We all want to save money on home energy expenses. It might have occurred to you that some of your heating dollars are lost up the chimney, particularly if you don't use your woodstove or fireplace as a primary source of home heating. What you might not realize is that some of your home cooling dollars are going straight up the chimney and evaporating in the atmosphere, as well. Adding simple fireplace insulation material and modern fireplace dampers can help you to save money on both heating and cooling costs. Let's take a look at some of the most popular items available, and discuss ways they can help save you money on energy.
US Fireplace Dampers
The damper in a fireplace or wood stove is designed to modulate the flow of air that goes up the chimney while a fire is burning. Opening a fireplace damper increases air flow and allows fires to start faster, while closing the damper part way or most of the way slows down the combustion process, adding to fuel efficiency while the stove is in use.
Old-fashioned fireplace dampers sit inside the chimney itself; they look a bit like a flat panel with a connecting rod that ties in to the handle that is located at the front or side of your fireplace or woodstove chimney. Rotating the handle causes the damper to swing back and forth, either increasing or decreasing the amount of air that flows through the firebox.
US Fireplace Dampers
The damper in a fireplace or wood stove is designed to modulate the flow of air that goes up the chimney while a fire is burning. Opening a fireplace damper increases air flow and allows fires to start faster, while closing the damper part way or most of the way slows down the combustion process, adding to fuel efficiency while the stove is in use.
Old-fashioned fireplace dampers sit inside the chimney itself; they look a bit like a flat panel with a connecting rod that ties in to the handle that is located at the front or side of your fireplace or woodstove chimney. Rotating the handle causes the damper to swing back and forth, either increasing or decreasing the amount of air that flows through the firebox.
The newest US fireplace dampers are capable of creating a complete seal on top of the chimney, so that when the fireplace or woodstove is not in use, it can be closed off completely. This prevents heated or cooled air from inside the home from escaping up the chimney, and it saves heating and cooling appliances from working overtime to help maintain temperatures. Installing a damper like this saves homeowners plenty of money, plus it doubles as a chimney cover, keeping birds, animals, and debris such as dry leaves out of the chimney flue.
Fireplace Insulation Material
Insulating any empty spaces within a home environment helps to keep interior temperatures stable; fireplace insulation material goes one step further by helping your fireplace to heat your home more efficiently. In addition, it can help keep hot air from outside or cool air from inside your home from transferring on hot summer days when staying warm is the furthest thing from your mind.
Fireplace insulation material is designed to work with a number of different fireplace liners. Some is designed to be mixed and poured down a masonry chimney into the empty space between the chimney and liner; other types wrap around the chimney liner to keep it from passing excess heat from the interior to the exterior. Another type of fireplace insulation material is designed to be packed into empty spaces around fireboxes, keeping heat where it belongs. Insulation wrapping and packing material is made from a combination of ceramic fibers and metal. Unlike other home insulation products, fireplace insulation material is not combustible. Talk to your fireplace professional about which type will work best for you, and watch your energy savings grow.
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