Have you ever sat in front in front of your fireplace on a cold day, when no fire is burning? Do you feel cold air coming into the room, even though the furnace is running? Or how about in the summer, when the air conditioner is running? Perhaps you sat in front of the fireplace on a hot day and felt warm air coming in from the fireplace? If that’s the case, you probably realize that the nice warm air from your furnace or the nice cold air from your air conditioner is being wasted. Unfortunately, this means larger heating and cooling bills. It also means that you probably have a problem with your damper. Fortunately, that’s an easy fix when you have a chimney company like Chimney Sweeps Plus close by!
Damper Systems
The damper in your chimney is usually located right above the firebox in your masonry chimney. It does two main jobs. First, it stops cold air from coming down the chimney when it’s not in use. Second, it stops the warm air that’s in your house in the winter – or the cold air that’s in your house in the summer from leaving your home via the chimney. Clearly, if your damper isn’t working correctly, you’re losing lots of money on your energy bill.
Dampers – Old Vs. New
If your fireplace is getting a little older, chances are you have a throat damper. This damper is located at the ‘throat’ of your chimney, right above the firebox. It is probably made of ceramic or metal and can withstand the heat that your fire puts out. However, over time, the chemicals that are released by the fire can corrode the metal or become warped and not fit snugly. Even without becoming warped, it’s hard to get a tight fit when you’re dealing with ceramic or metal. These days, there’s another option available – an energy top chimney damper!
Energy Top Chimney Dampers
A top sealing damper is one that will fit on top of your chimney, instead of down by the bottom. One of the strengths of this type of damper? It has a rubber gasket that will seal to the opening of your chimney when it is in the down position. Makes sense, right? With a tight seal, the air from your heating and cooling system won’t be allowed to escape through your chimney. Plus, you don’t have to worry about it being more difficult to use. Why? There’s a cable attached that hangs down and is within easy reach inside your fireplace, so it’s easy to open or close.
Damper Replacement
If you’re looking to replace your chimney damper, you should look at having an energy top chimney damper installed. Chimney Sweep Plus installs two high performance brands of energy top damper: HomeSaver Lock-Top dampers and Lyemance Energy-Saving Dampers. They can look over your chimney system and give great advice on which type of damper is best for you!
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