The Providence Journal
Bracing for Winter: The Fireplace
By Andrea L. Stape


Make that heat-sucking hole in the wall more comforting to you and your budget

CUMBERLAND, RI -- With heating costs this year expected to rise significantly compared with last winter, it's time to turn that gaping brick hole in the living room into something other than a heat-sucking money pit.
Fireplaces are not heat sources. When they aren't being used, they can leak warm air. And when they are being used, they are 90-percent inefficient because they "take heated room air, burn it and send it out the flue," said Rich Davis, category manager of fireplaces for Homeclick.com, a home-improvement Web site based in New Jersey.
"The masonary fireplace is an open window to the outside," he said.

There are several things homeowners can do to stop their fireplaces from sending heating dollars out the chimney. And for those willing to invest some money, such as the Bousquets, it's possible to actually turn those fireplaces into cost-effective heat sources.

To start, think of the fireplace as a doorway. Most fireplaces have a damper at the top of the firebox, which acts like the door. This should always be shut if the fireplace is not in use. Also important is to make sure that the seal along the damper is tight. Because it's directly above the fire, the damper can become warped after long use.
If you don't plan to use the fireplace, the U.S. Department of Energy suggests sealing the flue with a Fireplace Draftstopper.

AMAZING!! The energy bill at John Bristol’s Chevy Chase home fell by $722 over seven months after he installed a pair of $55 Battic Door Fireplace Plugs!

As Featured on Good Morning America - Fireplace DraftStopper

	We could all agree that home heating costs are going straight up.  Which is why keeping that expensive warm air inside is very important.  When chimney's are not in use that expensive heat is escaping straight up them.
One would think closing the damper would be enough to keep cold air out and warm air in, but not necessarily so.
	A solution to this problem is the fireplace plug.  It is like a plastic inflatable plug for your chimney.
To install it, you partially inflate it with the breathing tube...
	...then slip it up into the top of the firebox...
...and lock it in place.
	Finally, finish inflating the plug and tuck the tube out of sight.
Some heating experts claim that an unlit fireplace with a damper open can increase heating costs by as much as 30 percent. Now that could add up to $500 over the course of a season. Well, here's a solution that's relatively inexpensive, easy to install and pretty much invisible.