Chimney Balloon fireplace damper

Slotted vents under the damper, How do I close off the fireplace flue?

Q: Jason, I have a Heatilator Mark 123 fireplace that has a fireplace damper that is actuated by a pull chain. It is very cold in the winter and I can feel a draft come down and out of the fireplace. I see that you recommend putting the Chimney Balloon in above the damper, but the damper is about 3' up in this application. Also, just below the damper the walls of the flue in this area are perforated by a series of linear vent slots in an area that is about 10" vertically. The firebox of this fireplace is trapezoid in shape (25" length in back, 32" length in front and 16" from front to back) and lined with firebrick. There is a slight 1" ledge just above the firebrick and then the metal flue immediately starts gathering upwards like an upside down funnel. My question is...where to I install the Chimney Balloon? Above the damper, below the damper, or just above the firebricks and the firebox? - FF

A: Hi FF, This Heatilator fireplace is a very common fireplace (especially in condos) and we are often asked about this particular application. We have found that it is possible to put a Chimney Balloon in any of these locations you mentioned, but installing a Chimney Balloon just above the firebox on the 1" ledge is by far the easiest install point.

How to do the Low Install at the 1" Ledge:
Take a 36x15 Chimney Balloon plug and unroll it out of the package so it is flat. Hold the Chimney Balloon by the valve handle in one hand and connect the inflation tube to the balloon, and then connect the other end of that inflation tube to a Chimney Balloon pump. You will find it is easier to do this install with a pump since you will need both hands to get the Chimney Balloon into place as it inflates.

Tuck the balloon material around all 4 edges of the ledge that is just above firebox while you hold the balloon in place with your other hand. When you have the balloon roughly in place turn on the pump and it will start to inflate. As it inflates continue to hold the balloon in place with one hand by holding the handle valve. At the same time use your other hand to continuously work the edges of the balloon material and make sure it is staying above the ledge as you inflate. As the balloon gets tighter you will feel it start to grab and lodge itself in place.

* Note* Do not adjust the position of the Chimney Balloon while it is fully inflated. If you need to adjust its position leave the valve open and let some air escape first so the balloon will be more pliable.

The Chimney Balloon may be slightly visible from the hearth since the install is very low, but the clear Chimney Balloon is hardly noticeable especially if you close the spark screen.

How to do the High Install just above the damper:
For a bit more of a challenge you can install a 9x9 Chimney Balloon in the flue just above the damper but you will need an Extra long 26" HEK Extender for the handle (the 26" is a special sized HEK extender that is not listed on the website yet, so you will need to call in you order). Attach the extra long HEK extender  to the 9x9 Chimney balloon and unfold the flattened balloon, so it is perpendicular to the long handle. Put the Chimney Balloon through the open damper so the handle sticks down through the open damper door and then inflate the balloon into place. It is a bit tricky to get the balloon to inflate flat in an area that is so high, so you may want to have your folding carpenters ruler handy to prod it into place if necessary. This higher install also seals well, it is just a little harder to do.

- Jason

Blower Door Testing and the Fireplace Chimney "Soot Puff"

I love going to tradeshows because it is a time that service professionals like Energy Raters and Chimney Sweeps can give us feedback on the applications that they use the Chimney Balloon in. At the 2009 ACI Conference in Kansas City some energy auditors told us about how they use the Chimney Balloon to solve a very common fireplace soot issue during blower door testing.

Every  rookie energy rater makes this mistake at least once. You go to a home to do an energy audit and just go straight to setting up the blower door kit. You look around the house and close up all the exterior doors and windows but completely neglect to look at the fireplaces. You fire up the blower door and suddenly notice a gathering grey soot cloud billowing from the livingroom. You know what you did wrong, you forgot to seal the fireplace. But it is too late...you already sucked a bunch of soot down the chimney and into the home. This makes the homeowner pretty ticked off and is not a good first impression.

Sometimes this even happens if you have the fireplace damper closed. Chimneys are filled with dust, and loose soot and metal dampers are notoriously leaky, so when you bring a house down to -50 pascal you can suck an enormous amount of air through the chimney and that will draw the loose soot and dust down too. It is like taking a drinking straw that has dust lined on the inside of it and briskly inhaling through it. *cough*cough*

The old school method is to take a wet towel and toss it over the ashes in the firebox, but that doesn't do anything for the soot that comes down the chimney. Or you can take plastic and tape it around the hearth to try to seal it that way but bricks are difficult to seal against and the tape can leave residue. Also this takes time to cut and tape off the plastic.

The easiest thing to do is keep a couple of the common sized Chimney Balloons handy (like a 9x9, 12x12, 24x12 and 36x15) and an Chimney Balloon pump handy and quick inflate a Chimney Balloon in the fireplace before you start the blower door. This solution is quickand easy, and it seals nice and tight so you don't take any chances.

The energy raters I spoke with offer Chimney Balloons to their customers as an additional product in their energy rating. So when they put the Chimney Balloon in, they bring the homeowner over to show them what they are doing and explain how sealing off the flue is a benefit not only for the blower door test, but also for saving energy long term as well. 99% of the time the homeowner then asks the rater to just leave the Chimney Balloon in place and bill them for it. After all, it is probably one of the least expensive and simple improvements the homeowner can make that will significantly improve the blower door test results.

Smoke Pencils - How long do they last?

Jason, How long can I expect the 3oz bottle of smoke fluid that comes with the smoke pencil last me? Can I buy additional smoke fluid for the smoke pencil puffer, and if so, what is the link for that? Thanks, -TW

TW, When using the smoke pencil lighly depress the trigger for about 5 seconds and make a nice small trail of smoke that will linker for about 30 seconds. this works well if you are testing door weatherstripping or window seals. If you use the smoke pencil in this manner you can keep the smoke generating for hours and hours and not even use a full ounce.

What really uses up the smoke fluid quickly is if you are making a big puff of smoke with the smoke pencil. Say you hold the trigger down for a minuite and hit the puffer trigger a few times to make a nice big plume of thick smoke. You may want to make a big plume of smoke like this if you are testing the draft of a large fireplace. If you do this 3 times you may use about a 1/10th of an ounce which is about the amount the reservoir tank on the smoke pencil will hold. So even if you are making big plumes of smoke you may use it 100 times before you need more smoke fluid. - Jason

Sideways Chimney Balloon install, Is it OK?

Q: Jason, When I went to install my 9x15 small Chimney Balloon I got it in there a little sideways. Is it OK the way it is, or should I remove it and install it again? It is sealing tight and no more air is comming through. - EC

A: Dear EC, The Chimney Balloon is in there a little sideways. The handle valve should be coming straight out the bottom of the balloon through the old damper opening, but if it fills the void and stops the air passage that is the most important thing. It certainly won't hurt anything to have it in the flue that way you have it. - Jason

Fireplace smoke backing up into your home? Test the chimney draft first.

Help! Smoke is backing up into my home from the fireplace!: One of the most common issues with fireplaces is they sometimes do not draft well. You open the damper and place your starter paper and kindling properly and ignite the fire...next thing you know you have smoke billowing into your home because the smoke does not want to go up the chimney. When this happensyour fireplace is not drafting well.

The damper is open, so why does smoke backup from my fireplace?: This could be happening for any number of reasons. Your house might be sealed up too tight, or you might have a bathroom or kitchen fan on that is creating back pressure into the house. There might even be a wind outside that is hitting your chimney just right and forcing air down the chimney. Whatever the culprit is, it would be better to know about it before you light the fire.

Know about a draft problem before you light the fire: Wouldn't it be nice to know if you have a draft issue with your fireplace before you light that fire, so you don't have the smoke backup? You can use a smoke pencil puffer (sometimes called a smoke stick) to test the draft of your fireplace before you light your fire. By pulling the trigger on a smoke pencil it allows you to make a small plume of smoke that will test your fireplace draft, and then immediately you can stop the smoke by releasing the trigger. Just watch the smoke to see if it lifts up the chimney like it should, or if it wafts back into the room. The smoke stick gives you a nice visible controllable smoke that is non-toxic, and has a faint sweet smell that fades in seconds.

How much does a smoke pencil cost?: A smoke pencil puffer like this costs $25 and will work hundreds of times. If you have ever had to clean and deodorize your home after backing up smoke from the fireplace you know that $25 is  small price to pay to keep this from happening.

What else is a smoke pencil good for?: Beside using them in the fireplace, smoke pencils are also used to find air movement drafts in the home due to bad door or window seals, or other small gaps in the homes energy envelope. Home energy raters use smoke pencils to test homes for air tightness. HVAC professionals use them to see if they have sealed up a homes ducts well. You can use them to test your homes HVAC ducts as well and see if you need to tape your ducts to save energy. Click here to buy a Smoke Pencil Puffer

Smoke Pencils Help Identify Household Drafts

In my opinion a smoke pencil puffer is a tool that any home handyman should have in his toolbox. When working on energy saving home improvements like window & door installs, weatherstripping, duct sealing, insulation, and other air sealing projects they are such a helpful tool. You do your improvement, and then use the little trace of smoke generated from the smoke stick to see if you have stopped the air movement in that area.

The Trouble with Smoke Pencils: The trouble is up until this point smoke pencil puffers have been rather expensive ($50 -$75 or more) and most operate on toxic chemical mixes to make the smoke. Because the chemicals used in the traditional smoke stick puffers operate on acid fumes and the smoke they generate is toxic they are not healthy to use in confined areas and if you use them too much they can be bad for your health. Furthermore, if you travel with your tools you cant take an acid based smoke puffer pencil on a plane in carry-on or checked luggage, and you cant send them in the US Mail since they are considered hhazardous material.

New Non-Toxic Smoke Pencils:Fortunately, there is a new smoke pencil puffer that I just was introduced to at the AffordableComfort Institutee Conference in Kansas City. Instead of using acid mixtures to generate smoke this non-toxic smoke pencil puffer uses a harmless liquid mixture and heats it slightly to generate a nice highly visible smoke. The trigger mechanism on this smoke pencil allows you to control the amount of smoke you generate. So if you need just a little trickle of smoke to test weatherstripping you lightly depress the trigger. If you are testing a larger area like a door jamb you can hold the trigger down longer and create a nice plume of smoke. I have allergies so I am a bit sensitive to most smoke, but this smoke stick used a mixture of water, propylene glycol, and glycerin that is similar to the smoke generated by toy trains. So using this smoke stick does not bother my allergies at all and the faint sweet smell to the smoke fades fast so there is no lingering odors.

Price of a Smoke Stick: The thing that really sold me on this new smoke puffer pencil is the low price. At $25 this smoke stick was half the price of the cheapest acid based smoke puffers I was familiar with. So I bought one of these non-toxic smoke pencils and brought it home and started testing it. I also gave 2 of them to some energy rater & insulation contractor friends to try out. After testing it, we liked it enough to have it offered on the Chimney Balloon website. So you can buy a smoke pencil puffer at www.ChimneyBalloon.us

Green Bloggers talk about the Chimney Balloons

The Chimney Balloon has become quite a topic of conversation for green energy and green tech bloggers.

The Chimney Balloon is referred to in so many ways. People call it: "an inflatable baffle, chimney seal, flue baffle, inflatable damper, chimney plug, chimney draft stopper, even a draft dodger!

Here is a link to an article that was written by a very well respected green blogger on the Plant Green website, his name is Josh Peterson:

"...That is where a Chimney Balloon comes in. A chimney balloon or chimney pillow is a reusable, durable plastic balloon that fits in the chimney under the flue and blocks out the cold air. Inflate the balloon and wedge it up near the flue. A chimney balloon can save you about $200-$500 dollars a year in heating costs.

Don't forget to remove the balloon before you start a fire. You should put a note on the fireplace door to remind you that the balloon is up there. If exposed to heat, the chimney balloon will deflate. I assume it just falls into the fire at that point. It's like a chimney balloon Icarus..." Click here to read the whole article

TomsGuide.com reviews the Chimney Balloon

Chimney Balloon USA provided a 9x9 Chimney Balloon to the editors of the popular Green Technology Website TomsGuide.com. We wanted theirhonest opinion on the Chimney Balloon product. They installed the Chimney Balloon, took some pictures, and like it! Here is a brief quote from their review:

"...With the balloon in place, there was an immediate stop to the air leaking into my basement from my wood stove chimney. I anticipate this will also keep odors from soot at bay (I have not experienced any since it has been in place). The balloon can easily be deflated for removal, and should I happen to forget it’s there when starting a fire, the balloon will deflate and fall out to allow for proper evacuation of smoke and heat..." Click Here to read the rest of the article.

Displayed image and text quote is property of TomsGuide.com, ©2009 All Rights Reserved by Copyright holder.

Fireplace Damper and a smoke chamber: Where do i put the Chimney Balloon?

Jason, I previously ordered a 9X9 Chimney Balloon fireplace damper and it works fine for the flue (size 8" diameter). What I don't like about it is that the flue is about 5" higher than the 12" X 16" smoke chamber. So when I place the 9x9 balloon in the flue I have to really reach to get a good fit.

Instead of getting your extension rod I figure it would be best to try and get another balloon to fit the 12 X 16 area above the damper. As I mentioned the 12 X 16 area (smoke chamber?) has only a 5 inch height then the flue begins. So if I understand you correctly order a custom 12 X 18 and this would seal the area above my damper (12 X 16 X 5)
Thanks, DT

Hi DT, You can send back your current 9x9 Chimney Balloon and get a custom 18x12. It would work well for a 12"x16" area. Remember, a Custom Chimney Balloon requires a 14 day build time. You could order a standard 24x12 that would ship right away, but I am concerned there will be too much extra balloon material. It really would be worth the wait to get the correct size. - Jason

Inflating a Chimney Balloon...what pump to use?

Jason, I am about to purchase one of your Chimney Balloon fireplace dampers, but have one question. Since this fills with air, Can I use my air compressor, or do I have to purchase your pump? - PS

Dear PS,
The easiest and handiest thing you can use to inflate your Chimney Balloon fireplace damper is good old-fashioned lung power. If you would prefer not to inflate it by mouth, you can use an airbed inflation pump or a low power shop-vac to inflate the Chimney Balloon.

I do not recommend using an air compressor to inflate the Chimney Balloon becausee air compressors will inflate the balloon so quickly you might damage the balloon by accidentally over inflating it. The Chimney Balloon is only designed to take about 15 to 20 PSI and an air compressor can get to that PSI level so quick...it is just not worth the risk.

In the picture above is a battery powered air bed pump. In our test lab in the UK we use a rechargeable airbed inflation pump for testing. The nice thing about air bed pumps is they do not have enough power to overinflate the Chimney Balloon. - Jason