Review of Chimney Balloon Fireplace Damper 36"X15" Draft Stopper Pillow Plug

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $59.99
Sale Price: $53.99
Today's Bonus: 10% Off

Purchased 36x15 balloon through their website. I had a very hard time getting it in place. I probably ended up scraping it in the process, because the balloon would not hold air for more than a few days. I emailed Chimney Balloon last night. Within 12 hours someone called me, walked through my chimney dimensions (which were a little unsual). He offered a free replacement with a custom sized balloon!

***1 year update: balloon is still in place, holding air. Don't forget to check if it needs more air when it gets cold out (just like your car tires)

***UPDATE: getting close to 2 years, balloon still in place, no problems

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

I recently bought three of these products directly from the manufacturer and have so far installed two of them. They are the proper size for each fireplace.

Here are some observations that may be of help to people considering purchase of this product. The fireplaces here are traditional (non-gas) wood-burning fireplaces with a metal damper just above the firebox.

For starters, after a number of attempts, I realized that I could not install the balloon well with the damper plate still in the flue. Why? My dampers are shaped like rectangles, with the long side parallel to the front of the fireplace. There is a rod that goes through the middle of the damper plate, left to right, and serves as a pivot to rotate this rectangular plate so that, when as open as it can be, perpendicular to the bottom of the fireplace, it leaves an opening on either side of only about 1 1/2"-2". You then have to insert the uninflated balloon through this very narrow opening and then, with your hand (mine is on the small side), which can barely fit through the opening, try to fit it to the opening so that , when inflated, it will form a good seal with the edges and so prevent air from escaping up the chimney. After a number of attempts I realized that I couldn't get a good enough fit. I would blow the balloon up partly until it started to shape itself to the sides, then test it to see how much leakage there was. I could not get a good seal. The way I figured out the fit is by using an incense stick, which I lit until there was a flame, which I then blew out, allowing a plume of smoke to rise from it. I then used a flashlight to see how the rising smoke would behave. I held the end of the stick about an inch away from the area being tested (be careful not to touch the balloon) . What I learned is that sometimes you would get the smoke curling up and sort of dawdling there as though it didn't know where to go. This was a sign of a good seal. Other times, the smoke would go straight up quickly in a thin plume through the opening that it found. No matter how often I awkwardly tried to reposition the balloon above the damper opening I wound up with a number of poor seals through which air just rushed out. Another problem with getting a good fit with the plate in place is that the "handle" through which you blow air extends down below the body of the balloon and so sticks out and into the damper opening below it, right next to the damper plate. (This is after removing the long tube used to blow air into the balloon.) I then examined the damper plate and realized that it could be removed by lifting up one end, angling that end up into the chimney about a foot (your proportions may well be different) and then pulling the rod out of the socket into which it fit on the other side. I could then bring the plate down through the opening, removing it.

After doing this it became possible to position the balloon, going through the same process as described above, but with much better success. By blowing it up partially, testing, sucking out some of the air, very gently repositioning it, and so on, I achieved a decent but still not great fit. At this point I realized that especially in some corners the balloon could not form itself tightly around the edges of the opening. I then came up with the notion of using polyfill (a cotton-like material) to seal up those particular areas. Now, when tested, I got a tight seal all around.

As I now see it, the main advantage of this system is that, if you want to start a fire in the fireplace, you could take the balloon down and then, with some hassle, put it back in later. It's not clear to me that, if you did not want to use the fireplace at all, this would be any better than fitting either a metal or wood covering above the firebox and sealing the edges with some sort of fire-resistant foam. You would, at least with my kind of set-up, have to remove the damper plate.

I might add that the instructions that come with the balloon make no mention of having to remove the damper plate. Perhaps it isn't necessary in all cases but it certainly was in mine. If you do decide to install one of these do wear safety glasses and an aspirator rated for fine toxic dust would probably be a good idea as stuff can come down on you as you face upward. Others have remarked that this is a dirty job. True, and then some. I would suggest putting some plastic sheeting on the firebox floor and the parts of the fireplace exterior to that floor.

As time allows I will post some additional remarks.

As always, constructive criticism is more than welcome.

Best Deals for Chimney Balloon Fireplace Damper 36"X15" Draft Stopper Pillow Plug

It fit our chimney perfectly and was easy to install. Great product to reduce heat loss in the winter and cool air loss in summer.

Honest reviews on Chimney Balloon Fireplace Damper 36"X15" Draft Stopper Pillow Plug

This was a gift and my friend really like it. It was simple to install and helped to keep the house warmer.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Chimney Balloon Fireplace Damper 36"X15" Draft Stopper Pillow Plug

I purchased this item directly from the manufacturer. I had wasps coming down my chimney and they managed to get around the flue. I was able to seal my fireplace doors but would have maybe 60-70 dead\dying insects in my fireplace by the end of summer. This item has solved my problem. Installation and removal is simple and take about 5 minutes in my situation. This is the 3rd summer I've used this with no problems. Highly recommended.

Update: I noticed when removing CB last fall that the balloon was slightly deflated. After contacting the company and doing some simple diagnostic tests we were able to determine the valve on the extension was leaking. Even though this part was long out of warranty the company sent me a new replacement part at no cost.

Review of Jardin Oriental Rectangular Rug

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $84.99
Sale Price: $62.26
Today's Bonus: 27% Off

Works great, also had a few pops of wood land on the rug. No burns and floor so far has been protected. Looks nice too and my White/Black long haired cat sure loves it too :

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

Discount Panacea Products Corp Blk Fireplacelog Basket 15218 Firelogs

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $31.99
Sale Price: $30.99
Today's Bonus: 3% Off

The basket works as expected. I can load the basket up to the top of the handle with out fear of it breaking..

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

it fits my needs perfectly in size, appearance and construction. Very functional, a bit lightweight, but would be too heavy anyway if fully loaded.

Best Deals for Panacea Products Corp Blk Fireplacelog Basket 15218 Firelogs

I just had a gas fireplace installed with black doors and frame. By filling

this fireplace log basket with real wood logs and then placing it close by the

fireplace, the look of a wood burning fireplace is achieved.

Honest reviews on Panacea Products Corp Blk Fireplacelog Basket 15218 Firelogs

Bought this to hold those synthetic fire place logs. It looks nice and is quite sturdy. I have it sitting on the fireplace hearth, and goes nicely with the tool set I bought.

Buy Thermoelectric Self-Powered Woodstove Fan

Customer Ratings:

We live in an old farmhouse with high ceilings that is very drafty downstairs.We heat primarily with our wood stove which does an average job,however the wood floors can be quite cold.I was looking for something to circulate the heat more efficiently.This fan is just what my cold feet needed,I am very pleased with the design and this thing is built like a tank!My husband is going to do some temperature measurements over the weekend to see how effective it is (yes he is a geek)Having owned an Ecofan in the past I can tell you this is worth paying a little more.I will update later...

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

Man is this thing well built, truly like a tank as another review stated... something this robust is very rare these days. I expect it may outlast my woodstove. But beyond it's unusual robustness, it also works and it is incredibly silent. I've used it for the past 3 years on my new woodstove insert. My prior woodstove insert included an integrated fan which was incredibly noisy and unreliable. I definitely wanted to steer clear of an integrated 120V fan and I can get away without one (the ceiling fan helps), but this thermoelectric fan does help spread some heat to the lower areas around the woodstove when I first fire it up. And if lose power in my home in the winter, this fan becomes the only means to help spread the heat.

One thing to note... this fan directs air to flow opposite it's natural flow. So, while the hot air naturally rises from the woodstove, this fan pulls air from the top and blows it down or actually angled down somewhat and to the sides. I wonder if this fan could be redesigned (with the same technology and robustness) to flow air from bottom to top (like a normal woodstove fan works) and if this would be better. It probably gets complicated and depends on a lot of things. I am pretty sure however that the fan as is does help the lower area around the stove feel warmer when the stove is first fired up (before the entire room is heated up).

Best Deals for Thermoelectric Self-Powered Woodstove Fan

I sent my ecofan original back and got this for my 10,000 btu Sengoku OR77 Omni Radiant Kerosene Heater running at 275*F and it does a great job sending the hot air angling downward all around it. I also tried it on my 23,000 btu dynaglo in the basement running at 350*F and since it's only a half-inch bigger around than the heater, the air went out mostly horizontally but even faster and no hot air was detectable above either heater. The seller isn't very eager to provide info here but you can search the web for pics and specs (and prices). It's a lot bigger and heavier than the ecofan but much more effective and robust and it's not that much more expensive than the heavily taxed canadian product so it's really a bargain.

Best Kozy World GLD2460R Fireplace Log Set, Vent-Free, Dual Fuel, 24 Deals

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $499.00
Sale Price: $442.10
Today's Bonus: 11% Off

Was scared at first that it would be delivered and some of the logs would be broken. I have heard a few people say this had happened to them. Not particularly with this product or company, but in general. Anyway, it got delivered to my house and within 30 minutes I had it up and flaming. Nice set, remote works awesome. Important to note, the connection point for gas in on the back right-hand side. On the unit I was replacing, it was on back left. Luckily I had a longer flexible gas line in my garage.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

Cheap Panacea 15203 Deluxe Outdoor Log Rack, Black, 4-Feet

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $60.87
Sale Price: $48.37
Today's Bonus: 21% Off

I was able to put this together very quickly and load it with wood. I've got wood stacked all the way to the top and it's supporting the weight just fine. I've got it covered with a tarp in the back yard and it's doing just fine. Definitely what I needed and glad I bought it.

UPDATE: Just wanted to say that this has been sitting out in the back yard (loosely covered with a tarp)through harsh winters and a couple of flood level downpours and it's still standing strong.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

The main reason i bought this rack is because it is not made in China. I think it is made in Ohio. Anyway, the rack is decent enough and holds about 6 wheelbarrows full of wood. it is fairly solid & sturdy. My only beef with it is that when assembled it is kind of cocked & does not sit level. I had to shim out one of the legs with a 1/2" piece of wood. Not a huge deal & maybe it is just inherent in the design. Four stars because of this.

Best Deals for Panacea 15203 Deluxe Outdoor Log Rack, Black, 4-Feet

This log rack is the perfect answer to our need for a way to store logs on our back porch. The rack keeps the logs off the ground so they stay dry and are less likely to attract insects and other little critters. It arrived before the scheduled delivery date and was very easy to set up.

Honest reviews on Panacea 15203 Deluxe Outdoor Log Rack, Black, 4-Feet

I keep this log rack filled under my porch so I do not have to go to the back of my yard to pick up logs all the time... Holds a real decent amount and is study and discreet. Like it very much.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Panacea 15203 Deluxe Outdoor Log Rack, Black, 4-Feet

The first rack I ordered was pretty easy to assemble and is holding a ton of wood. I was so happy I bought another.

The second one is impossible to assemble (see photo).

I'm a little baffled at how this can even happen... it has two unique parts after all. How hard is it to make the holes on 2 parts line up? And clearly they had it right before, they just decided to change the holes on one piece but not the other?!

So, 5 stars for the first, 1 for the second.

Edit: days after approving my photo Amazon has removed it. Without bothering to tell me. Or explain why.

Edit: Now the photo is back. Also I returned it, waited a week or two and ordered a replacement and it was fine, so upgraded to 4 stars.

Cheap Beautiful Metal Fireplace Screen

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $235.00
Sale Price: $61.98
Today's Bonus: 74% Off

This metal fireplace screen is perfect for my gas fireplace! I did not need the functional ability of a screen front, but rather I required a decorative finishing touch to my fireplace. The best features of this screen are: 1. You can see the fire nicely through the open decoration; 2. It's narrow profile allows it to fit snuggly to the hearth, leaving room for my baskets, vase, etc. The mixed color finish is actually nicer than I thought it might be. I had originally planned to repaint the finish sold black, but once the screen arrived I decided I liked the mixed colors better!

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

This is a beautiful fireplace screen. It is well constructed and has an elaborate design. I have research many fireplace screens, and for the design and size of this one, you would have to pay almost triple the price. The colors that the screen come in may be hard to match to many decors, but the metal can be very easily painted. We have had our for several months now, and I couldn't be happier with it.

Best Deals for Beautiful Metal Fireplace Screen

Overall, this fireplace screen is pretty good. It came packaged well and is a good value for the money. The picture of the product is a tad misleading as the colors are a bit more bold then they appear. The center ornament is actually antique silver and quite shiny. The leaves are a bolder green then shown in the picture. Don't expect to receive something that is wholly dark antique brown.

Honest reviews on Beautiful Metal Fireplace Screen

I needed a screen to cover an unattractive firebox... so this fit the bill size wize, but the thin metal looked cheap covered with a bronzy paint scrolling and green painted leaves. So I invested in a can of satin black spray paint and it looks amazing. Worth getting if you can handle painting. Arrived quickly and in a well protected box.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Beautiful Metal Fireplace Screen

The antique finish was extremely inferior. Each area has a different color, which would be fine but the quality of the finishes is awful. I would not have ordered if I had known. Other than that, the workmanship is good.

OmniMount ECSB Component Shelf Wall Shelf for TVs and Video Reviews

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $59.95
Sale Price: $33.54
Today's Bonus: 44% Off

This is a quality unit, BUT the picture gives you the impression that the shelf does not extend out very far. The arm of the shelf extends so that the glass shelf begins 5" from the wall and extends out to 21" from the wall. This is the only complaint I have as the unit is otherwise well designed, sturdy, and the glass shelf(tempered) is first class. My suggestion, design a sliding extendable/retractable arm. The shelf is used to hold a direct TV receiver below a small wall hung 21" LCD in sewing room.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

This shelf is quite attractive and easy to install. The depth of it is greater than I was imaging, so if you're using it for a smallish item (like a DVD or cable box), it will stick out form the wall farther than you need.

Best Deals for OmniMount ECSB Component Shelf Wall Shelf for TVs and Video

This is a great wall mount shelf. There aren't a lot of 30 lb shelf mount speakers out there. I have Klipsch RS-62s that weigh in at 26 lbs each, and the shelves accomodate them. The down side is that one of the shelves was sent with screws that had no thread! Also you HAVE TO install thise into a stud, period! When you initially drill, make sure you find wood shavings as the drill bit comes out. When you install drill the other holes, MAKE SURE you measure from the ground to the top of the wall plate to assure the speakers will be at the same height. Also, make sure that before you do your drilling deep, LEVEL the plate using a LEVEL you can buy at any hardware store, so your speakers don't tilt in one direction or the other. Make sure the top side is on TOP and put the plastic cover on BEFORE you attach the glass, and that the glass is faced so the rounded edge is in the front! Good Luck!

Honest reviews on OmniMount ECSB Component Shelf Wall Shelf for TVs and Video

I looked all over the internet for a mechanism or shelf in which to mount my rear surround Paradigm Studio 20 V5 speakers, of which each weighs 24 lbs. This product is exactly what I was looking for. The build quality is luxurious; and when it is mounted correctly into a wood stud, it is extremely secure. I have only two suggestions being;

1) Don't bother using the supplied screws if you are going to mount the unit

into a wood stud as the screw head will strip and it will take you forever

to screw it down. I recommend purchasing four 3" bolts designed for wood

application and use a ratchet to tighten. I would not mount this unit

simply into drywall and expect it to support 30lbs, but after mounting it

into a 2 x 4, I would bet that it could easily support 50 lbs.

2) Others complained that the shelve swivelled freely after installation from

side to side. I purchased two shelve units and simply applied extra

torque on the nut and bolt which mounts the swing arm to the base plate,

and now there is adequate tension so that there is resistance when I move

the shelf from side to side; resolving any issues with the shelf moving

freely on it's own.

I would not hesitate to recommend this shelf unit as I will guarentee you will be extremely satisfied with your purchase.

Cobra

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for OmniMount ECSB Component Shelf Wall Shelf for TVs and Video

I bought two of these shelves, one for my TiVo and the other for a DVD player. I was able to install them one above the other and they look great. The glass for the shelf is very thick and it would probably support a TV! The only thing I found odd was that that if was impossible to tighten the bracket so it would not move back and forth. It really isn't a problem unless the shelf was in a high traffic area....which would not be a good idea anyway. Nice looking, well made and gets the job done easy.