Draught from chimney

Mrsmoneypenny

I am staying with my daughter, she has a coal-effect fire which is never used.

The draught that is coming down it this morning it terrible.

The fire will be used at some stage, so it wont be sealed up permanently.

Is there some sort of draught excluder that can be used as a temporary measure, that is easy to fit, easy to remove and cheap?

Happy New Year to you all.

ormus

http://www.chimneycowlproducts.co.uk/acatalog/Terracotta_Cowl_Strap_Strap_Fixing_.html

you maybe need something like this. there are various types on the market with various prices too.
i cant think of any temporary measure that would be very safe, with a gas fire.

why not disconnect the fire if its "never used" ?

Mankysteve

http://www.chimneycowlproducts.co.uk/acatalog/Chimney_Balloons.html

You can get them else where though.

Imp

An old pillow stuffed up the chimney.

andy69_2

like imp said stick a pillow up their! my mum done it to hers and has been up their for like 6 years now lol

C_Mababejive

No no...just blow up a balloon and gently place it in the throat of the fire opening. There are commercially available draught stoppers made for this purpose which are simply slightly thicker balloons. The good bit is that if you forget and light the fire,it simply pops and safely vents the fumes up the chimney where they should go.

http://www.chimney-balloon.co.uk/

ariba10

What was used in the old days was a few pages of crumpled newspaper.

Easy to fit and easy to remove.

cally1_2

My dad always used to use a scrunched up peice of plastic - the thick sort that they wrap up pallets with. But newspaper or an old pillow will do the job just as welll I would imagine.

John_the_Boy

An old sheet off the bed wrapped in a black plastic bag did the trick for me - much less draft.

diable

I would check the chimney first to see if it hasn't got a hatch in place as my old house had one, so when you needed to use the fire you just used the poker and slid the hatch open. It caught me out once when the sodding think kept going out as there wasn't enough draw.