Damper Repair & Replacement

Your chimney’s damper is another seemingly small part of the system that’s doing important work. Its primary function is to seal off the flue when the chimney isn’t in use. In doing so, it helps keep rain and snow out, and it also blocks the conditioned air inside your home from escaping, costing you more money.

The most common problem we see with a chimney damper is it getting stuck in place, either open or closed. Neither is a good situation. Dampers can also come loose or off their bracket, or parts can become brittle or break off due to corrosion.

Sometimes damaged dampers can be repaired or reseated. But corroded or brittle dampers need to be replaced. A Mason’s Chimney Service technician can assess your damper and recommend the best course of action for a safe and efficient chimney.

There Are Two Main Kinds Of Chimney Dampers

Throat Dampers
Older fireplaces will likely have a throat damper, which would have been installed at the top of the firebox and controlled with a handle or knob inside the firebox or above the fireplace.

In properly-maintained chimneys, throat dampers can last a long while. But these can corrode, come off of their track, and get stuck. If your throat damper is damaged to a point where repair just isn’t safe or reasonable, your Mason’s Chimney Service technician will recommend a replacement damper. We recommend top-end dampers to replace these.

Top-end Dampers
Unlike a throat damper, a top-end damper isn’t installed by your firebox, but at the top of the flue, connected by a cable to an adjustable bracket that’s secured to the fireplace wall.

Top-end dampers are better choices for a variety of reasons. These have a gasket that, when the damper is closed, creates a tight seal to better keep out the elements. Even when it’s open, the damper has a cap built in that will help keep out debris, rain, snow and animals. These dampers bring increased energy efficiency since that tight seal helps keep your temperate air in, and stops you from expending energy to heat up or cool down the air in your chimney.

Many homeowners choose to replace even fully-functioning throat dampers with top-end dampers to take advantage of those benefits.

close up of newly installed stainless steel chimney damper
Is your chimney damper in need of repair or replacement? Call Mason’s Chimney Service to have one of our certified technicians take a look!

 

Your factory-built system requires a chase cover on its “chimney,” which is called a chase. At Mason’s Chimney Service, we perform this type of installation on a regular basis, so you’re in good hands.