smoky fireplace Archives

Fireplace Damper Issues

In order to work at its best, your chimney and its components need to be in good condition. What happens when something is wrong with one of its components? Well, it can cause minor to major problems with your chimney and fireplace. Some of these problems can even endanger your health and safety! One of the most essential components of your chimney is the fireplace damper. Do you have an older traditional throat damper? If so, it can suffer from rusting and other types of corrosion damage that can make it difficult to open and close. This can also lead to other issues. Atlas Chimney is here to help you troubleshoot chimney and fireplace problems that can be caused by a damaged damper. Now, we would like to tell you more about a couple of common fireplace damper issues.

Smoky Fireplace

Although other issues can cause smoke to blow back into your living space, not being able to fully open your fireplace damper is often behind this problem. If you have had any water leaking into your chimney, it does not just hurt the masonry materials. Water can cause the metal components of your chimney, including your fireplace damper, to become rusted. That corrosive damage makes it difficult to adjust the position of the damper to be completely opened. You may also experience problems with the handle that moves the damper. According to Do It Yourself, the handle can become disconnected from the damper. This makes it impossible to fully close or open it! When your damper cannot open completely, it can cause smoke to be forced back into your home through the fireplace.

Low Energy Efficiency

If your damper or its handle have become unable to move properly, there is also the possibility that it could become stuck in the completely opened position. This will not only negatively affect your energy efficiency during the winter when you are using your fireplace. There will still be an opening through your chimney and fireplace system that will allow cooled indoor air to escape and hot outside air to invade your home. Your utility bills could increase steadily all year round, if your damper is unable to close.

Atlas Chimney recommends updating your old throat damper with a new top-mounted damper. Why? Not only will it cause you fewer problems, but it will also save you money on your utility bills. To schedule an appointment for a professional installation of a top-mounted damper from our CSIA-certified chimney technicians, contact us today!

How Do I Know If My Chimney & Fireplace Need Care?

When you own a home, you take on many responsibilities! This includes maintaining the various systems that keep everything running smoothly in your daily life. Following a routine maintenance schedule is a great way to stay on top of your homeowner duties. However, keeping up with this schedule always adds the possibility of unexpected repair needs. Sometimes it can be easy to see what is causing certain problems in your home. Other times, it can be challenging to locate the problem. Many issues like a cracked chimney liner or flue blockage can be hidden within the walls of the chimney. That’s why its important to know the signs of chimney damage. Atlas Chimney would like to share a couple of signs that let you know that your chimney and fireplace need care.

DAMAGED CHIMNEY MASONRY

According to the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA), water can do extensive and expensive damage to masonry chimneys. The exterior of your chimney is constantly exposed to the elements of weather. Bricks and mortar joints naturally absorb water from rain and melted ice and snow, causing spalling damage. Fortunately, this can be easily seen on the exterior of your chimney. Cracked, loose, or missing bricks and mortar joints is a clear sign of water damage – and should be repaired as soon as possible!

SMOKY FIREPLACE

Another sign that your chimney and fireplace need care? Smoke filling the room after you light a fire in the fireplace. This is telling you that something is not allowing your chimney to exhaust properly. A smoky fireplace can become very dangerous! It greatly increases the risk of the toxic gases and carbon monoxide leaking into your living spaces. Several things could be causing this exhaust problem, and Atlas Chimney will carefully check every possibility. We will check to see if there is debris blocking the chimney and also make sure the size of the flue matches your heating appliance – as this can cause improper drafting.

In addition, you should also be on the lookout to signs of a chimney water leak. Signs include a musty odor, peeling wallpaper, and stains on the ceiling and walls around where your fireplace is located. Have you noticed any of these signs of chimney problems? If so, contact us at Atlas Chimney to schedule an appointment for our chimney repair services!

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