Chimney Balloon® 15"x15" Inflatable Fireplace Draft Blocker (15"x15" Chimney Pillow®)

This was the answer to my no flue 84 year old fireplace! Easy to inflate and install and fit air tight.

This product is intended to serve a simple function, which is to be inserted into a flue and inflated to prevent air from passing by. However, the product I received was an incredibly flimsy piece of trash. It came apart at the seams around the inflation valve the first time I inflated it. This is a rip off at the price they are charging for a glorified grocery bag on a stick.

If you're looking for a good way to reduce drafts into and heat outflows from your house without paying hundreds for a damper or other contraption, this can be a little messy to install but works pretty well. They also have good customer service. After installing ours initially in the spring of 2010, when the weather turned cold and it deflated a bit and I tried to inflate it some more, somehow where the balloon connects to the black pole ripped. I notified them, and because it's still within a year and covered by warranty, they got back to me quickly and offered to send a new one right away.

Make sure you have the right size and measure the chimney first. This works extremely well, and my next door neighbor smokes marijuana all the time and came down my chimney. NO MORE ODOR!!!! I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS 3 YEARS AND FINALLY SOLVED IT!

I was excited to finally try this solution to cold drafts in the house from our chimney, but once I had it in position it didn’t seem to stay inflated. I removed it to inspect it and there is a big puncture already! Not sure why it’s so expensive.9x9 round with 16” extender.Update: Tried the extender to help locate the balloon in a better position to not catch or tear. I didn’t have the space to attach the extender and get it into position, would need a flexible or an angled extension. Multiple attempts ended up with a shredded balloon in the trash.

Got this for my son who lives in an older house, because their old fireplace damper was very inefficient. Now, the flue is totally sealed off and no more of their AC is going up the fireplace anymore! How easy a 'repair' can you ask for?

The balloon material is fragile, and any slight scrape will have a hole in it. Attempting to install this product above the flue is a messy job, as I pushed the deflated bag past the flue, I got covered in soot. The pipe was barely long enough to add air, I had to have my head in the fireplace to blow it up, and with each breath, more soot came down. And as I was adding air and it was expanding above the flue, it got a hole in it. What originally seemed like a good idea turned out not to be. I would avoid this product and look for alternative solutions.

I was not able to fit this balloon in my flue because the flue was too far above the damper. So I bought the wrong size for my application. I'm going to try putting it up in the top of my chimney where the flue is easily accessed. My problem was that I did not do enough research. This is definitely a MEASURE TWICE CUT ONCE type of product. Go to the ChimneyBalloon.com website and get educated first, then order one.The product seems well designed and the instructions are good. I felt the price was high but I guess fair since many people might mistakenly buy the wrong size and they likely have to handle a lot of returns and or exchanges. I think they are good at this though, or so I've read.Amazon was fast and reliable as they always are.