Your Chimney Needs a Proper Cap
Your fireplace may be costing your more on energy bills and even repair costs without having a properly installed chimney cap or damper. Learn about why these updates might be a way to cost-effectively update your home.
Why You Should Have a Chimney Cap on the Flue
Your chimney cap protects the flue from rain, leaves, birds, raccoon and squirrels. All can cause costly damage down the road. Spending a little money up-front for a simple chimney cap is a very good investment into your system. Make sure the cap incorporates a screen to insure animals do not get into the flue and make sure whoever inspects your system each year checks on the condition of the flue cap as well.
Throat & Top-End Dampers: Why You Need a Top-End Damper
Most fireplaces have throat dampers that sit at the top of the firebox and close the flue off when the unit is not in use. You simply open the damper when you want to have a fire so the smoke and chemicals can be exhausted up and out the flue when a fire is in the firebox. Most people are fine with these types of dampers until they break or get off the track they sit on. Once that happens, it might be time to think about a top-end damper.
A top-end damper is one that actually sits at the top of the flue like a chimney cap and is closed by a handle at the side of the firebox when not in use. The handle is also used to spring open the damper when in use. The difference in these two types of dampers has to do with energy savings that is possible when you are not trying to heat the cold core of air in the flue in the winter and cool it in the summer. Studies have shown that these types of dampers can save up to 10% of your heat loss in the winter months.
