Lean in under your chimney just outside of your wood burning stove. You should find a metal device just within the chimney or flue opening. The damper is open if you can see through the damper up to your chimney. If you only see a metal plate, the damper is in a closed position.
Although not legally required, every fireplace should have a damper. There are two different types of dampers. The most common type is a simple lever that either slides back and forth or a chain and pulley set that opens a damper at the top of the chimney.
And while older wood-burning fireplaces can function safely without a damper (gas fireplaces cannot), a chimney without a damper is just a gaping hole in the roof of your house. It's a gateway for frigid air to enter and for heated air to escape in the winter.
You can reach inside of the fireplace opening and behind the lintel to touch the damper. You should be able to open and close it with a knob (this is usually located on the front face of the fireplace) or rod (located in the fireplace, above the firebox).
They are round discs made of thick fiberglass or dense cardboard (similar to egg crate bedding) They have a handle that can be turned either direction to allow or stop airflow through the damper. Some dampers have a pointed metal pin attached for easy grip when turning.
In general, homeowners can expect to pay between $150 and $500 for a standard chimney damper replacement. One of the most significant factors that affect the cost of chimney damper replacement is the type of damper.
Check if you can feel a draft.
If you feel a draft, your damper may be open. Another way to check is to roll up a newspaper or match and light it up. Place it inside your fireplace, near the top section. An open damper will pull up the smoke and flames upward, while a closed damper will not.
The damper and flue are two different parts, but they are related and involved in the same function. The flue is the inside tunnel of your chimney that brings gases from your fireplace out of your home, while the damper closes or opens the access to the flue.
Replacing a fireplace damper by yourself is possible, and you can save yourself some serious money by foregoing professional consultation.
A mechanical draft is created by blowers and fans as opposed to environmental elements, commonly referred to as natural draft. Dampers are used to regulate mechanical draft and keep a heating system running safely and optimally.
Of course, the blocking material must be removed before a fire is started. One caution, though: Fireplaces with installed gas logs are required to have the damper open at all times.
Not every HVAC system has dampers, but most do.
If you do not have dampers, don't worry! A trusted HVAC professional should be able to install them. They will consider the size of your ducts, the type of dampers required, how to zone your rooms properly, and more.
Damper Throttling
The damper has notches, so you can partially close it (throttling), like a manual stick shift in a car. Next, when an intense fire burns in the fireplace, you can manually set the damper in the first notch position, slightly closing it.
Fireplace Flue Tiles: The vertical passageway up the inside of the chimney is the flue. The damper is often (mistakenly) called the flue, but the flue is the passageway. Clay flue tiles are the most common material used to line masonry chimneys when built.
As mentioned, traditional dampers are located in the interior of the chimney's base, so you'll be able to crouch down and peer up inside the chimney to see the position of the damper. The damper is a piece of metal that can be angled by using the knob or chain used to control it to the open or closed position.
If you are looking at a duct that is coming off the furnace and going straight up like it is going to the upstairs, and the wing is in the same direction as the duct, it is open. If the wing is in the opposite or vertical position to the ductwork, then the damper is closed.
The handle on the left-hand side is for your combustion air intake; think of this as a gas pedal in a car but is used for controlling the intensity of your fire. The handle on the right-hand side is for your flue damper; this control is used primarily to slow down the chimney draft.
If the damper is closed and you are feeling low airflow, or none at all, it is most likely a bad damper.
If the damper is stuck in the closed position, using your fireplace would result in a room full of smoke and carbon monoxide, which is extremely dangerous. Your chimney damper should ALWAYS be open when burning a fire, no matter what!
HVAC dampers are usually inside your ducts, close to the main air handler. You can find the dampers by looking at the outside of your ducts for a red switch on the exterior.
The damper is like a door that is typically installed in the throat at the base of the flue to control the airflow in the chimney. The damper must remain open when there is a fire burning in the firebox. Otherwise, smoke and exhaust will be forced back into your living space instead of up the flue.
The first enemy is common to all wear items – time. At about 500,000 miles, silicone tends to harden. The harder the silicone, the less functional the damper. The second cause of failure is droppage.