by blogediter | Oct 17, 2018 | Chimney Plugs
Welcome to the Chimney Balloon Blog. This blog is specifically designed to be a searchable database to answer any question you could possibly have about Chimney Balloons and fireplaces. Most of the blog is composed of questions and answers that Chimney Balloon customers have emailed us about the product. We research our answers thouroughly and would like to share those answers with you.
Occasionally your host, Jason Raddenbach, will also speak on topics such as home energy conservation or his experiences with other home energy conservation products, both good and bad.
We try to keep to these fine boundries in our blog, but if you would like to chime in with anything, feel free. We may move our conversation to the “personal” catagory though if we get too far off topic.
by blogediter | Oct 15, 2018 | Chimney Plugs
Large Chimney
Q: Jason – I bought a Chimney Balloon at the end of March 2006. It was working fine until recently when it fell out of the chimney. I have reinflated it and replaced it in the chimney on 3 occassions but it keeps falling out. I believe that it has a slow air leak of some sort. What should I do? I do not belive that I still have the receipt. – MA
A: MA – It is very possible that this Chimney Balloon has developed a slow leak. Sometimes a sharp point on the damper hardware or a pointy outcropping in the masonry of the flue can agitate its way through the Chimney Balloon membrane layers over an extended period of time. This is especially true if you have extrodinary negative pressure in your home or a whole house fan. This actually creates a suction on the Chimney Balloon that can chafe it little by little until it causes a puncture. The good news is this is rather easy to remedy. Remove your Chimney Balloon and inflate it fully as you hold it in your hand. Look for any obviouse puncture spots and hold that spot near your cheek to see if you can sense airflow from that spot. If you do find a puncture use a piece of Packaging tape cut into an oval or circular shape (if you leave it in a square shape the corners can come loose) take that tape patch and put it directly over the puncture spot. This type of patch also works if you don’t have a puncture but if you wish to reinforce a certain area of the Chimney Balloon that may come in contact with sharp or abrasive hardware. Test your Chimney Balloon by keeping it inflated and out of your fireplace for 24 hours. If it doesnt loose any air then you have been sucessful. If you choose to… you can also send the Chimney Balloon to the returns department for a replace or repair. Send the Chimney Balloon to this address: Chimney Balloon USA Attn: Returns Dept 2123 N Pontiac Drive Janesville, WI 53545 Send only the Chimney Balloon itself (not the inflation tube or the instruction card) and a note saying you request a repair or replacement and describe the trouble you have been having with your current Chimney Balloon and the corrective actions you have already taken. Also include your address and contact info or your original reciept. The returns department will get back to you promptly. – Jason
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 | Oct 10, 2018 | Chimney Plugs
Chimney Balloon 96x33D
Q: Jason – I bought a Chimney Balloon a week ago and I thought I knew the size of my fireplace flue so I bought a 9×9 without measuring my flue or damper area. Now I see the tube type chimney is actually in need of a 12×12 to seal it up well. Can I exchange my Chimney Balloon? – TW
A: TW – The returns department will certainly work with you on this. Clean up your Chimney Balloon as best as you can and collapse and refold it so it is in as close to original condition as possible. If the Chimney Balloon is sooty from an attempted install, inflate it fully and rinse it off in your shower. Do not use anything abrasive (like a brush or brillo pad) to remove the soot. Just scrub stubborn spots with your finger or a little liquid dish detergent if needed. Keep the Chimney Balloon inflated and allow it to air dry overnight before you fold it up.
Package up your clean Chimney Balloon along with a copy of your receipt in a padded envelope, but DO NOT include your clear inflation tube or instruction card in the envelope. Write on your receipt a reason for the return and the size of replacement Chimney Balloon your require. Retain your inflation tube and an instruction card in your possession to use with your replacement Chimney Balloon.
Address your padded envelope to:
Chimney Balloon USA
Attn: Returns Dept
2123 N Pontiac Drive
Janesville, WI 53545
Be sure to use a Postal or courier service that has the ability to track your package. Chimney Balloon LLC cannot accept responsibility for a product that is not received. UPS or US mail with delivery confirmation is acceptable forms of tracking to ensure delivery.
When the returns department receives your returned Chimney Balloon they will test and inspect it to ensure it is in acceptable condition. Then a representative will contact you via phone or email to find out what size you require and help you with measurements.
In case you are wondering we do not sell returned Chimney Balloons as new on our website. We do further testing of the returned Chimney Balloons to ensure they are in “like new” condition. Then a couple of times per year we post our “like new” Chimney Balloons on eBay at a discount.
You can read more about this on the Blog about “Like New” discounted Chimney Balloons.
by blogediter | Oct 8, 2018 | Chimney Plugs
Chimney Balloon Installed
Q: How long does a Chimney Balloon last? Should I expect to replace it every year? – CG
A: The Chimney Balloon is warranted for 1 year from purchase. The average lifespan for a heavily used (installed and uninstalled more than 6 times per year) Chimney Balloon is 4-6 years. If you install it and leave it…it will last indefinitely and only requires an annual check to see if it needs a top-off on air. Some of our original Chimney Balloons are still working after 14 years. Personally, my Chimney Balloon has lasted 4 years and counting…I remove and install it about 4 times per year. – Jason
