It’s Wisconsin, it’s January, and it’s cold! Now that the new year is in full swing, you know it’s going to be snowy and freezing. Going from your house to your car and your car to your workplace can be a shivery excursion. And when you repeat that process at the end of the day, one thing that makes it better is knowing that you will soon have a crackling fire burning in the fireplace and you’ll be able to snuggle down in front of it with your comfortable clothes on. What a great feeling! But when you’re not home during the day, what’s stopping cold air from flowing down the chimney and into your home? That’s what the dampers are made for.
Purpose of Dampers
The dampers sit at the bottom of the chimney and work to seal off your chimney when you’re not using it. When closed, the damper will create a seal which keeps the cold air out. Because a fire needs some oxygen to burn steadily, when you’re using your fireplace you’ll open the dampers to create a draft. This also makes it so that the smoke can escape. The problem with dampers is that they can warp and rust over time, and they will then not fulfill the purpose of keeping air out when you want it out or letting it in to help your fire burn and smoke escape. That’s why it’s a good reason to look into the idea of installing a lock top damper instead.
Benefits of a Lock-Top Damper
A top sealing, or lock top, damper works under the same principle as a regular damper system, but with one very big difference. Instead of connecting inside of your fireplace, it sits directly on top of the flue on the exterior of the house. It works just like an interior damper system works, with a chain inside the chimney that allows you to lift the damper when you are using the fireplace and close it when you aren’t. Because it seals completely, no cold air is able to enter your home when you’re not using your fireplace, and that means your heating bills will be lower. Another benefit offered with the use of a lock top damper is that it keeps things, such as animals, birds, precipitation, and other debris out of your chimney.
Who to Call to Install
If you’re tired of feeling the cold breeze coming down the chimney and if you’re ready to experience lower heating bills, then it’s time to call Chimney Concepts and let us come over and install a lock top damper. We are an experienced, respected chimney sweep company that installs energy-top and energy-top plus dampers. Our goal is to make sure that our customers have fireplace systems that are beautiful, clean, and efficient, and we work hard to make sure that that goal is met on each service call and inspection that we do. Give us a call soon so that we can help you start saving money on your heating bills as quickly as can be!