In the winter your chimney works for you. Whenever there is a fire burning, your chimney is constantly venting harmful byproducts away from your home. When the chimney works during the winter, your home and family are safe. It’s designed a certain way to vent a fire. However, what about when the fire is out? How is the chimney affected during the off-season?
Summer Heat
When summer arrives a couple of things can happen with your chimney:
- Negative pressures can cause the air from the chimney to fall into the fireplace or house.
Humid air seeps into the chimney, mingling with the soot and creosote there. - Both negative pressure and moisture in the chimney can result in a stinky chimney.
It’s unpleasant and can ruin your experience this summer while you’re trying to enjoy your family and vacation. To avoid chimney odors this summer, schedule a chimney sweep.
Air Conditioning
While you are running your air conditioning, it is working tirelessly to recirculate the air in your home. It cools it, and recirculates it in a cycle. If your damper isn’t closed properly, is damaged, missing, or even if it is working properly, you air conditioner will pull air from the chimney. This means, unless it’s stopped, warm air will come into your home by way of the chimney, making your air conditioner work harder, and spend more energy cooling your home.
According to AC and Heating Connect, a faulty damper can result in 30% more energy use in a year. The average family already spends about $600 per year on cooling. There are things you can do to prevent your chimney from affecting your air conditioning, however.
Install a Top-Sealing Damper
If you are tired of warm drafts coming from your chimney or have noticed your electricity bill just keeps climbing, it may be time to take action. Closing your damper snuggly should help keep the heat from the chimney from coming into the house. Another option is to install top-sealing damper. A top-sealing damper is a damper that caps the chimney instead of a traditional damper installed at the throat of the flue. The top-sealing damper closes with a tight seal when you desire, and closes with the pull of a chain at the fireplace. This damper acts as a chimney cap when it’s open, and when closed, prevents any airflow at all. Top-sealing dampers are often called energy-saving dampers because they save so much in energy by holding heat in during winter, and keeping heat out during summer.
Talk to RMR about a top-sealing damper today. We are also happy to assess your throat damper, to repair or replace it so that it works properly. The last thing we want is for our customers to spend more than they need to, so we offer the best products and services at an affordable price. At Robinson Maintenance Repair we know how important it is to conserve so we have less of an impact on the environment as well as on our own family’s finances.
Let an RMR technician talk you through the possible reasons for your AC/chimney problems this summer. Call (847) 290-1883 or request an estimate online.
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