblocker. The Flueblocker does not burn off if you light a fire under it. If you do light a fire under a Flueblocker fumes will back up into the house. So DO NOT light a fire under it.