Loosing heat

[wikid321]

I bought my house 3 yrs ago and recently decided lets use this fire place. Its free heat why not. I noticed after doing research that there is no i think they call it flute? thats what i can open or close to let air out or not. I noticed there isnt one in here and now see why the first floor is always so cold. Any suggestions what to do. I saw some dumb balloon u can put there but its like $50.

[natgastech]

If you don't like the fifty dollar solution you aren't gonna like anything a wood or gas professional will say. BTW where do you get this "free heat"? Pizza boxes?

[logdoc_rob]

Now that's funny !!!!

A true fireplace professional will charge you at least that amount to even come out to your home. I don't think I like the idea of a "balloon" in my firepalce.

[jtp10181]

Are you burning wood, or is this a gas log setup?

The "baloon" is made more to be permanent seal in the flue, not something you put in and remove a lot. There re a few other routes you can take to effectively seal off the flue when you are not using the fireplace and still have it easy to open when needed. Easiest option I know of is a LockTop damper.

[hearthman]

I highly recommend you get a pro to perform a Level II inspection before using that chimney. He can advise you on the conditions and suitability for various uses along with strategies for managing air infiltration/ exfiltration.

FYI, you are referring to a 'damper'--not the 'flue', which is the passageway for heat, smoke and gases.

Your "free" heat will suck 400-600 cfm of air up your chimney every minute while burning. Air you already paid to heat so so much for the 'free' part.

If $50 is out of your budget then so is the rest of the fireplace. The inspection alone should cost several times that amount, not including sweeping or repairs much less a top damper.

I think you need to be a little more realistic in your expectations.

FYI, those balloons don't seal very well in most Fps. A good top damper is a beter choice and much more practical.

Call a pro.