Customer Reviews

Fireplace Chimney Draftstopper Plug Balloon (Large Pillow - Fits Any Masonry Fireplace with dampers up to 38x16")

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

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.

I ordered two directly from their website. One of them had a slow leak. I called them up and they sent out a replacement immediately at no cost. That alone deserves 5 stars!

As for the plugs, they work as advertised. Don't expect them to create an airtight seal because they don't and the product description doesn't claim to either. However, it does dramatically reduce drafts, just doesn't completely eliminate them. The installation is fairly simple. Results will very depending on how it's installed. For example, I find that it creates a better seal if I don't inflate it completely. I was able to get optimal performance after a few tries.

The alternative was to get top dampers. That'll probably give me a closer to airtight seal but for my area, it cost $500-$800 installed. I figured I had nothing to lose to give these a try and I'm very glad I did.

I fiddled with this this for hours. I won't even mention how it's not fun to clean your fireplace before and have soot dropped all over you during... but besides that, the finished product still has gaps. The slits in the pillow you see in the picture are for the fireplace damper handle. Ours is directly in the center, so I cut through the pillow to allow the handle through, but this prevents the pillow from touching one entire side of the fireplace where the handle attaches. Next I tried pushing the pillow above the handle, not through, and this was better but not by much. I see three gaps right now and I'm not sure how much of a difference this will make. Tough call but I say look at your damper handle, if it's attached to the side of the fireplace, DO NOT BUY THIS, it's impossible to create a seal.

Our chimney draftstopper has now been in place for about 1 year with NO ISSUES. No concerns or leaks. I have not had to reinflate it or fuss with it in any manner.

I just put this in my chimney, and I have noticed an immediate difference. I used to be able to feel a draft when I was near the fireplace, but now I feel nothing. I haven't seen a utility bill since I put it in, but I'm sure that it is going to pay for itself pretty quickly. There is really no other option besides this or something like it to block the chimney off, so I highly recommend this.

Overall, I achieved better results (and less messy!) using a blanket covering the opening. Perhaps it's just my fireplace shape, but there is no significant improvement in draft stoppage. In the end, I'm still using the same old external cover to minimize downdrafts. The telescoping stick is too short for big fireplaces & the pillow fit is poor, plus it shifts if you have serious downdrafts. I will likely end up getting a new damper installed & the cost of this would have been better applied to that. Plus to remove it to actually make a fire is messy & a pain to get it back in place again. Save your money or get more creative with Home Depot materials & make one yourself.

Well worth the money!! And it's a piece of cake to install, maybe 3 minutes or less. I have two fireplaces, and bought 2 of these, two years ago. You just blow into the long nozzle to inflate it. When you turn the nozzle's end to close it, a bit of air escapes, but that's good. It will squish into the corners better that way if it's not completely inflated. You lift it into your fireplace with both hands and just tuck it into place. Go all around it with your fingers, and tuck it in. If you feel any bit of draft coming through, all it needs is some patting and poking to close it off. If you feel it's not inflated enough, just use the long nozzle to add more air. The nozzle can be easily tucked up out of the way after you inflate it. There is also an attached black plastic rod that holds it up securely from the fireplace floor, and it adjusts for height. After a season, it may deflate slightly due to changes in the ambient temperature, so just add more air. Easy maintenance! It is made of tough plastic to withstand abrasion and punctures. You can't see it from the room, because it's black. If you want to build a fire, just grab it, and it pops right out. I had a terrible draft in my basement rec room, and it shut off the draft immediately! Now the heat stays in! (And so does the air conditioning!) Every fireplace should have one!

This is designed for more modern homes. Although it is advertized to fit all chimneys, it was difficult to install in our 1920s home and does not make a seal. It reduces the size of the energy hole, but does not prevent airflow and heat loss up the chimney.

Our great room is much more comfortable since installing it. We have a pop-up damper on our chimney that just doesn't keep the draft out, but this thing has a simple design and is well worth the money. Works as advertised.

We have a wood-burning fireplace that was converted to gas-burning about 20 years ago and when we moved in I never trusted the thing. So we have the gas line turned off and just use the fireplace as "decoration" and a room focal point. But the draft coming in was substantial (damper cannot fully close for codes), even with glass fireplace doors and a draft snake, etc. Once our winter temps plummeted this season, my husband searched and found this product online...ordered it ASAP. Installation was pretty easy, but he did add some rags to the corners to make it a tighter plug. Our downstairs is much warmer now. And I have a theory that we'll have less of a humidity problem too, once summer comes, by keeping the outside air out. Finally a smart solution to this problem.