A chimney top damper fitted properly in Health District
We compare repairing your throat damper with adding one on top, and you choose the route.
- Owned and run locally
- Available for same-day service
- Fully licensed and insured
- Family owned and run
When a chimney top damper makes sense in Health District
- Throat damper rusted shut or missing
- Leaves or nesting on the smoke shelf
- Birds or insects coming down the flue
- Rust flakes dropping from the throat
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Top mount damper work in Health District
Choosing the side for the handle
The handle goes on whichever side of the firebox you find easier to reach. If you are right-handed and the fireplace sits in a corner, one side may be much more practical than the other. The instructions leave that choice to the owner.
We ask before drilling. Think about where furniture sits, where you stand to light a fire and who else in the house will use it. The handle should be reachable without leaning far into the firebox, and a quick test pull before we leave confirms that it is.
Lever handles with several positions
Most cable dampers are simply open or closed. Some models use a lever handle with several set positions, so the lid can be held part-way open. The maker describes that as a way to control the amount of draft.
A part-open position is useful only if you understand when to use it. We explain the positions at handover and when the lid must be fully open. If a simple open-and-closed handle would suit you better, say so. We would rather fit a control you will use correctly than one with features you do not need.
Replacement cables and handles
Many cable dampers can be serviced rather than replaced. Makers sell hardware kits with a handle, chain, bracket and anchors, and cable packs with a new cable and cable spring. A frayed cable or a broken handle does not by itself mean a new damper.
We identify the make of an existing damper before recommending anything. If a hardware kit will restore it, the estimate says so. If the lid, hinge or frame has failed, we explain why replacement makes more sense. You see both options before deciding.
Checks once the damper is fitted
Before we leave, the damper is opened and closed several times from the handle. We watch the lid from the roof for a full opening and an even close. The bracket is tested for movement, and the cable is checked for rubbing along its route.
We also confirm that the old throat damper cannot swing into the smoke path. Anything that still concerns us goes into the written record. You should find the damper working as described the first time you use it.
What a top damper proposal should name
- Flue shape and size measured
- Damper model and material named
- Handle bracket position in the firebox
- Old hardware and debris hauled away
Your top sealing damper questions answered
Does a top damper replace my old throat damper?
It takes over the job of closing the flue. The old throat damper is then fixed open, removed or left in place, depending on its condition and the fireplace. We explain which applies and list it on the estimate.
How do I open the lid before lighting a fire?
Release the handle from its bracket so the spring lifts the lid. Most designs show a clear open position at the handle. If you cannot tell that the lid is open, do not light the fire, and ask us to check it.
Will the open lid slow the smoke leaving the chimney?
A properly sized damper should open wide enough not to choke the flue, and some designs are made to sit clear of the smoke path when open. We check the lid opening against the flue and tell you what we found.
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Chimney & Fireplace Brands We Work With
DuraVent 
Olympia Chimney and Venting 
Copperfield Chimney Supply 
Rutland 
Heatilator 
Heat & Glo