Airbags and beachballs

[mrodoc]

Cooleycr seems to have found what we are looking for.

 

[tony from suffolk]

What you need, mrodoc, is a chimney balloon.
I fitted one in our (unused) fireplace and it works a treat.
If fully inflated it makes a wonderful seal, though of course to prevent damp I don't fully inflate it, but I'm sure you get the idea..
They come in various sizes and are inflated with a flexible pipe so you don't even have to have your head in the passage (if ingress is an issue).

try
https://www.chimneyballoon.co.uk/
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Chimney-Balloon-Medium-Chimneys-60cmx30cm/dp/B009MYL5PO
etc.

Wow! Many thanks for posting this - just what I need at home! 

 

[cooleycr]

Glad to be of help..

And as an aside to pwhole, I know from working with you that you will spend hours with your striking tool to ensure a perfect weather joint, but believe me, the builders that built our chimney stack certainly didn't clean up the flue, it is as rough as a bears ar5e! 

So no, the surface does not need to be completely smooth to get a good seal.. 

 

[pwhole]

Tchoh - savages. But good to know it'll work on more irregular surfaces, let's say.

 

[mrodoc]

Hi, everybody, by complete coincidence this weekend the perfect balloon appeared in front of me. As the owner of said balloon was a bit worried about declairing it's origins I won't say where but this is a heavy duty balloon that can be pump or mouth inflated (or from a bottle(! ) and expands to something like a metre in diameter.  You need to think laterally and in this case where we didn't look was at weather balloons and that is  it what it is. Not too expensive so I have ordered one and will give it a trial. Good on beaches for Prisoner reenactments. Actually come to think of it you could spook a view people on the beach at Portmeirion with one :-\

 

[MikeK]

Why fill the passage, why not just seal it off?