The damper in a gas fireplace should remain open all the time.
Gas fireplace damper open or closed.
Is the fireplace damper open or closed.
Fireplace damper clamps are typically used for gas fireplace inserts or gas logs sets where it s required for the damper to be in fully open position at all times.
The glass between the firebox and your home prevents cold or heat from coming down the chimney and by leaving the damper open at all times you eliminate the risk of having gas build up or backdraft into your home.
It blocks off the air flow when it s closed and lets air in when it s open.
The damper should always be fully open before lighting a fire and when the fireplace is in use.
The damper in many zc fireplaces is a simple metal plate that pivots open and pivots closed when a lever is pushed or pulled.
In the picture above you see an open masonry chimney damper and the picture below shows it closed.
Unless you have a vent free fireplace the first step you should take before lighting a fire in a wood burning fireplace or gas fireplace is to open the damper.
And in fact in some gas log situations where it s conversion from a wood burner to a gas burning log they put a bracket on a damper to prevent you from ever being able to close it because that could be very dangerous.
See hurricane fireplace tips to see more about why you should close the fireplace damper with you are expecting heavy rains.
Just a bit of fyi.
To close a throat damper in a fireplace lift the handle and pull it back towards you.
Note that most epa certified zc fireplaces do not have a damper.
How to open your chimney damper.
A damper does not need to be used to control a gas fireplace fire and it can be very dangerous to use a gas fireplace with a damper in the closed position.
Close it when it s not it use.
Air can flow both ways so outside air can come into your home and the heated air from your home can escape through an open damper.
You ve got to make sure that vents ph up the house.
If you home is 2 story and you leave the damper open and don t have glass doors the flow through the damper and this is with fireplace at room temp can be over 500 feet per minute.
Gasketed sealed doors keep cold air from infiltrating.
A fireplace damper is a little metal flap that sits inside your flue.
Close the fireplace damper in preparation for a hurricane or heavy rains.