Do you know the difference betwen Dampers and Flues?

Do you know the difference between Dampers and Flues?

I have blogged about Fireplace restrictions in Los Angeles County previously. A fireplace in a home is now an endangered item under current code. Nevertheless if you have a home that was built before the Fireplace restriction in Los Angeles County, you should be happy. After you celebrated your good luck that you can still have an old fashioned wood burning fireplace in your home there are a few things you should know.

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Every Fireplace has a chimney damper. This is a movable plate that sits above the fireplace before the flue. If you pull the lever toward you, generally that will open most of the dampers. When the damper is closed, it helps to keep heated air from going up the chimney. It also prevents the wind from blowing ashes all over your room.

Many older homes in the greater Los Angeles area do not have dampers. If that is the case with your fireplace, the simplest and most effective solution is a top mounted damper which becomes part of the chimney cap. If you need a good Chimney specialist, just reach out to me and I will be happy to recommend one to you.

The flue, also known as the chimney lining, is basically a pipe up the middle of the chimney. Generaly the flue begins were the fireplace transforms into the flue pipe and ends at the chimney cap. The purpose of the flue is to move ash, sparks, smoke and gas out of the house into the atmosphere. A byproduct is also that it moves the heat out as well. At the same time the flue acts as an insulator to protect the chimney from the extreme heat which escapes from the fireplace.

When you are buying a home with a wood burning fireplace, I recommend you get a Chimney Inspector above and beyond a physical inspector to make sure that you are identifying if you have a functional fireplace or you are facing an expense to make the fireplace functional again.

There are still quite a few homes in the Hollywood Hills as well as in the Greater Los Angeles that have wood burning fireplaces. Should you be interested in buying or selling one these homes, please reach out to me.

If you are a consumer who is considering buying or selling a home, investment real estate, vacation homes, or beach properties in Southern California, Los Angeles, Century City, Westwood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Culver City, Marina Del Rey, Venice or Malibu. Feel Free to give me a call at 310.486.1002 or emails me at homes@endrebarath.com or visit one of my websites at https://www.endrebarath.com Your Pet Friendly Realtor. I contribute a portion of my commission to Local Animal Rescue Organizations.