Fireplace Damper question

[zman]

Hi all,
I am a newb to this forum, and fireplaces. Please bear wit my ignorance. If this issue has been addressed please point me to the right forum. We bought a house that has an addition that was built several decades ago. It is a one story addition that connects ot the garage and has a med sized masonry fireplace in it. The chimney extends about 6-9 ft 9+/- or so above the roof. We are experiencing an unusually cold winter in Co. and we noticed that the throat damper does not close all the way. We were thinking of getting a Lyemance or locktop damper installed. The chimney has 3 chimney pots on the top of them ( at least that is what the diagrams are calling them) Will I need a damper for each of the three "pots". Will someone have to remove them and then install the damper? Presently it is an open fireplace, no glass doors.
Additionally, I am mulling over two long term fixes:
1. Install Lock-top/ Lymance, glass doors and a fireplace heater, fireback
2. Install lock-top/ Lymance and some sort of wood buring fireplace insert.

Other than placing the insert into the fireplace what else is involved in hooking it up. Does special piping need to be run from the insert to the top of the chimney?

TIA,
Zman

 

[DriftWood]

Welcome to hearth.com. The people here speak wood burning and love to answer questions like yours. First do you want to get heat from your fire place or enjoy looking at worm fire or both ? Do you burn wood now in the fire place? Have you thought about using wood heating the area the fire place is in?

 

[zman]

Welcome to hearth.com. The people here speak wood burning and love to answer questions like yours. First do you want to get heat from your fire place or enjoy looking at worm fire or both ? Do you burn wood now in the fire place? Have you thought about using wood heating the area the fire place is in?

Yes I would like to use it for heat as well as aesthetics. this addition does not have a heat source (no ducts) I have not used this fireplace as of yet because we are still unpacking. This is one of 3 fireplaces in the house and is off of the kitchen. It is slated to be the dining room. We are going to eventually install French doors to separate the kitchen from the dining room. I am just trying to think of the best waty to approach this scenario.

Regards,
Zman

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

By the time you buy the lock top damper, the glass doors, and a fireback, you can buy a wood fireplace insert that will heat the home. That would be best for long term, and you will NOT have to abide by the Red days that the front range has to abide by.
Installation would include a liner to the top of the fireplace.

Now, to answer your question.
If you have three pots, those are for three different flues. If you want to block off any one of those flues, you will need a damper for each.

 

[DriftWood]

MountainStoveGuy works Boulder,CO selling wood stoves and knows his stuff . If I were you I would pm him or call him at work about your set up and your options. Start reading and poking around the website this is one article you can read. https://www.hearth.com/what/coneg.html
https://www.hearth.com/what/specific.html

Use the search tool to find information on any thing wood burning related.

HearthWiki is new but has answers also
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/wiki/

 

[zman]

Ok, sounds like a good start for us.

Now, to answer your question.
If you have three pots, those are for three different flues. If you want to block off any one of those flues, you will need a damper for each.

Under this premise would I not have 3 chains to open the three dampers? Can they all be connected to one? I am going to take a pic, weather permitting, and post it so that you can "see" what I am talking about.

Regards,

zman

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

thanks for the complement driftwood
i want to see what your talking about. shoot me a photo. do you live in the boulder area? its possible i could stop by and take a peek.
If you have three flues, you cant combine them into one. You will need three chains and three assemblies.

 

[Gooserider]

Ok, sounds like a good start for us.

Now, to answer your question.
If you have three pots, those are for three different flues. If you want to block off any one of those flues, you will need a damper for each.

Under this premise would I not have 3 chains to open the three dampers? Can they all be connected to one? I am going to take a pic, weather permitting, and post it so that you can "see" what I am talking about.

Regards,

zman

The other question you need to figure out is if you have three flues (probably since you have three caps) what do the OTHER flues service? You need to look around the house for any and all fuel burning appliances and figure out where they vent - I.E. furnace, hot water heater, other fireplaces, etc. Sometimes a hot water heater and furnace can share the same flue, but generally the rule is one flue per appliance. It is also possible that the other flues are either cosmetic dummies (unlikely) or possibly flues that were installed for "future expansion" and aren't currently connected to anything.

The important question is what each flue does, because that will tell you if you want to even think about putting a damper on a given flue - obviously you probably don't want a damper on your furnace for instance.

However I would also agree with MSG that a liner and insert might be just as cost effective and less hassle than the top dampers, and give you much more heat.

Gooserider