by blogediter | Oct 29, 2018 | Chimney Plugs
Issue: Millions of households across the United States are losing precious heat through inefficient, warped and improperly sealed chimneys. And it’s not just northern region homes.
According to Department of Energy statistics, chimney flues properly sealed for winter months can save more than 30 percent on an average heating bill. Calculated during a four-month period, a medium-sized home can save $300 each winter season.
So why are so many not utilizing technologies offered by products like the Chimney Balloon? Difficult to install, don’t have the time, don’t know what I can do, and where do I start, are just a few of the remarks Jason Raddenbach hears as he educates homeowners on heating efficiency. Simply put, the Chimney Balloon is a product designed to stop heat from escaping up the chimney during cold months, and cold air from leaking out of the home during summer months.
It’s a specially engineered polyethylene bag-like product available in hundreds of sizes. It’s easily installed by inserting the bag into the chimney flue, and inflating the bag until the edges are securely sealed against all sides of the flue. The balloon requires a yearly maintenance check and can be effective for more than five years. Available on the web at www.ChimneyBalloon.us and a cost of approximately $40, it’s a simple solution for an expensive problem.
by blogediter | Oct 26, 2018 | Save Energy
Q: Jason, I am going to place an order with your company and if it works, I am going to place your company’s information in every mailbox in my neighborhood. I would never have thought of such a simple solution. And I am serious, if this balloon does what you say it will do, you will have some free advertisement here in I***, California!!
Wish me luck!, KB
A: KB, Thank you for your interest and exuberance in Chimney Balloons. If you have any questions about measuring your fireplace for a properly sized Chimney Balloon please feel free to call our customer helpline 608-467-0229, or you can email customer service through the website www.chimneyballoon.us/contactus.html for assistance. Chimney Balloons have been helping hundreds of thousands of fireplace owners worldwide since 1989 save heat and energy. We are certain you and your neighbors will have a positive experience with our product. If you have any concerns or questions please feel free to contact us.
Don’t forget to review the sizing page before ordering http://www.chimneyballoon.us/Chimneyballoonsizing.html
by blogediter | Oct 24, 2018 | Chimney Plugs
Q: Jason, I have a Large 36×15 Chimney Balloon and over the period of 1 week it tends to get soft and let outside air blow by it. It doesn’t get totally limp or fall from the chimney. Is this normal? RP
A: RP, No it is not normal. The Chimney Balloon is designed to be airtight and should only need a little extra air every 12 months. It probably has a small pin-hole at the seams and as it loses a little air pressure the pinhole closes and keeps it from going totally limp. The Poly tri-laminate that makes up the balloon portion of the Chimney Balloon is a very tough material that resists stretching and abrasions very well but occasionally a sharp bit of metal or hardware in the flue can puncture all 3 layers of a Chimney Balloon and cause this to happen.
The fix is very easy. Find the hole, cut an oval patch out of some thick gauge packaging tape, and tape over the hole. The toughest part is finding the hole. What our testing and return personnel does to find and patch a pinhole is:
- They inflate the Chimney Balloon with a cordless air pump until it is drum tight full. Then they pass the Chimney Balloon under a showerhead to make sure all the soot residue has been removed, and they dry the Chimney Balloon off with a rag.
- Then they hold the Chimney Balloon about 3 inches from their eyelashes and pass the entire surface of the Chimney Balloon past their eyelash. The cheek and the eye are so sensitive to air currents that it will be easy to sense when the pinhole passes by the eye or cheek and blows air at it. they then inspect that area closely with a flashlight to find the exact spot that the hole is at.
- They cut an oval patch out of very thick gauge 3M packaging tape and they place the patch over the hole so there are no bubbles or wrinkles under the patch.
- Then they let the Chimney Balloon set for 48 hours fully inflated to make sure it doesn’t lose any air.
If you want to do this on your own you are welcome to do it yourself. Or you can mail it to our return testing lab with a note explaining the situation. They will be happy to do it for you and return it to you free-of-charge. Here is the link to the contact info for our return lab: http://www.chimneyballoon.us/contactus.html
by blogediter | Oct 24, 2018 | Chimney Plugs
Q: Jason, Why is the Chimney Balloon made of such thin feeling material? Why don’t you beef it up some? – RB
A: RB, I know that you mentioned that you are concerned about the gauge of plastic that the balloon is made from. I’m glad you mention that because there is a good reason for the design and we don’t often get a chance to explain it.
You probably know from the website that the Chimney Balloon is made from a proprietary poly tri-laminate. We had this plastic made especially for Chimney Balloons. We could make the Chimney Balloons out of a thick gauge single layer extruded plastic for a whole lot cheaper but there are many good reasons we don’t.
1) In order for a balloon to conform to the surface of any chimney (metal, brick, mortar, etc) lumpy or smooth. It has to be a supple material that conforms in any shape or lump.
2) Garbage bags are made of multilayers to make them stronger and more puncture resistant, same can be said of Chimney Balloons. The outer layer is designed to absorb the abrasions and scrapes of installs. It is also designed to be a bit softer than the other layers so it can grab hold of the surface inside the chimney. That is why the Chimney Balloon looks scraped up after you have installed it. That is the outer layer doing its job. The middle layer is the structure of the Chimney Balloon and gives it most of its rigidity and strength. The inner layer is a vapor barrier that ensures the Chimney Balloon is airtight.
It took 5 years of research and tweaking to come up with the tri-laminate that we use today on Chimney Balloons. 4% of our total product sales are returned due to the customer buying the wrong size, but less than 1% come back due to a puncture or cut. Most of those can be fixed easily by our test lab and they continue to work for years after.
Jason Raddenbach
by blogediter | Oct 19, 2018 | Chimney Plugs
PVC Tube
Q: Jason, The opening immediately above my fireplace damper is large, but it tapers down to a 12″ oval flue. The round flue is 40″ from the top of the damper. Problem is that your extender is only 16″ long. Can you put two of the extenders together, or make a custom long extender? -TJ
A: TJ, Working in your fireplace can be a messy business. So don’t forget those safety glasses.
That said, there are “unofficial” ways to get a 16″ extender to reach further. Keep in mind what I am about to share is not manufacturer approved modifications for your Chimney Balloon or extender.
Some people daisy chain two extenders together, and this is perfectly acceptable.
Other customers have been known to disassemble their extender and reassemble it with a longer PVC tube section (see image at left) since the extender tube section is the same ID as a standard 5/8″ ID PVC pipe often used in electrical conduit. Sometimes these tricks work and sometimes they don’t. The image here was sent to us from a customer, and it was about 4.5 feet long. It was difficult to get in the fireplace opening. If you do decide to modify your own extender don’t make it more than 32″ long. But again this is a non-approved modification. – Jason
