Fireplace Damper Repair

If the damper at your masonry fireplace has been lost rusted away cracked or is otherwise missing or damaged beyond repair it may be possible to install a chimney top damper to achieve the same fireplace and draft controls you need to avoid sending building heat up the chimney unnecessarily.

Fireplace damper repair. You should be able to see the damper normally located about a foot higher than the fireplace itself. There are also top mount dampers available for prefab fireplaces. Closing a prefab fireplace damper. There are two types of fireplace dampers.

A leaky or missing fireplace damper can cost as much as several hundred dollars of heat loss right up your chimney. Correct operation of the poker. Remove all ashes from the firebox and remove the fireplace grate if you have one. Chimney damper repair is a dirty job so before you begin put on a pair of safety glasses gloves a hat and some old clothes to keep you protected from falling debris.

Shine a flashlight up your chimney. This can warp and damage the fireplace damper thus needing replacement. Fireplace damper repair cost for minor repairs is lower than damper replacement cost. Sometimes the biggest emergencies happen when we forget to open the damper before a fire has been started.

While you re looking for new chimney and fireplace accessories for your hearth area don t forget a fireplace damper. We ve got conventional replacement fireplace dampers chimney top dampers and components. Remove the fixings using the wrench. The damper plate itself sits in a small groove at the bottom of the frame.

Step 1 cleaning out the fireplace. Over time the extreme heat and rapid change in temperature. A damper must be in one piece that is snug to the flue in order for it to work properly. Fireplace dampers sit almost directly above the heat of the fire.

Step 3 remove the damper. Clean out the entire fireplace before you begin. But because repairs sometimes require more labor than replacement the cost effective choice might be to replace the fireplace damper assembly when repairs are extensive and or to get the benefit of new equipment. Replacement fireplace dampers seal at the chimney top.

A top sealing damper that is pull chain activated and a throat damper that is lever or knob activated. Because prefab chimneys require a specific chimney cap these dampers have a drop in style that mounts inside the top of the chimney. This is fixed to the chimney with four nuts. How to repair a chimney damper.

The damper is not as airtight as a masonry top mount because it does not use a seal.