Your fireplace is great in the winter, but it has nothing to do with how comfortable you feel in the summer, right? Actually, a fireplace can affect your home cooling costs significantly, if it’s not properly maintained. If you don’t have a good damper in the chimney, you might be spending way more on air conditioning than you have to.
What Is a Damper?
A damper is a plate that moves back and forth as needed to control the flow of air moving through a space. You’ll find dampers in the ductwork of most larger buildings, to stop excess air from moving into certain rooms or to let air in. And you’ll find one in most chimneys.
Typically, you need to open it up before you use your chimney at any time in the winter. This way, smoke and other byproducts vent where they are supposed to, rather than going back out into the space in your home.
What If You Don’t Have a Damper?
Some older homes were not built with dampers in place, or else they have dampers that are broken or stuck. This is not okay! It can result in downdrafts in the winter when you are not using the fireplace. It may allow harmful debris and deposits to build up in your fireplace. And the heat can easily get through your chimney when you run the AC system!
Call Professional Chimney Technicians
We found all kinds of information out there online about how you can make your fireplace airtight and keep out the heat in the summer. These included tips like filling it with pillows and boarding up the fireplace. Wouldn’t you like to use it properly and make it an attractive piece for your home year-round?
Call chimney and fireplace technicians about adding in a damper and getting your chimney and fireplace in good shape.
Call 2nd Generation Chimneys, Inc. today for fireplace services in Minneapolis, MN. Call us today! 612.922.9600 or 1-888-PIXLEYS