Your chimney consists of several different components that need to be in good condition so that your fireplace will function at its most efficient level. If these components are old and damaged, it can greatly reduce the energy efficiency of your home. One of the components that plays a big part in making your chimney and fireplace system work at its best is your damper. When you have an older masonry chimney, you most likely have a traditional throat damper that is located directly above the firebox. Since these dampers are made of metal, they can suffer from corrosion damage as they get older, and this can lead to issues with keeping heat inside your home. Air is able to easily leak in and out of your home, and this can be costly since you have to turn your thermostat higher to stay warm in the winter. If your old throat damper is getting rusty, it is time for a new damper.
Ashbusters can help you with our professional damper sales and installation services, and we can give you the option to upgrade with a more efficient top-mount damper, the Energy Top. We would like to tell you more about the benefits of this type of chimney damper.
Increase Energy Efficiency
The problem with throat dampers is they do not provide an airtight seal between your fireplace and chimney. Without a good seal, your home can lose heated air in the winter and cooled air in the summer, and this is a big waste of money and energy. Energy Top chimney dampers are equipped with a silicone rubber gasket that tightly seals off your chimney from outside air. Your home will stay more comfortable no matter what season, and you will not have to use your central air unit as much, which will reduce your utility bills.
Easy to Use
Another common issue with traditional metal throat dampers is difficulty in opening and closing them. Over time, these dampers start to rust, and they can get stuck in position. Not only do you need to be able to fully close your damper to keep heated and cooled air inside your home, you must be able to completely open it every time you burn a fire for important safety reasons. With a new top-mounted Energy Top damper, you will not have to worry about this problem. Even though this damper sits on the top of your chimney, it is attached to a cable that goes down the chimney to an easily accessible handle that is mounted inside the fireplace. Its precision engineered mechanism makes it simple to operate, and it has a default open position that ensures safety.
Serves as a Chimney Cap
When our customers need a new chimney cap, we recommend Energy Top dampers because they also keep water from rain and melted ice and snow out since they are mounted on the very top of the chimney. Just like a chimney cap, a top-mounted damper prevents birds, squirrels, raccoons, and other animals out of the chimney.
If you have never replaced your traditional throat damper, you may want to consider upgrading to an Energy Top chimney damper. Contact us at Ashbusters to learn more about how a top-mounted damper can increase the heating efficiency in your home this winter.