Damper missing from fireplace

[Evastar]

i've noticed an awful draught in my sitting room recently, also when fire is lit most of the flames go straight up the back of the chimney.

i got a friend to look at it, cos i was told the damper was most likely open; anyway he said the damper is missing :(

is it easy to get a replacement and fit it? and if i can't get one, will a cap on my chimney do the same thing, or would a cap affect my lighting a fire?

[daithi]

is it an open fire or stove eva
if its an open fire there handy to make
what make an model is it if its a stove or range

[Lewiscc]

i've noticed an awful draught in my sitting room recently, also when fire is lit most of the flames go straight up the back of the chimney.

i got a friend to look at it, cos i was told the damper was most likely open; anyway he said the damper is missing :(

is it easy to get a replacement and fit it? and if i can't get one, will a cap on my chimney do the same thing, or would a cap affect my lighting a fire?



you need to replace the damper eva ..... as without it you're permanently heating the back boiler.

[Evastar]

it's an open fire, but there is a back boiler in it, that is disconnected and has been for years. the back boiler make is called Firemaster.

how easy to make daithi, as the only ones i have seen are pretty expensive :(

[daithi]

ive a back boiler to in my house
if ya look on done deal or adverts theres a few of them on it your make is probably there an ya can get a look at the damper as the will have pics from it
from what i see the most are like mine all it is a flat palte that lies on top and ya push it forward and back to close it off

http://c0.dmlimg.com/1fc1c1c2db5852e08ffc380475e263361ad5fae22e831458d2 4f8b92a880e129.jpg

[Evastar]

yes i'm pretty sure it's a flat plate, but i certainly wouldnt be able to make one! :(

[daithi]

if ya can get the measurements you would get an off cut somewhere around dublin or someone would make ya one in a steel fabrication shop very easily
could make ya one myself but not sure when im up in dublin next
saying that you have gone so long without it another few weeks wouldnt harm lol

[patkins]

Maybe someone on your street has a similar fireplace boiler and you could whip out damper, it just sits on top, to get measurements.
Any welder would make one up fairly easily with a hook on it for pushing in or pulling out and wouldn't be expensive...maybe a tener or twenty.

[Evastar]

i'll ask around. i think most people have gas fires these days, very few with open fires, so don't know if back boilers replaced or covered or what.

what if i measure the gap, will that do?

there is a welder locally or there was (will have to take a look), also a builders providers, will chat to them next week when they reopen. i'd say the back boiler was a pretty common make in its day.

thanks guys

[Evastar]

ok myself and my son measured the gap, its 29 cm wide and 17 cm deep, so i should just get a steel plate made with a hook in the middle of the long end?

and it shouldnt be expensive?

just looking at the pic you have up there daithi. see the two gaps on the top of the fireplace, do you cover both of them and let the air up the front of the fire, or is the damper only meant to cover one of them? i'm not that sure that there is two gaps like that on mine?

[cactikid]

hah living in dublin is expensive lol

[Grizz]

you shouldnt even need the hook welded to it if its going to be a permanant close Eva.
when the plate is pushed to the back you should be able to see up the front of your chimney.
ive just measured 2 Grants one 18" and one 16" and both openings are just short of 10cms


id be surprised if someone would charge you more than the price of a pint for a piece of scrap plate, (id be surprised if they charged you at all)

[cactikid]

she better have lippy on and a smile works wonders lol.

[Evastar]

you shouldnt even need the hook welded to it if its going to be a permanant close Eva.
when the plate is pushed to the back you should be able to see up the front of your chimney.
ive just measured 2 Grants one 18" and one 16" and both openings are just short of 10cms


id be surprised if someone would charge you more than the price of a pint for a piece of scrap plate, (id be surprised if they charged you at all)

ok tried that grizz, so basically i just go to the welders and ask has he a bit of steel plate, 29 cm by 17 cm :)

thanks everyone for your help :)

[daithi]

dont think it should be 17cm eva maybe 10 as grizz said so ya can push it forward and back as in open an closed

[Grizz]

http://www.digital-kaos.co.uk/forums/members/201088-grizz/albums/pic/5594-eva2.png

[Evastar]

thanks very much for all your help guys.

i was quoted 80 euro for a replacement damper, dont think it was even the correct size, it was just a generic one.

i went to a local welder and steel fabricators and got a steel plate made 29 x 17 for twenty euro, when i took it home it was too big as there was a bolt sticking up on one side of the boiler, so i took it back the next day and got him to recut it to 27 x 15 cm, and he didn't charge me anything extra :)

it makes a huge difference to the fire, it lights much more easily, the fuel lasts longer, the flames don't go up the back of the fireplace anymore, the room is much warmer and there isn't nearly as loud a noise or draught from the chimney :)

[daithi]

thanks very much for all your help guys.

i was quoted 80 euro for a replacement damper, dont think it was even the correct size, it was just a generic one.

i went to a local welder and steel fabricators and got a steel plate made 29 x 17 for twenty euro, when i took it home it was too big as there was a bolt sticking up on one side of the boiler, so i took it back the next day and got him to recut it to 27 x 15 cm, and he didn't charge me anything extra :)

it makes a huge difference to the fire, it lights much more easily, the fuel lasts longer, the flames don't go up the back of the fireplace anymore, the room is much warmer and there isn't nearly as loud a noise or draught from the chimney :)

we told ya it was to big lol
good to see ya got it sorted

[Evastar]

we told ya it was to big lol
good to see ya got it sorted

what can i say, i don't usually listen to men when they talk about sizes :roflmao:

thanks again, it's amazing the difference it's made, i was actually too hot sitting in the front room last night with the fire lit lol

[cactikid]

next time your cold eva.lol

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[Evastar]

thanks cacti, i think there's one of those lying around somewhere already lol