Family-owned chimney damper replacement in Thornton Park
Damper stuck open or shut? We find the cause, fix it properly and back the work with our 100% satisfaction guarantee.
- Licensed & insured
- Locally run
- Family owned and operated
- Same-day service available
Inside a written damper replacement estimate
- Damper plate, frame and seat condition
- Pivot points and hinge wear
- Workmanship warranty on damper work
- 10% off any service booked within 72 hours
How we repair and replace dampers in Thornton Park
Rotary damper controls on the fireplace face
A rotary control uses a small crank or knob on the face of the fireplace. Turning it drives a gear and rod that swing the damper plate open or closed. It is tidy and convenient until a gear strips or the rod works loose.
If the knob spins freely or turns with no effect, the drive between the knob and the plate has usually failed. Our technicians trace the rod, check the gear housing and tell you whether a part can be replaced or the damper needs to be.
Rotary drives are also sensitive to soot and rust in the gear housing. Cleaning the drive can sometimes restore it, while a stripped gear needs a new part. We check the whole path from knob to plate before recommending anything.
Telling the damper control from other controls
Some fireplaces have more than one control near the opening. The Heatilator Accelerator manual, for one, shows a flue damper control separate from an outside air control. Mixing them up can leave the damper closed during a fire.
Our technicians identify each control on your fireplace and, if it helps, mark the damper positions so everyone in the house reads them the same way.
Mixed-up controls can also cause smoke problems that look like a damper failure. Once each control is identified, the fireplace often works better simply because the damper is fully open during fires.
Nests and animals resting on the damper
Birds and small animals sometimes nest on top of a closed damper or on the smoke shelf behind it. You may hear scratching or chirping, or find nesting material dropping into the firebox.
Animals are removed humanely as a separate service, and the damper is checked once the throat is clear. A cap on the flue keeps them from coming back.
If animals are present, never light a fire to drive them out. That can trap them or fill the room with smoke. Call us and we arrange humane removal before any damper work.
What you receive after damper work
At the end of the job, our technician works the damper through its full travel with you watching, shows you open and closed and explains anything the repair changed about the control.
You get the part details, any cure time before the next fire and care notes in writing. If we noticed anything else at the fireplace that needs watching, it goes on the same sheet.
Keep the handover notes with your fireplace paperwork. If you sell the house or a question comes up later, you have the details of the repair and the parts used in one place.
Other work in Thornton Park
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Learn more about chimney damper repair and replacementThornton Park services
Your chimney damper questions, answered
Can I light a little newspaper to see whether the damper is open?
Please do not. If the damper is shut or jammed, that smoke comes straight into the room and can stain the fireplace face. Leave the fireplace cold and book the free inspection, and our technician checks the plate directly.
What does the building code expect from a fireplace damper?
For a masonry fireplace, section R1001.7.1 of the Florida Building Code, Residential, wants a damper of ferrous metal, placed 8 inches or more above the top of the opening, in the fireplace or its chimney, with a control you can work from the room. Replacement dampers go in with those points in mind.
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