Jim wrote in news:kbd8u8$sls$ snipped-for-privacy@news.albasani.net:
Those are dampers, not flues. The flue is the passageway for the exhaust gases to leave the house. The mechanism that opens and closes it is the damper.
Possibly due to a knuckleheaded family member who lights fires without checking the damper first. Or possibly due to laziness -- easier to just keep it open all the time, especially if the fireplace is used frequently.
Another possibility is that the house is tight enough that an open damper in a fireplace *not* in use is necessary to supply sufficient combustion air to one that *is* in use
-- could be that none of them will draw properly unless there's at least one more open damper somewhere.
At least, remove them long enough to find out if the dampers operate properly, and the fireplaces will draw properly with the unused one(s) closed. If they do, and if you can remember to check them before lighting a fire, there's no reason to keep them all open if the fireplaces draw properly otherwise.
Thanks for the clarification on the damper. I didn't know if the clamp was a safety feature or what. I'll remove the clamnps to see what happens with the air.
A house we own in Redmond, Oregon has a big stone fireplace with glass doors in the front. The year we moved there we had a big fire in the fireplace during a winter storm. About 5 degrees, snowing hard and big wind from the South. One big gust of wind blew open the glass doors and slammed shut the damper. Guess where the smoke and flames went? We were in the room and I quickly grabbed a stick of firewood and got the damper open and doors closed.
Got a piece of wire and managed to wire the damper open.
Later I fabricated a stainless steel latch on the damper handle to hold it either open or closed. No further problems. The heavy wooden mantle showed signs that this had happened before.
In my experience, dampers should ALWAYS have some positive latching/locking mechanism.
If by "see what happens," you mean you're gonna instrument it under different wind direction/speeds and fire conditions, that's great. If not, make sure your CO detectors work and your exit strategy is rehearsed.
My fireplace is capped, 'cause I don't use it.
The range vent hood can pull a 5 Pascal vacuum on the inside.
I'd be nervous about a smoldering fire with negative pressure.
Executive summary: "curiosity killed the cat!" The only rational reason to ask a question is if your future depends on the answer. Your only future option is to close the vents. If you're not gonna risk closing the vents, the why is irrelevant.
The only way to get an accurate answer is to locate the person who locked 'em and ask.
But you're asking the wrong question. The question you probably want is, "what happens if I close one or more of them?"
Pondering why they're locked open is preferable to pondering why your kids died in their sleep while you were experimenting.
There's lots of stuff done to make sure that it's never a problem under the worst imaginable conditions. Your experiments likely won't cover all those bases. But it's very likely that you won't die...maybe...probably...except in that rare case when you do.
If you're burning wood, I'd be worried. If it's a properly adjusted gas flame with outside combustion air, it's a lot safer. Heck, 50 years ago we used to heat with open-flame gas and no vents at all. Wonder if there's any correlation between that and the fact that I can't remember what I had for breakfast.
If you're gonna muck with the heating system combustion products, don't just guess. Get the tools and MEASURE it.
Anybody who suggests it's OK to close vents based on the little information you've provided is being irresponsible.
You said this was also on one that hadn't been used. Could ti be put on by the manufacturer to keep it from moving during shipping? I wouldn't think so, but ....
If he suggested closing them while _using_ the fireplace, I'd be very concerned. But I find it hard to imagine a significant hazard from closing the damper on a fireplace NOT in use.
Closing the damper on a fireplace not in use restricts air flow into the space.
I haven't had a fire since I sealed the place, but based on the pressure measurements, I'm certain that if I unblocked the chimney and turned on the kitchen exhaust fan, it'd suck smoke down the chimney.
Like I said...closing a damper is not a problem...until it is. Where death is involved, you wanna be very sure.
I went to images.google.com and typed in "fireplace damper safety clamp".
Lots of pictures similar to what you've got there.
Here's one for a damper clamp.
formatting link
"When properly installed, this clamp will prevent the damper from closing. If a gas leak occurs, the gas will not enter the living space, but will be vented up through the chimney."
Here's an LA Times news article:
formatting link
Fireplace Damper Keeps Home Safe From Fumes
formatting link
clamps are placed on the fireplace flue damper to keep it open allowing venting for the pilot exhaust. This is a code compliance issue (for most states and counties in the US) anytime there is a gas appliance in a fireplace and a safety issue due to carbon monoxide released by the burning gas.
formatting link
damper clip is required on all fireplaces that have been equipped with gas logs. The damper clip locks the damper in the open position at all times. This is done as a safety precaution, to prevent gases produced by your fire from entering your home. With gas logs, there is no smoke produced, and therefore no indicator that the damper is closed, which causes a potentially hazardous situation.
Yes there is: So you don't have to fiddle with it ever again.
Ah, you might say, that defeats the purpose by allowing outside air to influence the inside temperature!
Not at my house, or at least not so much.
A couple of years ago I scored a fireplace screen from Craigslist for $45. It consists of a frame clamped to the fireplace itself, two wire-mesh doors, and two tempered glass doors. After enjoying the fire as much as needed, I can close all the doors and make the front of the fireplace almost air tight. No air, or not much, can enter or leave the fireplace. And I don't have to fuss with the damper at all. Plus, I don't have to reach into the still smoldering embers to engage the hot damper.
And before anyone haruumps "There's still SOME leakage!", I'll admit to that, but probably no more so than around a closed damper.
On 12/26/2012 5:51 AM, HeyBub wrote: . No air, or not much, can enter or leave the fireplace. And I don't
Are you saying that you were in the habit of closing the damper while the embers are still smoldering. If so, we have discovered why the dampers are locked open...because of you. ;-) Glad you're still alive.
I didn't read all the other posts in this thread, but I can think of at least two reasons why a previous home owner would have secured the fire place flue dampers open:
Dryer exhaust duct is clogged with lint. Clothes aren't drying properly. Home owner misdiagnoses the problem as being insufficient make-up air coming into the house to replace warm moist air being blown out by the dryer. So, he opens the flue vents to allow for more made-up air.
Thermocouple on water heater is old and barely producing sufficient voltage to keep safety valve on gas valve open. So, pilot light flame going out, heaving home owner constantly running out of hot water. Home owner misdiagnoses the problem. He figures that when the dryer is operating, the make-up air is coming down the water heater flue and blowing the pilot light out. So, he opens the flue vent to allow make-up air to come in through the fire place instead.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.