How do you lubricate a fireplace damper?

Puncture the seal of a high-temperature lubricant bottle and attach the syringe to its top. Apply the lubricant to the length of the hinge as you move the damper handle back and forth.

Likewise, people ask, how do I fix a stuck fireplace damper?

Take a steel brush or a handheld whisk broom and clean the damper and the area around it. This typically requires laying on your back inside of the fireplace which is not comfortable. If the damper is stuck, take a penetrating oil like WD-40 and spray the handle and the hinge where it connects to the damper plate.

Similarly, how do you open a fireplace damper? Using a flashlight, poke your head inside the fireplace to look up into the chimney. If you have a throat damper, you can tell if it is closed if you see a barrier above your head. If you can see up into the flue, the damper is open.

Then, do all fireplaces have a damper?

Every Fireplace has a chimney damper. This is a movable plate that sits above the fireplace before the flue. If you pull the lever toward you, generally that will open most of the dampers. When the damper is closed, it helps to keep heated air from going up the chimney.

When should I close the damper on my fireplace?

Close Fireplace Damper When Fire Is Completely Out. If necessary to keep the fire burning well and smoke-free, you may adjust the damper into a semi-open position. Shut the damper when the fire is completely, absolutely out. That means ashes are cool to the touch even when stirred.

36 Related Question Answers Found

How much should the fireplace damper be open?

The damper should always be fully open before lighting a fire and when the fireplace is in use. Close it when it's not it use. Operating the fireplace with the damper partially closed will not generate more heat. Instead, blocking the passage through the flue will result in smoke entering the home.

What is a damper in a fireplace?

A fireplace damper, usually located in the throat of a masonry chimney just above the firebox, is a device that is meant to seal your fireplace shut when it is not in use. This is necessary so that heated air from your home will not escape up the chimney when the fireplace is not being used.

Is my damper open or closed?

When you aren't using your fireplace, it should be closed to prevent heated and cooled air in your home from escaping. A closed damper also stops cold drafts from coming down the chimney. When you are using your fireplace, it needs to be open so that smoke can vent outside.

How do you replace a damper?

Step 1 - Clean. Clean your fireplace of all debris.
Step 2 - Find the Damper. Once you have cleaned your fireplace you will then need to locate the damper.
Step 3 - Remove the Damper.
Step 4 - Replacement Damper.
Step 5 - Attach the Replacement Damper.
Step 6 - Finishing Touches.

Which way is the flue open?

Step 1. Check your damper handle to see which position it is in. If the handle is in the closed position, your flue damper should be closed. If the lever is in the open position, your flue damper should be open.

How do you open a stuck damper?

If the prior two steps don't cure the stuck damper handle, tap the handle with a sledge hammer after applying WD-40 to the part of the handle that is inside the fireplace. Once you have the damper opening and closing easily, apply some high temperature lubricant to the hinges and you're done.

When should you close the fireplace doors?

Glass doors should be fully open when starting a fire and when the fire is burning strongly. The glass doors should be closed as the fire dies down to minimize the amount of room air going up the fireplace chimney. When burning gas logs in a wood burning fireplace, the glass doors should always be fully open.

Does a fireplace need a damper?

Wood-burning fireplaces usually have a damper installed in the upper part of the firebox. The damper is designed to be shut when the fireplace is not in use and can be easily opened when it is. One caution, though: Fireplaces with installed gas logs are required to have the damper open at all times.

When should you close a flue?

Close the flue damper when there is no fire. When you're fire is out or during seasons that you don't have fires, keep the flue damper shut to prevent heat or cooling loss.

Can a fireplace heat a whole house?

That said, unlike central air, no fireplace is going to be able to properly heat your entire home at once. If your fireplace or stove are on one end of your house, don't expect the other end to be just as warm. However, a fireplace can easily be used for what's known as “zone heating.”

How does a flue damper work?

A flue damper is a cast iron or steel plate on a spindle fitted inside a flue system (usually in the first length of vitreous enamel flue pipe) which can be rotated by a small handle outside the flue pipe to reduce the adverse affects of a strong flue up-draught or 'pull'.

Do you close the damper on a wood stove?

It allows this heat to dissipate into the area being heated by the woodstove. A damper should always be fully opened when starting a fire or adding wood to the stove, allowing the firebox to draw the most air. Closing the damper restricts the airflow, releasing exhaust smoke and heat.

How does a damper work in HVAC?

HVAC dampers work by being situated closer to the mouth of the distribution pipe and will push or hold air from that point as needed. The pressure in the pipe will then redistribute the airflow to whatever zone requires regulating at that time.

What is the difference between a flue and a damper?

The flue is simply the open middle of the chimney that the smoke goes up. Dampers are sometimes miss-called flues or flutes, but they are something entirely different than the flue. A damper is intended to shut off- either fully or partially- the chimney flue.

Is a damper necessary?

Modern stoves usually do not need a damper. the air flow through the stove.It will also slow down the heat loss out of the flue. If closed down too much it will build creosote in the stack.

Do I need a damper?

An Inactive Fireplace

Like we said before, when your fireplace isn't in use, your chimney damper still has a job to do. An open chimney damper will allow air into your home, so if it's a cold night and you just can't seem to warm up, make sure that your chimney damper is closed.

How much does it cost to put a damper in a fireplace?

The average cost to repair or replace the damper in your fireplace or chimney is around $60 for damper door replacement only, with DIY installation. If the frame needs to be replaced as well, plan on $350-$400 and a Pro to do the job.