Chimney Balloon fireplace damper

Where do I put a Chimney Balloon if all the flue walls slant?

 Q: Inside my fireplace about 29" up from above the opening is the damper. Just below the damper and each of the four sides or slit type openings. I do not know why. Maybe for air? I just saw the picture from SH and that is what mine likes like except all 4 sides slant in. It is about 10x10 at the damper. - KT

A: Dear KT, Since the sides slant on all 4 sides we will have to do the install high or low. We can use an HEK extender and a small 12x12 Chimney Balloon to install above the damper, or we can use the ledge that is generally just on the lintel and install a larger 36x15 Chimney Balloon. The lower install is easier but the balloon may be slightly visible from the room. _ Jason

Very small flue with a smoke coming in the upstairs fireplace when we burn in the downstairs fireplace.

Q: I have a house built in 1870, and the flue I would like to seal appears to be very narrow, somewhat jagged, and irregular in shape. The best I can tell, the opening appears to be about 6 inches deep, and 12 inches wide. Which size would be best for me? And do you think there is a wider opening further up the chimney? If so, would I be able to push the balloon up there and then inflate it??

Also, like Maureen in the previous post, I have a smoke situation and am hoping your product will help. We have multiple fireplaces, and when I burn a fire in the living room downstairs, smoke enters my son's bedroom upstairs. They are on the same chimney. This started happening after we added a chimney cap to keep birds and animals out. The guy who did the work came back, and claims he sealed the flue heading into the boy's bedroom. But we had one more fire at the end of last season and still smelled smoke in his room during the fire downstairs. Please advise... - JW

A: Dear JW, Well, to answer your first question... I would go with a 9x15 Chimney Balloon for that size hole to plug. It does not matter much if the hole is jagged and rough in shape as long as the hole is not any larger than 9"x15" and has roughly parallel walls on at least 2 sides.

On your smoke crossover question...Yes, the Chimney Balloon will give you a very tight seal on your unused chimney so the smoke smell will not be sucked back into the home. Im sure your Chimney sweep gave it a good try to seal it up, but there is no way to get as tight of a seal as a Chimney Balloon will offer. Even a fiberglass bat plug will allow odor back in through it. - Jason

How to air seal a small coal burner fireplace with cast iron insert?

Q: I have an old coal fireplace, with a cast iron insert. The chimney itself has no damper but the insert does have a narrow flap that I suppose is used as a damper (though a very inefficient one when it the fireplace is not in use). I had to slide the insert out to see what the chimney looks like from the inside, as there was no way to see through the damper slot (which measure about 20"x2").

The highest and narrowest part of the chimney is 9"x9". Then it looks like it's relatively straight/slightly sloping at about 9"x15". And then slopes again over about 20" to it's largest point of 9"x20", just above that damper slot in the insert.

From what I've read, you don't recommend positioning the balloon on the slope. I'm almost positive I wouldn't be able to get the balloon up to the 9x9 spot (certainly not without removing the insert everytime, which I want to avoid).

So, a bunch of questions:
1. What's the likelihood of me being able to maneuver the balloon through the damper slot in the insert?
2. What's my best position?
3. Related to #2, what's my best sizing?

4. Oh, and I think the 9" is really more like 9.25... how exact are you balloon sizes?
Thanks for your help! - ZE

A: Dear ZE, We spoke on the phone briefly about how your coal insert slides into the fireplace.  Considering there is significant clearance between the top of the insert and the 9x9 fireplace flue area, you will find the 9x15 area to be the best location to install the Chimney Balloon. I understand the walls of this area taper upward on two sides and are vertical on two sides in this area. The Chimney Balloon will grab and hold firm on the two parallel and vertical walls, and it will seal the two slanted walls as well.

Once in place it is possible to uninstall the Chimney Balloon through the very small 2" damper opening, but honestly it is not easy to do. You will have to reach the Chimney Balloon through the damper so you can open the air valve. Once the air valve is open you will have to give the Balloon 5 minutes or more to release its air. Then you slowly and carefully thread it down through the damper little by little. Fortunately, a 9x15 is a relatively small Chimney Balloon, so there is not a lot of balloon material.

If I can be of further assistance to you in this coal fireplace insert application please let me know. - Jason

The surface texture above my fireplace damper is very rough. Will a Chimney Balloon be able to seal?

Q: Jason, The brick and mortar texture above my fireplace damper is very rough as you can see in the photo of my flue. The walls slant away in weird angles like looking up from the inside of a pyramid. Will the Chimney Balloon damper be able to seal this area ok?

A:I have a large rectangular metal damper. I believe you call that type of damper a "vestal" style damper. - RM

Hi RM, Thank you for the photo of the fireplace flue and your damper. You are correct that you do have a vestal style damper. This style is quite easy to fit with a Chimney Balloon even if there are slopping and slanting and rough texture walls in the flue above the damper.

Measure the area above the fireplace damper with a folding carpenters ruler and buy a Chimney Balloon that is at least that dimension (i.e. If you measure 37"x16" buy a custom 39x16 Chimney Balloon. Do NOT buy a 36x15 standard since that will be too small). Take the un-inflated balloon out of its packaging and tuck the balloon material above the flue with the long side pointing in the length direction of the fireplace. The handle of the balloon will stick down through the open damper door. It is OK to leave the damper door open since the Chimney Balloon will be serving as the damper when it is inflated. And quite frankly it will do a better job sealing than the old tired metal damper.

The type of texture you show if your picture is actually quite beneficial for the balloon since it gives the balloon membrane a nice surface texture to grab hold of when you inflate the Chimney Balloon damper in place. The balloon material is very flexible and will seal around any mortar or texture as it inflates. Just make sure you do not attempt to move the position of the Chimney Balloon after you have it inflated in place. If you do have to adjust the position of the balloon remove most of the air volume of the balloon before you reposition it. - Jason

Smoke chamber install for a Chimney Balloon

Jason - I previously ordered a 9X9 Chimney Balloonand it works fine for the flue (size 8" square). 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 Chimney Balloon 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 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, It is true that a lower install location makes putting in a Chimney Balloon much easier, so I agree a larger Chimney Balloon for the smoke chamber is the way to go.

A custom 12x18 Chimney Balloon would work well for a 12"x16" area. Remember, a Custom Balloon requires a 14 day build time, but it is worth the wait to get the correct size. You could consider a stock 24x12 Chimney Balloon, but I am concerned there will be too much extra balloon material if you went with this size. If you get a Chimney Balloon that is more than 6" oversized the extra material can make the install more difficult.

Fireplace candles, Can I burn them with a Chimney Balloon installed?

Jason - If the Chimney Balloon fireplace damper is inserted in the flue can you still burn candles in the fireplace? Thanks! - NC

Dear NC, The answer to this questions is a definitive...sometimes.

You see, the Chimney Balloon is designed to burst and release at right around 200 degrees Fahrenheit. So if you burned a few candles and kept about a 3' distance between the flame and the balloon and kept your glass doors open (if you have them) then you will probably be OK to leave the Chimney Balloon in while burning the candles.

I know my wife has lit candles for up to 4 hours in our fireplace and not removed the Chimney Balloon and everything was fine. The key is to keep the wicks trimmed on the candles. If you get a long yellow flame on your candle you can really get some serious heat coming form a candle that might get over 200 degrees.

So keep the candles short and away from the balloon, keep the wicks trimmed, and keep your glass doors open and you should be fine.

smokey fireplace smell, what should I do?

Jason - I cleaned our fireplace hearth several weeks ago and still notice a smoke smell in the living room. I did the vinegar fireplace smell deodorizer trickthat you suggested in another article and had little results. On windy and / or rainy days, the smell is worse. I am thinking of purchasing a special chimney cap, such as a vacu-stack, which would prevent downdrafts especially when a fire is burning. That would solve back-drafting when the fireplace is lit.

I am wondering, in addition to the cap, if the chimney balloon would stop the odor from coming into the room especially days after the fire is out. Just wanted your opinion on that. I also measured just above the damper and came up with 36" X 14". Which chimney balloon would I need? - PM

Dear PM,  In order for the vinegar and baking soda trick to have a lasting effect in neutralizing the smell coming from the chimney the trick is to seal the flue first so more creosote laced air doesn't descend the flue into the room.

The 36x15 Chimney Balloon will fit well in a 36x14 flue and it will help you stop the smelly air from descending the chimney. It will all but eliminate the fireplace smoke smell as long as you install it in a low location (like by the damper).

The vacustack (photo of one above) is great if your fireplace belches smoke during your burn from a deflecting outside downdraft that is pushing down at the chimney. This can sometimes be an issue if the chimney top is not above the roof-line or if trees deflect winds at the chimney.

If the issue is due to limited stack effect in your home then a vacustack may not work so well. A fireplace that is smokey during the burn can have any number of issues causing the problem, but your Chimney Professional will likely be able to diagnose the issue.

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

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 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