Get it as soon as Thu, Dec 24. Adding glass doors to the front of the fireplace can significantly improve its airtightness, as can tightly fitting a piece of plywood or rigid foam board under the damper opening. 4.6 out of 5 stars 45. If you leave the damper open, regardless of whether it is hot or cold outside, it will allow outside air to draft in and counter the effects of your heating and … The two types of gas fireplaces function differently. Off in the summer. What can we do for you? Another way to tell is by feeling the breeze. If the lever is in the open position, your flue damper should be open. Now if you have a warm/hot fireplace the number up the flue is higher by a factor of 3. Glass or ceramic doors that can be closed once the fire is burning will prevent the flow of air from the room into the fireplace, and allow more air around the fireplace to be heated. The damper is a rotating metal trapdoor that when closed, … $16.99 $ 16. I just noticed it today for the first time and it was in the up position. I know you're supposed to close the flue during the winter so your heated air doesn't get sucked out through the chimney, so is it good to leave it wide open in the summer so warm air will get pulled out of the house? Promotion Available. The flue is not open and I'm wandering if it should be. A damper that is left open typically won’t help to cool down your home in warm weather, and so it’s not necessary to leave your damper open in the summer. The damper should always be open when a fire is burning in the fireplace. If your damper has been damaged by water, animals, or has lost its seal due to age, it may be time to have it repaired or replaced. It’s easy to check if a throat damper is open or closed since it’s built into the fireplace and can be seen at the top of the firebox. $7.99 $ 7. The combustion chamber is actually totally closed off. Should A Fireplace Damper Be Open In Summer? It may be best to open the flue when you light the candles. The damper should always be open when a fire is burning in the fireplace. Do keep a carbon monoxide detector in service as a safety precaution. Start a small but smoky fire in your fireplace, say using papers or tinder alone. Both let air conditioned air out of the home. Are flues for gas fireplaces different? If you can see up into the flue, the damper is open. If it's dark out or you're not sure, you can reach your hand up to feel for the flue. This can be especially bad during the hot, humid months of summer if your chimney has significant creosote buildup. The damper can be closed or open. Opening the damper in a fireplace before starting a fire to avoid smoke damage to your home. Why Close it? This is usually done in the summer, but also sometimes in the winter between uses. In the summer, an open fireplace damper is like an open door. Open Gas Fireplace Open Gas Fireplace Logs Open Gas Fire Can i cover the louvers on my fireplace or insert face. Inefficient Fireplace Increases Your Summer Cooling Costs. (Insert confusion here.) Do keep a carbon monoxide detector in service as a safety precaution. Get it as soon as Thu, Dec 24. It might be an ornery old beast, but you should be able to open/close the flue. If can see the sky, the flue damper is open. A fireplace flue is designed to lead smoke outdoors when your fireplace is being used. Another cautionary note: A wood-burning fire must be completely out and the ashes cold before the damper can be shut or other sealing is put into place. The final common myth our chimney contractors often hear is that the damper does not need to be closed, because the chimney cap protects the chimney system. The lever position does not guarantee the damper position however, and many people forget which direction is which, so a visual check is a good idea. Depending on how hot/cold it is where you live, numbers 1 and 2 can significantly reduce your cooling and heating bills. A properly installed damper should be able to prevent a draft when it is sealed. What can we do for you? When it's open, you'll feel a rush of cool air in the fireplace and see an open vent. Here are the creative solutions I came up with. Hi. JO: Yeah, I moved into this house about 12 years ago and the gas logs were already here. Start a small but smoky fire in your fireplace, say using papers or tinder alone. This is not true for every fireplace some, especially pre-fab type, the damper is either open or closed.. no middle ground. If a fire is lit and the damper is closed, the gas and debris have nowhere to go but into the house, causing a smoky situation. In order to be a responsible fireplace owner, the first task you must do before enjoying a fire is checking to see if the fireplace damper is open or closed.. Why You Should Check. You’ll pay $3,500 to $8,000 or more, depending on fireplace quality and the amount of remodeling … We pride ourselves in building a long lasting and trusted relationship with each of our customers. Close the flue. A fireplace damper, chimney damper, or “throat damper” is a metal plate located at the top of your chimney’s firebox. A closed damper helps to: So… Open or closed? Likewise, what does closing the flue do? The damper allows heat and smoke to escape when open and prevents animals and cold air from entering when closed. So I’ve fished her out and let her go. However, I’m afraid if I leave the flue closed and she falls, she won’t be able to get back up to her nest. At the Chimney Safety Institute of America, we receive a lot of questions from homeowners who want to prevent heat from escaping through a chimney. Here are simple techniques on how to tell if a chimney flue is open or closed. As I see it, you've got 2 choices. Wait, don’t light your fireplace just yet. If you need help with your damper, chimney cap, chimney, or fireplace, call Nexus Chimney Services today. However, the opposite is true. This duct within your chimney includes a damper that can be opened or closed by a lever or pull chains, in most instances. 99. You know the flue is open if you can see the sky or have a throat dumper. The damper should always be fully open before lighting a fire and when the fireplace is in use. Before you build a fire or strike a match, open your damper and visually inspect it to confirm it's open. TOM: No, not slightly open; all the way open. If can see the sky, the flue damper is open. The controls used in dampers may vary. The thinking behind this theory is that, since warm air rises, any warm air in your home will travel up and out of the flue. How to Open Your Fireplace Damper – (Poker, Rotary, Double Pivot) Posted on March 19, 2018 by Clay Lamb. It sits right above the firebox, separating it from the rest of the chimney system. You can use a flashlight to shine a light up the chimney when doing the checks. If the damper is closed, then the smoke will come out of the chimney and fill out the room. This duct within your chimney includes a damper that can be opened or closed by a lever or pull chains, in most instances. Determine the position of the flue damper. The flue gases are exuded to the outside via a separate flue duct. A flue directs smoke outside of a home when a fireplace is in use. In my home, I had several closed fireplaces to deal with. In others, you need to push or pull to open the flue while in others it is by turning a knob in the clockwise or anticlockwise direction. ©2020 The Indoor Haven Our Apex Chimney Inspector Explains How to Stop Chimney Swifts, How to Close Out Your Fireplace for Spring & Summer | Nexus Chimney. Another common myth about dampers is that leaving them open during the summer helps air out the chimney. So, is your chimney flue closed or open? One common misconception about fireplace dampers is that leaving them open will help keep your home cool. Even when a fireplace damper is closed, the sealing is often not very effective. Included as part of this conduit within your chimney is a damper that may be opened or closed as needed. Although all fireplace users understand how important it is to have the damper open when the fireplace is in use, few understand that it is equally important to close the damper when the fireplace is not in use. I tell folks to get the damper closed soon as possible after a fire. Given the two scenarios above, it means you need to this opening accordingly, and you can do it through the damper. Check up into the chimney from your fireplace. Some folks have commented about how the room with the fireplace as always cold or had cold drafts and sure enough they had not checked the damper and it was open. ... Stanbroil Damper Clamp/Damper Stop Clamp for Fireplace Flue. The damper is the small metal flap you can open and close when looking up inside your fireplace and into the chimney flue system. The glass doors act like a fire screen would, and keeps the sparks and stuff inside the fireplace. A fireplace is a huge source of drafts from the cold outdoors. If a fire is lit and the damper is closed, the gas and debris have nowhere to … Call our chimney company in Cary, Apex, and Raleigh for a free chimney installation, cleaning, or repair estimate! You should be able to dampen the flue as you would with a wood fire to slow burn rate. Is my flue open or closed? Its job is to seal off the firebox from the rest of the chimney, and can be opened or close with a lever. Close it when it's not it use. Its purpose is to control the amount of smoke and air ventilation that drafts upward through the flue system. Pic1 Pic2 Pic3 It's not the flue, that's in the top center front of my fireplace. By the way, an open system does not mean that there is no glass plate at the front side of the stove. Upper Deck Solid Brass Metal Open/Closed Fireplace Damper Sign Hanging Flue Pull Hook. 4.3 out of 5 stars 28. If the flue is open, the smoke will go out of the chimney without any problem. When the fireplace is not in use, the damper should always be closed. Should A Fireplace Damper Be Open In Summer? 4.2 out of 5 stars 17. A functional damper opens and closes easily just by using the handle or lever. It makes sense, then, that during the summer and other times when your chimney is not in use that you should use something like a Chimney Balloon to prevent HVAC-treated air from escaping. During winter keeping it closed when not in use Komentar Edit separating from! Feature then you need to have the chimney the firebox into the flue circulation in your fireplace, say papers... Tell by the draft it creates damper Sign Hanging flue pull Hook dedicated to serving your.... 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