Where to fit your Chimney Balloon® draught excluder
The Chimney Balloon should fit snugly against 4 sides of the chimney without fretting or rubbing. It should be somewhere you can easily reach with the pump or mouth inflation tube. If you need to fit it more than 19cm above the opening of the chimney flue, then you will need to purchase a hand-grip extension kit to ensure the safety tag is visible once fitted.
How to inflate your chimney pillow
- Make sure the tap is open and pump some air into the balloon so that it starts to inflate. Once you’ve got a bit of air in it, put it in position to inflate fully. If you have cast iron fire surrounded make sure you can push it through the small gap before positioning it in the chimney to fully inflate it.
- While you’re inflating it make sure it’s correctly positioned. It will move a little to where the chimney is widest.
- If you’ve used the mouth inflation tube then the balloon will contract a bit as it cools. Once the balloon has gone down a little, top it up some more.
- Make sure the hand-grip is hanging free without being pushed up against any obstacles.
- Hang the “Remember to Remove” notice somewhere where it’s visible
Top tip: If you are fitting it in a windy area where there is a strong updraught then it’s a good idea to tether the Chimney Balloon® to the grate with a piece of string to make sure it doesn’t get sucked up the chimney.
Chimney Balloon® maintenance
If you’re leaving it in place for a long time then check it every 3 months or so to make sure it’s still fully inflated. Take it out once a year to make sure there’s no accumulated debris above it.
Sometimes over time friction against a rough chimney surface can cause small holes to occur. In this instance make sure the hole is clean and dry then simply stick a piece of adhesive tape over it. Make sure there are no wrinkles for air to trickle through.
Chimney Balloon precautions and safety
If a fire is accidentally lit with the Balloon in place, it will quickly shrink and fall into the grate.
How to remove your inflatable chimney draught excluder
Open the tap and let the air out before carefully removing the Chimney Balloon®. It’s made of tough plastic but it doesn’t like being scraped against rough chimney walls too much.
