closing off an unused fireplace-how

[gailquilter]

Hi,
I have a fireplace I am not using, the damper is closed unless I'm letting out a bird. In 35 years I have never had a fire in it.
Birds yes, fire no. Bird fit thru the top--so much for a spark arrester.

I ran the HVAC-calc program and 20% of my heating bill is used to send hot air up the flue.
Is there an easy way to seal this off so that it can easily be unsealed later, like when I hear a bird in it? It is wood and stucco with a tin can inside. I have thought of putting a balloon up there.
gailquilter

[chilliwilly]

How about if you rip the fire suround out and brick up the opening. You should put a small vent in there so the chimney throat can breath, and put a bird guard over the chimney pot. If the chimney breast is on the outside wall you could put the vent on the outside wall.

[logdoc_rob]

They make a top mounted damper that does a pretty good job of sealing the air AND birds out. It's cable operated too.

[gailquilter]

They make a top mounted damper that does a pretty good job of sealing the air AND birds out. It's cable operated too.

Sounds like that would be a good one, I'll look into it.

The low down damper is closed.
I was thinking more like a board painted black with insulation or something? Something I could remove quickly. Sometimes rain comes down too, in a very bad storm.

Also--I'll be getting a whole house exhaust fan and don't want to suck the birds down the chimney.

what is the thing called? "top mounted damper?"
gailquilter

[gailquilter]

How about if you rip the fire suround out and brick up the opening. You should put a small vent in there so the chimney throat can breath, and put a bird guard over the chimney pot. If the chimney breast is on the outside wall you could put the vent on the outside wall.

Also a good idea, but..
Fireplace looks nice, would like to keep it. From what I have learned even with a fire in it the result would be cooling instead of heating. I have experienced a fireplace which heated the entire house, old school, built by an engineer who came here from Russia(brrrrrr) in the 20's. It sent hot air thru radiators on the front.
It is on the outside wall, would make a nice closet outside. Ah yes, I have been learning about venting, and if you don't vent, insulate.. or you get condensation and dryrot.

Been studying the building code.
gailquilter

gailquilter

[jtp10181]

lock top dampers: http://www.homesaver.com/locktop_fireplace_damper.aspx

The are only for masonry fireplaces though, sounds like you might have a metal prefab since you called it a "tin can".

[logdoc_rob]

Oooops, I missed the "tin can" part. I shouldn't post before 8am !!

[gailquilter]

Thank you all for replying. Does a board sound good or bad? How would I attach it?

They make a top mounted damper that does a pretty good job of sealing the air AND birds out. It's cable operated too.

On the site I found they have clay extensions, really cute I LIKE them.

Yes tin can I may have seen it when I was in the attic.

More ideas?

The first windy day a month after I got the place, the chimney cap blew off. Not a nail hole in it. Cheap construction. Cheap but not bad, except for a couple problems. 'Evaporative roof' the foreman said. baloney I thought. Too polite to say it. I say more in my old age.

Always respected and liked really feisty, really old women.

[gailquilter]

Oooops, I missed the "tin can" part. I shouldn't post before 8am !!

We are just chatting don't let anyone make you feel

This is supposed to be fun.


isn't it?
gail

[hearthman]

Regardless if you've ever used it or not, it should have a professional Level II inspection to guide you in your approach to this Fp. If it is a factory built fireplace, you could get into several issues should you modify it. For instance, if you remove the termination cap and install a custom fabricated cover to seal out the rain and critters while reducing heat loss, it could result in condensation rotting out the outer wall of the chimney and top of
Fp. I've seen this happen. If someone should try to build a fire, it could smoke out the house and possibly result in an unfriendly fire. You would need to place a warning tag inside at the damper handle. Now, let's suppose you sell this house in 5 years and list it with a "working fireplace". Did you throw away that termination cap? If so, you would be reponsible for replacing it with an OEM one. If they are not available from the mfr. then you could be responsible for providing and entirely new fireplace from top to bottom.

Instead of internet speculation, you really need a pro to get in there and advise you.

I would be curious to know how or why birds were getting into the chimney and how well does your damper fit. Be advised that heat loss is only when the damper is open and a draft in the chimney. Yes, you can lose ~400-600 cfm up the stack so yes, fireplaces are very inefficent. Closed the leakage is minimal in many cases. Metallic throat dampers on masonry fireplaces are notorious leakers though.

[gailquilter]

Be advised that heat loss is only when the damper is open and a draft in the chimney. . Closed the leakage is minimal in many cases.

Thanks, so I will wait until I have heat again then put a thermometer in there to see if cold is coming down, and see if something with smoke goes up.

I don't want to modify it I just want to plug it up. If a bird I want to unplug in a couple minutes to get her out. Last little bird was very frightened and took a lot of coaxing to get to go out the door.
I'd remove the plug to sell.
gail

[gailquilter]

I saw on Ask This Old House today a balloon to put up the chimney. Well..so my original idea wasn't so bad.

[logdoc_rob]

I do not mean to sound harsh, but just keep in mind that some of the hosts on "This Old House" and other DIY type programs usually are not fireplace professionals, most that post in this forum are pros. I've seen the DIY weekend shows do things that scare the Hell out of me.