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Light the Fire of Romance This Valentine’s Day

Most people don’t equate chimney dampers with Valentine’s Day romance, but there’s a connection. If you’re enjoying an evening in front of the fireplace – whether it’s in use or not – and aren’t using your damper the right way, it could put a . . . damper on the romance.

The Chimney Guys of Pataskala, OH, would like to share some helpful tips on damper use and other information you might want to know about these unique devices.

How dampers work

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Put simply, chimney dampers (also called fireplace dampers) are mechanical devices that usually sit just above the firebox and are used to control the flow of air between the flue and the fireplace.

The damper’s metal plates are opened and closed with a handle located near the fireplace.

Types of chimney dampers

The two main types of dampers are:

  1. Throat damper, installed above the firebox.
  2. Top-mount damper, installed at the top of the chimney instead of a chimney cap. These dampers do essentially the same things as throat dampers but also protect the flue from tree debris, rain and small animals.

The purpose

Dampers open fully when getting a fire started in order to allow sufficient air to be swept through the log stack. The draft encourages smoke and combustion gases to move up and out of the chimney.

Fire needs plenty of air to start burning and keep burning. When the air supply is impeded, logs can’t burn aggressively, and this is how excess smoke and carbon monoxide are created.

Without a consistent draft, smoke and combustion gases can back up into your room. The biggest concern here is carbon monoxide, an invisible and odorless gas that’s known to be potentially fatal to people and animals.

A fully open damper will allow enough of a draft to prevent backups while making logs burn efficiently and completely. Once the fire is going well, you can adjust the intensity of the flames by closing the damper a little – but be careful not to close it too much.

Something else the damper does

In addition to controlling the air draft during a fire, chimney dampers also act as air blocks when the fireplace isn’t being used. Get in the habit of always completely closing the damper as soon as you’re done with the fireplace.

A closed damper keeps outside air from entering your home and conditioned interior air from escaping up the chimney. It also helps prevent naturally occurring chimney odors from getting into your room.

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If you don’t have a chimney cap (or a top-mount damper) and you’re having problems with squirrels, birds, rodents and other small animals, a closed throat damper will keep them from invading your home. Install a chimney cap or a top-mount damper to keep them out of the chimney in the first place.

Call your Ohio chimney experts

If your chimney damper is giving you trouble, The Chimney Guys can fix it or replace it and get everything cozy and safe for Valentine’s Day. We also provide licensed chimney inspections and chimney sweeping services. Reach one of our Ohio chimney experts by phone, or get in touch through the contact form.

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