The fireplace damper is an important part of keeping your home warm and saving energy. I’ve not had my hands too deep inside of a chimney before, but have cleaned and checked functionality of my own dampers many times. The flue may be too small for the stove, may be clogged or the fireplace damper half-shut. It depends on if your fireplace has doors or not. draft and larger flue areas to overcome cross currents. ... is the one time to partially close the damper to limit airflow through the stove. The double-sided fireplace spews so much smoke that it's unusable. FREE Shipping. A damper at the base of the chimney is known as the check damper. After the fire has burned for around 15 minutes (depends), the damper must be closed to … Skip navigation. Some people try to operate the fireplace with the damper closed partially, in an effort to get more heat into the room. Flueblocker 8"x24" Rectangle Chimney Sheep Wool Wood Stove and Fireplace Draft Stopper Plug Damper. 1 0. LPT: The damper on a wood-burning fireplace should only be fully open when you start the fire, once going, it should be closed half way, or so, to keep the fire's heat inside and burn wood efficiently. Should I be putting more logs on, and the damper more open? Additionally, our daughter has asthma and my better half can be a little irrational when it comes to these things. Read More. 99. The damper is commonly referred to as the flue, however it is … Of course, you will need to open the fireplace damper if you are using your fireplace for cooking. When you are ready to light a fire, open the damper completely. IT can't be good for the damper or the stove for it to slam open. Unlike the firebox and the chimney, which only serve a purpose when you've got a roaring fire going, the damper plays an important role when the fireplace is both active and inactive. An open damper is like an open window, allowing huge amounts of heated air to escape. A damper functions like an open valve, allowing a lot of amounts of heated air to escape outside and not completely stay indoors. Connecting these four points (a, b, c and d) gives the outline of the inside face of the combustion chamber. The Vestal Multi-Opcning Damper is designed for an economic One must remember that when you are about to start a fire on your fireplace, the damper should be … A fireplace damper can stick open or shut, and in either case, it's so important to have it fixed ASAP. My wife says she smells a whiff of gas now and then. The fireplace did not have an original damper and I put a chimney top swing damper … A leaky or missing fireplace damper can cost as much as several hundred dollars of heat loss right up your chimney. The opening is now 30 inches wide and 29 inches high. The blower is on, the entire time. Masonary chimney encased in stone on the outside HVAC Technician: Rick , HVAC Supervisor replied 4 years ago Some don't. Fireplace Damper Installation Time. To light a fire in a fireplace, start by making sure the damper on the flue is open so that smoke doesn’t come into the house. okay, maybe this is obvious, but as I consider the hopeful near future of my insert install I got to looking at my fireplace. When we open the flu half way or more we smell nothing (maybe a wiff now and then but my Dad has a vented set says he gets a whiff now and then too). The total area of the fireplace opening is found by multiplying the finished open width by the finished open height (A x B). Coronavirus Update: We care about your health and continue to service our customers safely. 2. 24 Hour Emergency Service. These locations may correspond to the function of the damper as well. Our fireplace has a damper which controls the amount of combustion air allowed into the burn chamber. Start a fire. Most damper repair and replacement work can be done in a half day or less. Light a roll of newspaper and hold it against the open damper to send warm air into the flue. The problem is unless the fire is in the back half of the box it still smokes. Tips on controlling indoor air pollution. Serving the entire Twin Cities. Read more about Fireplace Inserts/Back Panels Our range of fireplace inserts, back panels and fireplace chambers help in building your perfect fireplace. DIY or Hire a Pro. for a distance of one-half (1/2) the rear chamber wall dimension, thus locates Points c and d. On line A-A, measuring from Point I one-half (1/2) the fireplace opening dimension in each direction, thereby defines points a and b. Removing a fireplace damper is a common part of a chimney renovation that homeowners come across. These dampers are open by lifting the handle up, pushing the damper upwards, and pinning the damper in the upward position by setting one of the notches on the handle onto the mounted ratchet on the frame of the fireplace. 1 decade ago. They are not designed to be half open/half closed. We've got conventional replacement fireplace dampers, chimney top dampers and components. Problems with the flue can make the fireplace operate inefficiently or impede the draw effect and the proper venting of exhaust. It also lets you burn a fire in your fireplace safely without filling your home with smoke and odors. ... then holding the lit end close to the open damper inside the firebox to warm up the air in the flue. If you are unsure of how to choose the right fireplace damper for … If your fireplace smokes heavily and the damper if fully open, the flue could be blocked at some higher point by soot, creosote debris, a trapped animal or even a bird nest. 763.772.0815. If your fireplace is located in the basement, you may even be able to feel air coming down the chimney. Once I get a good fire going, I have been burning one log at a time with the damper 25% open. The damper on the VC Resolute is one where it is either open or closed, nothing in between. An open damper with no fire in the fireplace will let sufficient air go up the chimney to replace all of the air in your house 5 times in just one hour. If you have an open fireplace, you don't have much choice but to leave the damper wide open. How to use the fireplace damper to control the fire 1. 1. Unfortunately a damper is designed to be either wide open or wide closed. 5.0 out of 5 stars 1. Often times there isn't enough room to pass your stainless steel chimney liner through the damper opening, so you may need to remove the fireplace damper or at least a portion of it, when connecting a wood stove or insert. Open the fireplace damper all the way when starting a fire. The draft should reverse after a few minutes, making your fireplace ready for action. The throat damper is 6 inches and it seems that this is a common size. It is an older Resolute model 0042 I think with the two doors with glass. Knowing how to use a fireplace damper properly can save money on your utility bills and keep your home safe. I have a much more sensative nose and do not so long as I open the damper before opening the door set to turn the unit on. I usually need to put a new log in, after an hour and a half. Then, crumple 5 pieces of newspaper into bundles and place them on the grate. Karen L. Lv 7. A fireplace damper helps the fireplace retain heat when it is not in use. The check damper (back-draft damper) at the base of the chimney is responsible for … When the fireplace is in use, an open damper prevents smoke from filling up your home by giving it a way out through the flue. FIREPLACE OPENING: Correct proportioning of the fireplace opening has a great deal to do with how well the fireplace will function. The damper opens half way, this fireplace is 54" wide firebox. Therefore, we suggest fireplace cooking for only after the rains have passed. damper throat should be increased proportionately. I make fireplace dampers up to measure, trying to keep as large an open area as possible when the damper is open to make sure the fire still goes well, after installation. $64.99 $ 64. There are plenty of reasons you should be on the lookout for water coming through your chimney or fireplace. Thanks If the damper is closed, smoke will come out of the chimney and enter the room. To wedge it (somehow) half open during a fire would bring in a bit of heat into the room but would be dangerous because … Any insight would be great. And after the fire is definitely out, make sure the damper is completely closed or heated air from other heat sources will go up the chimney. HY-C SCADJ-L Shelter Adjustable Clamp On Single Chimney Cover, Fits Outside Various Sizes of Existing Clay Flue Tile, Large, Black Galvanized Steel. If you are without hot water in the wake of a hurricane, you can use your fireplace to heat water for washing up, washing dishes, and even hand-washing clothes. One of the easiest ways to tell whether or not your damper is open is by starting a fire. If you are starting the fire or have put in new wood, the damper should be open. To build a fireplace, there are four factors to consider; hearth, surround, insert and stoves , fireplaces . I suspect that the biggest problem is the flue that is clay tile and approximately 8 x 12. We are looking at a ~38,000 BTU model w/ variable remote. Poker Damper. The size of the opening also determines the correct size flue lining to use. Fire- places With one side open are much less affected by cross currents within the room than fireplaces with multi-open- The multi-opcn side fireplace necessitates stronger sides. Burning questions: reader's forum on solid-fuel for '95 * Open the fireplace damper completely before lighting afire, and keep it open until the ashes cool themselves down. It needs for me to push the handle down hard and even then occasionally it pops up about 29 min later. If you can control the amount of air going into the fireplace, you can certainly close the damper a bit after the fire is established-in conjuction with closing the draft. In addition to mold or mildew, there are many ways water can damage your home, chimney or fireplace: Rusted or deteriorated damper or firebox assemblies; Rusted fireplace accessories or glass doors; Stained chimney interior and exterior throat damper. The last common location damper is the fireplace door damper. I suspect this sounds like a strange setup but I am trying to evaluate whether we could use a ventless gas log set with the damper open. Fireplace Damper DIY Guide. 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