4 Ways Fireplace Dampers Improve Your Home
- Jimmie Morgan
- 0
- on Oct 07, 2019
One of the most overlooked sections in any fireplace is a fireplace damper. Fireplace dampers are adjustable components in a heating system that removes smoke indoors. A well-adjusted damper removes smoke and other advantages as well.
Prevents Smoke From Filling A Room
As mentioned, the most crucial role of a fireplace damper is to remove smoke from a room. An opened damper gives way to smoke as it travels through the flue. Therefore, it’s essential to open the damper to release smoke; otherwise, your home will soon become a nightmare.
Prevents Cold Air From Entering
Another way a damper improves your home is that when it’s shut, it will prevent cold air from escaping. If you have an AC system in your home, it would be impossible to control the AC well if cold air keeps escaping an open damper.
Improves Heating Efficiency
Closing the damper while the AC is powered on will also help improve the cooling efficiency of the AC system. This principle is similar to placing thick curtains on windows and keeping the door shut in an air-conditioned room. So be sure to check your fireplace damper as well as windows and doors before you turn on the AC system.
Controls The Intensity Of The Fire
When dampers are correctly used, you can control the intensity of the fire. Same goes with adding more firewood or gas to a fireplace. If you change the size of the opening of the damper, then you will reduce the amount of oxygen that will come through the flue. Fire needs oxygen to burn, just like adding fuel like gas or wood to fire.
Understanding how your damper works will allow you to control the flame better and thus enhance the overall efficiency of your fireplace. When the damper located close to the firebox, it can take longer to the flue to heat. If the flue is cold, this will prevent the smoke from exiting the flue, and thus it will just move back to the room.
So warm up the flue by waving a small flame such as a cone of paper or a lighted stick under the damper to start an air current so that the smoke can move through the flue quickly.