The Fireplace Draftstopper - Details

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NOW AVAILABLE - ONLY $54.95!

Here are 3 tips that should assist you with a fast and easy install for our large plug:

1. Lower the air pressure so the plug is not hard. If you put in too much air it will become stiff and could create gaps. The plug should seal all gaps and conform to the shape of the fireplace.

2. Lower the pole and install in a "V" not a "^". After you insert it tuck the front and back up. Then add a little more air so it seals.

3. Please note that it is not always necessary to make a slit to accommodate the damper handle. Trial fit the plug first without making any slit for the damper handle. If the damper handle is in the way, open the damper to move the handle, or remove the handle temporarily.

OVERVIEW
65% or approximately 100 million homes in North America are constructed with wood or gas burning fireplaces. Fireplaces bring ambience, warmth and a primal survival nostalgia.

Unfortunately there are negative side effects that the fireplace brings to a home especially during the winter home-heating season.

Fireplaces are energy losers!
Researchers have studied this to determine the amount of heat loss through a fireplace, and the results are amazing!

One remarkable documentation of this is a research study that shows that an open damper on an unused fireplace in a well-insulated house can raise overall heating energy consumption by 30%!

Researchers calculated that a home with an active fireplace in it, consumes approximately 3,500 kWh per year more than an equivalent house without a fireplace.

In fact, house designers allow for an extra 3,400 BTU/hr (1 kW) of additional heating for each fireplace added to a home. For homes heated with electricity for an average electric utility rate of $0.15 per kWh, that would amount to approximately $525 extra per year in home energy costs.

Gas and fuel oil heating at one time was considerably cheaper than electric heating, however with today's gas and fuel oil prices, the cost of heating a home with a fireplace could be an additional $450.00 more than a home without one.

Of course gas, fuel oil and electric heating prices vary widely across North America. But for many consumers, their heating bills may be more than $500 higher per winter just due to the air leakage and wasted energy caused by fireplaces!

Why Does a Home With a Fireplace Have Higher Heating Bills?
The technical answer to this question is the "stack effect". The stack effect is the movement of air due to convection currents within your house's building envelope.

In simpler terms - hot air rises! Your heated air leaks out any exit it can find, and when your warm heated air is drawn out of your home, cold outside air is drawn in to make up for it. The fireplace accelerates the normal stack effect, like a giant straw - sucking the heated air from your house.

The greater the difference between the outside and indoor air temperature, the greater the air movement due to the stack effect. For example, if the outdoor air temperature is 15 degrees F (-10 degrees C) and the indoor temperature is 68 degrees F (+20 degrees C), the stack effect of the fireplace chimney would be the same as a 300 CFM bathroom fan running continuously.

This is like leaving a large window open all winter long!

The Solution - Install a Fireplace Draft Stopper
Most fireplaces have metal damper plates designed to prevent both cold downdrafts and space heating losses. These damper plates however provide little help after the fireplace has had a few roaring hot fires which cause the metal plates to warp and become misaligned.

Glass doors are also installed in some homes to stop downdraft problems but unfortunately they are not designed to be air tight because the glass would shatter when a fire is lit in the fireplace. These problems cause energy waste and subsequent higher heating bills.

The solution to this problem of higher heating bills is to install a fireplace plug to eliminate air leakage.

The Fireplace Draftstopper a unique product that has been designed to be a removable plug for the fireplace. The Fireplace Draft Stopper has been used in tens of thousands of fireplaces since 1992.

The Fireplace Draftstopper is designed as a durable inflatable plug, made of a specially formulated nylon-urethane material. Research testing and studies have verified that the Draftstopper seals the fireplace site to an effective 95-98% seal. At a price of under $50.00, the Fireplace Draft Stopper is a wise investment that could provide a potential payback in just one heating bill.

What is the Fireplace Draft Stopper?
The Draft Stopper is an inflatable urethane plug measuring 38" x 16" . It is quickly and easily installed in the fireplace just below the damper level.

The Draftstopper is provided with 5 "slittable" areas that can be cut to provide an opening for a damper handle. As the Draft Stopper is inflated it seals around the damper handle sealing the opening!

The Fireplace Draft Stopper can be adapted to work in almost all fireplaces. Even if you have an unusual construction, the Draftstopper can be successfully installed in less than 2 minutes.

The Draftstopper is one of the best investments you can make. It is the easiest and most inexpensive way to stop valuable warm air from leaving your home and minizing drafts from your fireplace.

How Does the Fireplace Draft Stopper Work?
The Fireplace Draftstopper is easy to install, and also easy to remove in order to have a fire. A Tee-shaped adjustable prop is included with the Fireplace Draft Stopper to simplify the installation and to support it in the event of heavy down drafts.

When the Fireplace Draft Stopper is removed it is placed in a FREE storage bag that comes with the package. To prevent possible puncture of the inflatable plug the firebox must first be inspected for any sharp surfaces or protrusions. The inflation process requires approximately 5 good breaths of air to give the plug some shape.

Then it is placed centered in the firebox and directly below the fireplace damper. An additional 2-4 more breaths of air are required to seal the firebox cavity.

The Fireplace Draft Stopper Has Been Tested
The Fireplace Draft Stopper is recommended for use in wood burning as well as gas fireplaces, and especially conventional fireplaces with gas fire logs.

It has been tested by Warnock Hersey (Vancouver, British Columbia Canada office) for the BC Gas Safety Branch for gas fire log applications.

What they were mainly concerned about was the possibility of someone starting the gas fire log with the Draftstopper in place. They destroyed several cases of Draft Stoppers to determine that even if the fire log is started the worst impact that could be expected was that the Draft Stopper would be melted.

As far as CO is concerned there was not any hazard potential identified or concern raised.

Benefits of the Fireplace Draft Stopper

* Saves up to 30% on heat and air conditioning costs!
* Stops uncomfortable chimney downdrafts!
* Reduces entry of odors and harmful toxins!
* Seals fireplace so that rodents, insects, etc. can't enter!

WHY NOT CONSERVE ENERGY, SAVE $$$ AND MAKE YOUR HOME MORE COMFORTABLE?

BUY ONE TODAY FOR EACH FIREPLACE IN YOUR HOUSE!

PLEASE NOTE THE COLOR OF THE DRAFTSTOPPER IS BLACK. (Color of plug is black.)

(The Draft Stopper is installed within the fireplace cavity below the damper and when installed can be difficult to see. A flourescent orange sticker provided on the tee helps to alert the user that a Fireplace Draft Stopper is installed when going to start a fire. This helps to remind the user to remove the Draft Stopper and place it into a storage bag when using the fireplace!).