A damper is an important component of every chimney, according to the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA). An essential part to have an energy-efficient home, the damper keeps the heat in and the cold air out of your house, which also saves you money on heating bills. Your damper is also used to control the flow of smoke, gases, and the other byproducts of combustion up the chimney to exit your home, which is necessary for safety reasons. Available in two different types, you can choose between the throat damper and the top-mount damper. Also known as the traditional fireplace damper, a throat damper is installed right above the firebox and is found in many old masonry chimneys. However, this type of damper has many flaws and issues. Ashbusters strongly recommends the top-mount damper over the throat damper, and we believe if you have an older throat damper, you should replace it with a new top-mount damper. We would like to tell you more about the benefits of these dampers.
This clip is courtesy of Richie Baxley at Environmental Chimney Service in Asheville NC.
A top-mount damper serves two functions, allowing you to “kill two birds with one stone
One of the main benefits of a top-mount damper is that it also serves as a chimney cap when the damper is closed, and, frankly, this type of damper actually gives you better protection than an ordinary chimney cap. Equipped with a silicone rubber gasket that seals in heat and air conditioning as a damper, a top-mount damper also gives you an air-tight seal to keep out water, debris, birds, squirrels, and raccoons — just as a chimney cap would. When our customers need a new chimney cap, Ashbusters will recommend that they install a top-mount damper instead of a chimney cap.
A top-mount damper will save you both energy and money.
Throat dampers just do not completely seal as well as top-mount dampers. You will not have to worry about cold air, ice, and snow entering your flue to create a cold core in your chimney when you have a top-mount damper. A cold core tries to cool your home at the same time that your heating system is trying to warm it up, which wastes both fuel and money. Since a top-mount damper sits atop your chimney, cold air never even has a chance to get anywhere inside because your entire flue is sealed air-tight with the silicone rubber gasket. Believe us when we say you will save money on both cooling and heating bills when you install a top-mount damper.
A top-mount damper is easy to operate.
With some throat dampers, you must practically stick your head up the fireplace to open and close them. When you have a top-mount damper, opening and closing the damper is simple. A stainless steel cable from the damper drops down the chimney and connects to an easily-accessible handle which is mounted inside the firebox. Different models will have different opening and closing methods, but Ashbusters guarantees you will find all easy to use.
Want to know more about the benefits of top-mount dampers? Contact Ashbusters to find out even more advantages to this type of damper.