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What is a chimney damper?

Are you new to using a fireplace and wondering exactly how things work? Fortunately, fireplaces are fairly easy appliances to work. One thing you will need to learn about is your chimney damper.damper

What is a chimney damper?

A chimney damper is a small flap of metal at the base of your chimney flue. The flap sits within the seal. When the fireplace is in use, the damper is opened with a lever or chain to let smoke out. When the fireplace isn’t in use, the damper is closed to seal off the chimney opening.

Why are chimney dampers necessary?

Chimney dampers help your fireplace operate more efficiently. Without a chimney damper, the warm air from your home would flow freely up and out of your home through your chimney flue. Cold bursts of air also could blow down your chimney to chill your home. A chimney damper helps protect your home-heating bills by blocking off your chimney opening when your fireplace isn’t in use.

How do you use a chimney damper?

There’s not much to knowing how to use a chimney damper. Before you light a fire in your fireplace, open your chimney damper so that smoke can escape from your fireplace. After your fires have stopped burning, you will want to close your chimney damper to prevent air exchange through the chimney. Before closing your damper, you will want to be sure that your fire has completely stopped burning; if embers are still smoldering, your closed damper will prevent smoke and carbon monoxide from escaping your home. There are several different types of chimney dampers, and how you open and close your chimney damper will depend on your exact type of chimney damper. Some dampers are opened and closed by pulling a chain. Others have a lever or knob that is pushed and pulled to open and close.

How can you get more from your chimney damper?

Not all chimney dampers are created equally. When new fireplaces and chimneys are installed, they have a throat chimney damper. These dampers have a metal-on-metal closure that doesn’t form a tight seal. On top of that, they can rust or warp over time, making them difficult to open and close. While throat dampers are better than no dampers, they don’t completely prevent warm air from exiting your home or cold air from bursting down the chimney. So how can you get a better performance from your chimney damper? Have a top-sealing chimney damper installed. Top-sealing dampers are installed at the top of your chimney flue. They feature rubber gaskets to create a tight, complete seal when closed. Top-sealing dampers can help lower your home energy bills by preventing warm air from exiting your chimney.

If you are having problems with your chimney damper, call the Chimney Care Co. We can inspect your existing chimney damper, and if it’s due for replacement, we can outfit your chimney with a new, more efficient top-sealing chimney damper.

By Jeff Keefer | Tagged with: Tags: , , , | Leave a Comment

What is the state of your chimney flue?

Your chimney might appear to be in good shape from the outside, but what does it look like on the inside? Your chimney flue — the interiorchimney liner, heatshield, flue image portion of your chimney — does the majority of the work exhausting your fireplace. It deals with extreme heat from your fireplace, moisture from outside and corrosive creosote and soot. All of those things can lead to a breakdown of your chimney flue liner. That’s especially concerning when you consider that it is your chimney flue that protects your home from the smoke, heat, and flames from your fireplace.

Understanding the state of your chimney flue

So how do you know what state your chimney flue is in? That requires an annual sweeping and inspection from a certified chimney professional. During your annual sweeping and inspection, your chimney sweep will look for signs that your chimney flue isn’t in ideal condition. If your chimney flue is cracked, crumbling or corroded, your chimney sweep will recommend a chimney relining to shore up your chimney and keep your home safe from the byproducts of your fireplace. A chimney relining also might be ordered if your chimney suffers from poor drafting caused by a chimney liner that isn’t properly sized for your fireplace or heating stove.

About chimney relining

The good news about chimney relining is that it is a relatively quick and simple process. There are two primary options for relining your chimney:

  • Stainless steel chimney liner. If your existing chimney liner is failing, a stainless steel chimney liner can be inserted to your chimney. This option can be utilized for any type of chimney, but if your chimney currently has a prefabricated chimney liner, this will be the method used for relining your chimney flue.
  • Cement chimney liner. If you have a masonry chimney flue liner, you have a second option for relining your chimney: a cement chimney liner. With this method, a foam plug sized to your chimney is lowered down the chimney on a winch. Next, a specialized cerfractory cement, which is formulated to stand up to the heat, smoke and flames from your fireplace, is poured down your chimney. The specially sized foam plug is then pulled slowly up your chimney flue, smoothing the cement into place. The cement fills any cracks or holes in your chimney, providing you with a safe, air-tight chimney liner.

Want to know the state of your chimney flue? Call the Chimney Care Co.

If you are unsure of the state of your chimney flue, or if you are due for your annual chimney sweeping and inspection, call the Chimney Care Co. Our certified chimney sweeps will clean and inspect the inside of your chimney flue to be sure that it is in good repair and keeping your home safe from smoke, flames, and heat. If a chimney relining is in order, the Chimney Care Co. can reline your chimney with a stainless steel chimney liner. Call to schedule your inspection now!

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Chimney Care Company | 413 Wards Corner Road, Loveland, Ohio 45140