Fireplace Chimney Draftstopper Plug Balloon (Large Pillow - Fits Any Masonry Fireplace with dampers up to 38x16")
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Fireplace Chimney Draftstopper Plug Balloon (Large Pillow - Fits Any Masonry Fireplace with dampers up to 38x16")
Customer Review: Pleasantly surprised
Summary: 5 Stars
I installed these Saturday morning in the basement and main floor fireplaces (I have a ranch-style home) and showed them off to my wife. Later that day we were hanging out in the far end of the house and she asked me if I had turned the heat up. I said no, she asked again later, still no - same setting as it had been (66-67 degrees). I checked the thermometer I have at that end of the house, and sure enough, it was 1-2 degrees warmer than it had been. It seems that we must have been losing enough warm air up the chimneys - and drawing enough cold air in - to feel the difference almost instantly. I was skeptical when I bought these that I would notice anything, but what a nice treat to get this much result on the first day.Customer Review: Plugged - waiting for first heating bill
Summary: 4 Stars
Installation was very easy (read instructions first). Our first electric bill has not been received since we installed - we are hoping that this and the wood stove will reduce our bills.Customer Review: Preliminary results: saving 20% off our oil bill
Summary: 5 Stars
About a year ago we had a blower-door test done on our house, and the chimney was identified as by far the major source of air leakage despite having a functional damper. So we tried this product, which is pretty easy to install/uninstall. In the 2009-10 heating season (i.e., prior to using this product), I had recorded the dates and amounts of all our oil deliveries as well as the mean monthly temperatures. Not surprisingly, there was a tight relationship between these (yes, I did the regression!). This season, based on our first two oil deliveries, we've been running 20% lower than last season's regression line--in other words, taking temperature differences into account, this item paid for itself in one month. This was true even though I had slightly increased our nightly temperatures from last year. I had hoped this product would help but am astonished at just how much a difference it is making.Customer Review: Stop The Cold Air --- NOW!
Summary: 5 Stars
This does work very well, perhaps only in the right chimneys, perhaps only when installed correctly. I have had this for four months and will adjust my review, later, if a problem develops (such as a puncture).
It stops so much cold air that I need to put my hand directly under it just to feel a difference in ambient temperature. This also means that it stops the fireplace odors that were entering the room. I've even tried it with the flue open and it still keeps the cold out.
It does not self-install: you have to take the time and be careful. I can now do it in about three minutes. Some words on installation:
- After you THINK you have installed it correctly, feel around all of the edges for leaks. When you feel a leak, simply push - or pull - that section of the balloon into the right spot to fully stop the leak.
- The balloon does give the impression of deflating, but this is a misnomer. In cold temperatures a balloon will shrink, not deflate, due to the air cooling in the balloon. This happened once, so far, to the point where cold air began infiltrating. All you need do is to inflate it a little, while the balloon is still in place (the long inflation tube makes it easy) and then check around the edges again as above.
Our room has been truly comfortable for the first winter in 15 years due to this. My only concern is it's ruggedness. If it does not puncture, it will pay for itself in about 2 years. I have been somewhat intentionally rough with it to test this and, so far, am impressed that it hasn't punctured.
UPDATE January 2010:
Have now been putting this in and out weekly for the second winter. Performs as well as new. Seems to be quite resistant to puncturing (and it's been pushed to the limit). If it were to puncture at this point, I would buy another one.
Customer Review: Stopped the draft
Summary: 4 Stars
This product solved the cold air down draft caused by a faulty damper. It was easy to install and took only about 10 minutes.
The support arm was not long enough for my fireplace and it by itself would not hold the plug in place while I finished inflating it.