by blogediter | Nov 30, 2018 | Chimney Plugs
Lock top damper cable
Q: Jason – I currently have a chimney cap installed with a stainless steel wire and handle on the end which is mounted to the side of the firebox on the face of the brick. The metal damper is removed and this wire extends up through the smoke chamber and up the flue to the cap. Can I still install a Chimney Balloon? – JR
A: JR – This type of damper is often referred to as a Chimney Top Damper. Many are made by a company by the name of Lymance or Seal tight.
Yes, you can use a Chimney Balloon in this configuration. As the Chimney Balloon inflates it will envelop the wire (as in the picture above). You will find the double draft protection of the chimney top damper and the Chimney Balloon together to be very effective. Here is a link to an article that talks further about lock top chimney top dampers and Chimney Balloons work together http://www.chimneyballoonusa.com/blog/2007/11/my-lock-top-or-.html – Jason
by blogediter | Sep 24, 2018 | Chimney Plugs
Clean Your Own
This is a summary of a phone conversation I had with a very nice older woman in a North suburb of Chicago. I will refer to her as Mrs. G:
Mrs. G: Thank you for the information on the Chimney Balloon. I hired a chimney sweep to come to my home so I could have him measure to fit a Chimney Balloon.
Jason: That is a great idea. I know you expressed concern about getting your old damper open as it has rusted closed. How did that work out for you?
Mrs. G: It went well but the chimney sweep suggested an Exhausto Chimney Fan so I can seal up my chimney. He said it would cost about $900 to install one.
Jason: Exhaust makes a very good product Mrs. G. but I thought you said you do not use this fireplace at all?
Mrs. G: I never use this fireplace but the sweep told me this was a good way to stop heat loss through the chimney.
Jason: Well the Exhausto does have a feature that tops the chimney when it is not blowing, but if you really want to top your chimney it would be best to just have the sweep cap the chimney with a top cap plug.
Mrs. G: The sweep told me that the Exhausto will keep me from losing heat out the chimney and act as a top sealing damper.
Jason: Yes, but primarily the Exhaust is made to draw air up the chimney. It is perfect if you had a chimney that did not draft well and you use it often. In my opinion, You would be better served to get a more economical top sealing damper, like the ones made by Lymance, if you are looking to seal the fireplace at the top and you would like to still have the option of using it. If you don’t plan to use the fireplace and you never have, and if you have no known smoke draft problem, you would be wasting money by installing an exhausted. Is this Chimney Sweep someone that you know and trust.
Mrs. G: Well, this chimney sweep is from the yellow pages, I have not used him before. But he says he knows what he is talking about. He thinks this will work to create the right amount of air in my chimney so it won’t be cold anymore.
Jason: Mrs. G. I think this guy is trying to up-sell you and does not have your best interest in mind. I would call another sweep and have him look at your fireplace. Ask him if he thinks a Chimney Balloon or a top sealing damper would work best for you.
Mrs. G: Well I already have signed the estimate for the Exhausto so they are installing it tomorrow since they had a cancellation.
Jason: Mrs. G I would encourage you to call to see if you can have this guy let you out of that estimate. I really encourage you to have another person look at this first. We can look up some reputable chimney sweeps through the National Chimney Sweeps Association and get you another opinion.
Mrs. G: Maybe that would be good I will call him and call you right back
Jason: OK, in the meantime I will look up some reputable sweeps in your area. I will have you a few phone #s by the time you call back.
Mrs. G: OK Jason, thanks, goodbye.
Mrs. G never called me (Jason) back. I can only assume this chimney sweep talked her into the installation again. I didn’t care if she bought a chimney balloon or not. I actually thought a lock top damper may be what she wants. But I knew for sure an exhaust was going to be overkill.
by blogediter | Sep 5, 2018 | Chimney Problems
Cable Coming Down the Flue
Q: Jason, I have a 113-year-old house with 6 fireplaces … they were originally coal-burning units .. they all have the damper on the top of the chimney … will the Chimney Ballon work with that configuration? -GB
A: Dear GB, WOW 6 fireplaces! that has to be some kind of record! It is very wise that you have a chimney top damper on these chimneys, however, the chimney top damper still allows the warm air of your home to rise up into the chimney and cool in the chimney and sink back down. You may notice a slow cool release of air from your fireplaces. That cool air is likely not outside air but just cooled inside air sinking back down again.
I have had customers with chimney top dampers that have used the Chimney Balloon on the bottom of their chimney in addition to their top damper and it has made a difference. With 6 chimneys the difference would be significant.
Q: Jason, thanks for the response … one of my concerns is if the damper cable will interfere with the Chimney Balloon sealing properly.
A: Recently a homeowner in Detroit asked me the same question you are asking when he ordered 3 Chimney Balloons for his home. He had Lock-top dampers just like you, on all three chimneys as well. After he installed the Chimney Balloon he reported that it sealed just fine despite the cable & chain. The balloon simply presses the chain against the flue wall or expands around it causing no leak or draft. You can install the Chimney Balloon with the cable tight or relaxed. The image above is a picture of the Chimney Balloon installed with the damper cable relaxed. But here is an article with a picture of a Chimney Balloon with the cable tight: http://www.chimneyballoonusa.com/blog/2007/11/my-lock-top-or-.html
– Jason
by blogediter | May 23, 2018 | Chimney Plugs
Chimney Balloon Flue Cable
Q: Jason – Can I install a Chimney Balloon just above my fireplace damper opening if I have a cable going through the flue up to the chimney top lymance damper? Right above the damper, the cable is about 3″ away from the wall of the flue. The trouble I am having with my current damper is the fireplace is smelly and it stinks like the campfire all the time, even when I haven’t had a fire for months. – GJ
A: GJ, Yes it is possible to install a Chimney Balloon with a lock-top cable on the side of the flue. The Chimney Balloon will wrap around the cable as it inflates, but it takes some planning to apply the Chimney Balloon properly. Here are 3 steps to keep in mind.
Step 1) When you measure above your flue buy a Chimney Balloon that is a little oversized. For Example, If the cable is 3 inches away from the side of the flue buy a Chimney Balloon that is 3″ too big in both width and length.
Step 2) Carefully, feel the cable before you install the Chimney Balloon. It may be sharp so be careful. If it feels frayed or pokey or flat on one edge then you will have to wrap it with some tape to protect the Chimney Balloon. If you don’t, the cable will poke or cut into the Chimney Balloon as it envelopes the cable, since that tight cable can cut like a knife.
Step 3) DO NOT open and close your lock top damper with the Chimney Balloon in place. If you do this the cable will saw into the Chimney Balloon.
The picture above is a photo of a customers damper with a Chimney Balloon that has a cable for a lock-top (you can see the cable on the lower left side of the picture.)
by blogediter | Aug 31, 2017 | Fireplaces
#50: I Have a Chimney Top Damper with a Cable Coming Down. How do I Plug the Flue?
50-1 Chimney Top Damper Cable Coming Thru Old Damper Frame
50-2 Chimney Top Damper Cable Entering the Firebox
50-3 Lymance Brand Top Seal Damper on Chimney Top
50-4 Damper Cable Decending Flue Tile and Smoke Shelf
50-6 Damper Cable Descending into Firebox
Fireplace #50: Chimney Top Damper with Cable Down the Flue
These retrofitted chimney top dampers come in a variety of styles and brands. They are currently a very popular solution for replacing traditional throat dampers. These are their characteristics of top-sealing dampers:
- They have a long cable or chain that descends from the damper apparatus at the chimney crown (image 50-3) to the firebox (image 50-6).
- The chimney cable locks into a bracket mounted on the side of the firebox. (image 50-6)
- If there was a lower traditional throat damper in this fireplace, it was removed or cut out to allow the cable to come down (image 50-1).
- These top-sealing dampers can be used in round flue liners, or in square flue tile (image 50-4)
The nice thing about these chimney top dampers is they are easy to open and close, and they are suitable replacements for aged and rotted throat dampers that are hard to get parts for or rebuild. The downside to these top-dampers is they tend to trap in chimney odor and can sometimes feel drafty even when they seal tightly. Bottling a chimney at the top is problematic in many ways.
The Flueblocker is the durable solution
For this application, go with a Flueblocker. Here is a video on how the Flueblocker works.
- Take a quick measurement of the narrow opening just above your firebox (Image 50-1). Often this will be the old metal damper frame of an old throat damper
- Buy a Flueblocker that a little large than the hole. It pressure fits, so it doesn’t hurt to have a little extra material. Just don’t buy one that is too small.
- The Flueblocker is a wool pad with extra hems, so you can trim it to size with sharp scissors.
- You can cut a small slit in the edge of the wool pad for the top-damper cable to come down through. That way you can keep the top damper closed ,and have the Flueblocker installed.
