What is a Chimney Damper?
If this is the first time you are hearing the word chimney damper, I’ll give you an explanation. It is a metal spring door placed at the top of the chimney with an extended metal chain that permits you to open and close the chimney from the fireplace. Today, we wake up every morning and hear the news of increasing prices where energy is concerned. So, it is very important that you use a chimney damper, because a chimney that is used without having a damper can use at least twenty five percent of energy used in your home. Using a chimney damper certainly helps to conserve the energy used in your home. A chimney damper closes the chimney flue while you are not using it and keeps the cool or warm air generated by you HVAC unit inside your house.
A chimney damper also prevents possums and birds from entering the chimney. It also prevents insects, blowflies and wasps from entering the chimney during the warm summer months. Buying a chimney damper, though, can be very difficult due to the various designs available on the market. A chimney damper can either be installed above your fireplace or at the top of the chimney by way of the chimney damper cap. Chimney dampers prevent rain water and rubbish from entering your home through the chimney.
Most chimney dampers are made from non-rusting materials, although you will find some inferior models on the market that are sold at very cheap prices to attract customers. Buying cheap chimney dampers can be dangerous for you, and will cost you much more money in the long run since it will not be able to conserve the energy a good chimney damper will be able to. It is true that not every home has chimney dampers even though they have a chimney, but getting a chimney damper can help save you and your family from excessive energy costs.