Article reproduced with kind permision from Fireplace Specialist (September 2000) Ten Year History of the Chimney Balloon November 1990 was windy, very windy. It whistled down David
Woodman’s chimney and round his feet. But the chimney already had a large
wad of newspapers supposedly blocking the flow of cold air.
Something more effective was called for. The first idea was
an ordinary party balloon inflated in the chimney to seal the gap. It worked
– for a day – as the air gradually seeped out. But, Eureka! As
David was an Engineering Designer, he was able to locate a very special plastic
bag that was non-porous but thin enough to inflate into the chimney nooks and
crannies.
That was the first Chimney Balloon and it worked. In fact it
worked so well that David started manufacturing and selling them through
fireplace shops and by mail order, and is now celebrating the tenth
anniversary of the business. His current version, which comes in several sizes,
has been much improved over the years.
Selling many thousands a year, he now finds that keeping up with demand is a full-time job.
The Chimney Balloon was originally conceived just to stop
cold draughts but, having fitted one, David quickly realised that it would soon
pay for itself with a substantial reduction in heat losses. Another benefit
revealed was that it held back not just birds’ mess and soot from
chimneys, but birds themselves. Then customers quickly reported back that it
considerably reduced outside noise as well.
From a simple need, this completely new product, providing
several benefits, has evolved. It appears to be in increasing demand as
customers tell their friends how effective it is.