How to Open a Chimney Damper
A working chimney damper is a necessity if you want your fireplace to maintain a healthy burning fire. The chimney damper is the device that opens and closes to allow air in or out of the chimney. Airflow adjustments to the fireplace or stove are made through the chimney's damper.
By regulating the damper, the homeowner can therefore, regulate the burn of the fire. Learning to open properly your damper is your first step in controlling your fireplace's burn. Here's how to do it.
- Examine your damper, standard dampers all open in the same manner. After you learn this using the damper is relatively easy.
- Make sure there is no fire in the stove or fireplace. The fireplace hearth or stove should be cool.
- Find the rod that regulates the damper inside the fireplace hearth. It is the rod that runs from the damper base to the damper's vent. A chain or a wire may be connected to this rod. If this is the case it will be necessary to find the chain or the wire. Some wires run the entire length of the chimney from the top while others are inside the hearth.
- To open the damper, pull the rod in a downward motion. This motion will engage a built in arm, which will raise the vent creating a gap and opening the flue.
- Be careful not to jerk on the wire, rod or chain as this can damage the vent, and the damper base can come loose from its position in the chimney.
- Try using a chimney brush inside the hearth to remove any debris, which may have accumulated around the damper rod preventing it from moving. This step only needs to be done if the damper won't open.
- However, after cleaning the area, if the mechanism still won't move. It is probably stuck and will require the services of a professional chimney sweep to evaluate the situation.