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The fireplace flue walls slant under my damper, where do I put the Chimney Balloon?

The fireplace flue walls slant under my damper, where do I put the Chimney Balloon?

by | Jul 23, 2018 | Chimney Plugs

Chimney Balloon sizing

Q: Jason, I have read in your Chimney Balloon sizing instructions that I need to find a location in my flue or firebox to install a Chimney Balloon that has roughly parallel walls on at least 2 sides so the Chimney Balloon can lodge itself in place during installation. In my fireplace 2 sides of the walls of the firebox taper upwards to a damper that is controlled (or actuated) by 2 chains (See picture). Does this mean I can measure the area below my damper (where the ruler is in my picture) and install the Chimney Balloon there? If yes, what do I do with the chains? – SH

A: Dear SH, Thank you for the picture, that did help to clarify what you are looking at. And yes, you can measure and install the Chimney Balloon in the area below your damper in this case. When you install the Chimney Balloon either push the chains to the side or allow them to rest on the top side of the Chimney Balloon. To get the proper sized Chimney Balloon you will want to measure the area where your folding carpenter’s ruler is at in this picture. If your measurement is 24″x28″ then buy a Chimney Balloon that is at least that size and it wouldn’t hurt to buy one slightly larger in both width and length. – Jason

I have stuck fireplace dampers, they appear to be rusted shut and they are drafty.

I have stuck fireplace dampers, they appear to be rusted shut and they are drafty.

by | Jan 24, 2018 | Fireplaces

Stuck Fireplace Dampers

Q: Jason, I have two fireplaces in my house and would never use them because fireplaces are a MAJOR SOURCE OF POLLUTION AND SHOULD BE BANNED!

Anyway, the top fireplace was used by previous owners and the damper is in pretty good condition. The bottom damper wasn’t used much and ironically the damper is warped a bit and also rusted so that I can’t open it. How can I use a Chimney Balloon in this application? – BT

A: Dear BT, Because of the acids and moisture in Chimneys it is very common to find rust and corrosion on the damper like you found in your lower Chimney. It is also very common to find a warped and rusty damper even after little use. That is part of the reason that dampers are made so loose fitting. The heating and cooling process causes this to occur in almost any damper situation.

It is possible to install a Chimney Balloon below the damper as long as the walls are parallel and the Chimney Balloon has a point of contact on all sides and the damper hardware does not interfere. Otherwise, above the damper is the best location. – Jason

Note: In this particular situation we found some WD40 and persistence can loosen a stuck damper. Once the damper was open we got a measurement of the smoke chamber above the damper and got a Chimney Balloon to fit that area.