Reader MikeTerry wrote in to steer our attention to the Chimney Balloon. We thought it sounded a bit silly at first — but when you tell a Texan that this device keeps cool air in the house where it belongs, you have their complete and undivided attention.
The Chimney Balloon, or chimney pillow, plugs up your chimney to prevent drafty-flue syndrome. Stuff the balloon up the chimney and blow it up with the included hollow pole. The balloon’s triple-layered plastic presses against the chimney walls, creating a sealed layer between the elements and the controlled climate that you’re spending cash to maintain inside the house.
The Chimney Balloon is more than worth the $12 cost if it saves even a smidge of the “bought air” from whisking out the chimney. We might check it out just on general principle.
Chimney Balloon [Website]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
VIa Amazon [What’s This?]
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10 Responses to Chimney Balloon
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while these things are great, your listing of 12 bucks is a bit deceiving. The 12 dollar price is for a pipe extender for the balloon. The baloons themselves run 42 bucks and up (depending on size)
I would be very interested in people’s experiences with this technology. I have a leaky chimney that is costing me a lot of money. This looks fragile but maybe it would work fine. I was thinking of building a foam/insulation plug but this might be a simpler fix. I never use the fire place that this would go on.
@ Joe – if you never use it, then just seal it up with 1/4″ ply, plastic and caulk.
Chuck, I’d agree with you there but for one thing.
Growing up in New England, every year there would be a bunch of folks who ended up dead or homeless because they tried to light a fire in a permanently blocked chimney that they either didn’t know about, or forgot (a surprising number] about.
‘Course if you’re stupid enough to light a fire in a chimney you haven’t checked…
why not just use a normal ballon??? i just tryed it and it work just like this does.
Barri, let us know how it is in a week. Or a month. Or a year.
Pretty good odds it won’t last a week, just like any other “normal” latex balloon.
Ok, I’m no Texan, but is keeping “keeps cool air in the house where it belongs” usually a chimney issue?
Why do Texans have a chimney?
I have a small chimney balloon in my prefab fireplace. It has been there since 2006. the sheet metal damper got all warped and crusty so i put one of these in as a damper. I have probubly put it in and taken it out 30-40 times and it is still doing fine. Seems to be reasonably durable.
I have a chimney that I never use, and never intend to use. I did not want to pay for a chimney balloon. So, I bought a $5.00 yoga ball and stuffed it up there and blew it up with a the full size pump from an inflatable kayak. Aside from not having enough others on hand to help, keep it from dropping as I inflated it, it worked. A small gap was left at the end that I will fill with insulation. It also hangs down into the aperture. But this could have been avoided if I had had a helper. Be careful you do not damage the chimney–they are really strong and round.