We put a few of these chimney balloons in fireplaces that we don't use much. These 2 fireplaces use the same chimney structure but have separate flues. In my dealing with building codes that is the way they are suppose to be. You cant have two devices sharing one flue. (i.e. water heater sharing fireplace flue) at least you shouldn't have this type of setup anyway or it could backdraft fumes into the house. The idea with the balloon was to stop the cold like what you guys are talking about, and they did that. The direction said if you light a fire under the balloon on accident, it will pop and fall out. We did have these flues stuffed with fiberglass but that didn't work well to seal them because they were still cold with fiberglass in there. Here is a link that might be useful: chimney balloon damper

Hi there. I'm the OP of this thread and we've had our F400 for 3-4 years now. We are outside of Philly so not as cold as you. This year has been a real test of the stove, because our downstairs furnace has been broken since thanksgiving so the woodstove has been basically heating our entire house and it was a colder-than-normal winter. It does very well til the temps get down into the teens and twenties - then it's a little more than the stove can keep up with. Anyhow, our house is about 3000 sq ft, 2 stories, with an open floor plan. The f400 definitely heats the whole house - the upstairs much more so than the downstairs - the rooms downstairs that are farthest from the stove can be a good 5-10 degrees colder than the rest of the house and the upstairs is usually about 6-8 degrees warmer than the room where the stove is. I would think that how well the heat travels through your house probably depends a lot on how open your floorplan is -- the room where we have the stove is open to most of the downstairs and has a 2 story area that is open to an upstairs balcony, so heat can dissipate very well. We don't turn on our furnace fans or anything to circulate the heat - when I do that, the house just ends up feeling drafty and the heat circulates just fine without the fans so I don't bother. Also, I've learned a couple things with the Jotul. The wood has to be VERY dry and VERY seasoned in order to burn well. I find that wood that's been seasoned for at least 2 years burns great - anything less than that, and I've got to futz with it. And gosh-help-me if I'm bringing in wood that is damp from snow or drizzle - it burns (with a lot of futzing - keep the door cracked, open the ashpan door, add lots of kindling, etc.), but the stove doesn't get up to a good burn temperature that actually heats the house. Also, I find that I need to keep the stove hot - no smoldering long burns at a lower temp like I used to do with the woodstove I had 20 years ago. I have a thermometer on the top of the stove off to the side (following the diagram in the instruction manual for the stove) and I find that if I don't have that thermometer reading 500-550, I'm not generating enough heat to actually make the house comfortable. I'm lucky in that I work from home, so I have the luxury of feeding the stove every couple hours to keep it burning hot.

Catie: Below is a post that I clipped 6 months ago. It does a good job of explaining the differences between ventless, B-vent, and direct vent. posted by: renron on 12.19.2006 at 07:28 pm in Fireplaces Forum First, DON'T install a ventless fireplace!!! Even though the MFG.s will tell you the exhaust fumes are OK, do you really want to breathe them? Many people end up with Major Headaches and chronic breathing issues. Does it sound like a good idea to breathe burnt exhaust gasses? B type flue(vent) pipes are dual thickness pipes. A pipe inside another pipe, suitable for use at 1" or more to flammable materials. Outer casing pipe is sealed and will not conduct air. D (Direct Vent) type flue(vent) pipes are also dual layers but they are capable of exhausting burnt gas through the inner pipe and importing exterior(outside) combustion air for burning. Think of a straw inside a larger straw. Inside straw blowing, outside straw sucking outside air for combustion. A fan is usually used to help exhaust the burnt gasses. Details below: B-Vent (Natural Vent) gas fireplaces are designed primarily for decorative use. Generally they produce a larger and more realistic yellow flame. B-vent fireplaces are sometimes available without a glass window, so many homeowners are attracted to this design because of the open, realistic flame effect; some models do have a glass window so the existence of a window on a fireplace does not define its product classification. Natural vent gas fireplaces use room air for combustion and vent fumes through a vent or chimney that must terminate vertically above the roof line. The key to determining whether a B-vent fireplace will meet your heating needs is to check the manufacturer's listed efficiency rating (gas consumed x efficiency = heat output). While efficient, heater-rated B-vent fireplaces do exist, many lower quality "builder grade" fireplaces have no efficiency rating and, therefore, will not supply substantial heat. In fact, this category of fireplace will often use the greatest amount of gas at the lowest range of efficiencies. If you live in a warmer climate where you want the aesthetics of a fire without much heat, this may be the appliance for you. Likewise, bedrooms and smaller rooms may be a good candidate for a b-vent fireplace, but please check building codes to see if this class of fireplace is approved in your locality or for installation in the room where you'd like to use it. Local/national codes in some areas prohibit the use of b-vent rated appliances, especially in colder climates. Be aware that very "air tight" houses can cause performance problems with b-vent rated appliances, so please consult an experienced fireplace installer who can advise you on the proper installation and use you are considering. Direct Vent Fireplaces offer the most features with respect to gas consumption, efficiency ratings and venting options. A direct vent fireplace will always have a glass window because these fireplaces are sealed systems using a double walled venting system. Combustion air enters the appliance via one section of pipe while fumes and moisture are vented through the other pipe. Most often, a double wall "pipe within a pipe" system is used. Subject to each model's requirements for distance and offsets, direct vent fireplace venting may be terminated either horizontally or vertically. Efficiency rating will average 65% to 84%, similar to ratings on gas furnaces. Keep in mind that these appliances must "waste" some of the heat produced to create a draft of rising warm air to evacuate the fumes produced without aid of a forced air exhaust system. Think of direct vent fireplaces as a decorative furnace: the beauty of a realistic flame with high efficiency. This appliance is great for primary or supplental heating and for emergency backup heating as most work without aid of electricity. Because this is a sealed system that uses outside air for combustion, direct vent fireplaces are usually the favored choice among those in the fireplace industry because of their greater efficiency and exceptionally reliable performance. Hope this info helps, I am a General Contractor. Renron

This week we had my son's 5th bday party. Instead of having the movie theater "package", I treated the guests to the movie and out to lunch at Wendy's (my son's fave restaurant, lol). The package at the theater would have been $300 plus I would have had to pay for any adults past the first 2 (dh & I). I would have had to supply the cake and they would supply popcorn, soda & candy and a souvenier (sp?) for my son and we would have had to tip the party hostess and pay 8.75% tax. Instead I spent a total of $225 and that included: the movie tix for 10 kids & 9 adults (plus 1 toddler), Cheez-its snack packs for during the movie (smuggled in, another 5 y.o. fave), lunch for all, cake (we called ahead and asked permission), party supplies (i.e. tablecloth, forks, candles, cake plates, etc), and favors for the kids. Everyone had so much fun and the whole party lasted 3 hours. The theater package would have been the 1.5 hr movie and 1/2 hour after for cake & play. I am in NY and childrens parties are big business. I have 2 sons and am proud that I have been able to come up with creative ways to celebrate, that are enjoyable and at a savings. I hope I never have to do a "package" party. My other great savings was I received a free vintage sink on freecycle.org. I am a member and frequently offer out and also frequently receive items. We are renovating in the summer and I have been shopping out fixtures. I had my heart set on an old white sink with attached drainboard, but could not find one anywhere feasible (except 200 miles away on ebay). This was free and was a 15 minute ride to pick up. It is in excellent condition and just needed a new home. I had found these new for sale online in England but the cost with shipping was beyond my budget. It would have been close to $800! I can't imagine paying that much for a sink, but I know many people do. I am just too frugal/cheap. Even if it fit my budget, I could not do it. I would rather use the money somewhere else or save it. That's my story for savings this week! I hope to have more to cheer about next week ;)