THE INFLATABLE REUSEABLE FIREPLACE SEAL
Air leakage accounts for the majority of heating and cooling
loss in the home…
Did you know that a significant amount of heating and
cooling flows right out of the chimney…
Experts have studied this – a recent study showed that by
sealing the fireplace, up to 30% less heating and cooling
energy is required.
An unsealed fireplace is like an open window!
Introducing…The Fireplace Plug!
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THE INFLATABLE REUSEABLE FIREPLACE SEAL
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THE INFLATABLE REUSEABLE FIREPLACE SEAL
National Energy Use by Sector for the United States:
Commercial
17%
Industrial
37%
Residential
20%
Transportation
26%
USA consumes 7.4 billion barrels of oil each year
THE INFLATABLE REUSEABLE FIREPLACE SEAL
Total Residential Energy Consumption
Forecast 2002- 2025:
2002: 20.92 Quadrillion Btu
2025: 26.62 Quadrillion Btu
Annual Growth 2002-2025: 1.0%
THE INFLATABLE REUSEABLE FIREPLACE SEAL
Energy Use for Single Family Dwelling by Type:
Water Heating
8%
Refrigerators
7%
Air
Conditioning
Space Heating
10%
45%
Appliances
30%
THE INFLATABLE REUSEABLE FIREPLACE SEAL
Annual Energy Cost of Single Family Dwellings
Cold Climate
1200 Sq
1200 Sq
Feet
Feet
$ 1,577.00 per year
THE INFLATABLE REUSEABLE FIREPLACE SEAL
Annual Energy Cost of Single Family Dwellings
Warm Climate
1200 Sq
Feet
1200 Sq
Feet
$ 944.00 per year
THE INFLATABLE REUSEABLE FIREPLACE SEAL
Single Family Dwelling Air Leakage by Type
Electrical
Fans and vents outlets
4% 2%
Plumbing
Penetrations
7%
Fireplace
26%
Windows
10%
Doors
11%
Floors, walls,
Ducts and ceiling
15% 25%
THE INFLATABLE REUSEABLE FIREPLACE SEAL
A research study conducted in France found that during cold weather, fireplaces can allow 76 cfm of
additional air leakage. The total increase in heating energy consumption is 3,500 kwhr/year. In addition,
during summer months energy is lost due to cold air conditioning exiting up the chimney.
ENERGY CONSUMPTION LOSS DUE TO FIREPLACES
1400
1200
KW/H CONSUMPTION
1000
800
600
400
200
0
Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July
ENERGY CONSUMPTION TO HEAT UP FRESH AIR
Homes With Fireplaces Homes Without Fireplaces
THE INFLATABLE REUSEABLE FIREPLACE SEAL
Aerial Thermography
Typical night time aerial thermography reveals significant heat losses on the
roofs of certain dwellings. A closer investigation shows that these houses
have fireplace chimneys and large amounts of heat is escaping.
Aerial photo submitted by:FLIR Systems, Indigo
Operations - Oregon
THE INFLATABLE REUSEABLE FIREPLACE SEAL
Annual Heating and Air Conditioning Cost of Single Family
Dwellings Comparison to Dwellings with Fireplaces
(Cold Climate)
Without Fireplace With Fireplace
1200 Sq 1200 Sq
Feet Feet
$ 718.00 per year $933.40 per year
THE INFLATABLE REUSEABLE FIREPLACE SEAL
Annual Heating and Air Conditioning Cost of Single Family
Dwellings Comparison to Dwellings with Fireplaces
(Warm Climate)
Without Fireplace With Fireplace
1200 Sq 1200 Sq
Feet Feet
$ 315.00 per year $ 409.50 per year
THE INFLATABLE REUSEABLE FIREPLACE SEAL
Fireplace dampers are energy losers. One remarkable documentation of that fact is an Eight Home Study
which shows that an open fireplace can significantly raise over-all heating energy consumption.
Measured Air Leakage Through Fireplaces with Damper Open, Damper
Closed, and Fireplace Plug in Place
120
100
Air Leakage Area (ELA)
80
60
40
20
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
House Number
Damper Open Damper Closed Fireplace Plug in Place
*Note: Weatherization auditors report that during home inspections it is noted that 80% of fireplace dampers are found in the
open position
THE INFLATABLE REUSEABLE FIREPLACE SEAL
We are focused on new energy sources – how about
conservation…
ANWR Exploration Project
Annual Capacity: 300-600 Million Barrels per Year
THE INFLATABLE REUSEABLE FIREPLACE SEAL
ANWR Exploration Project
Timeline:
With consideration to the political and environmental issues
surrounding the project, the earliest estimate for the selling of
oil and gas at ANWR is ten to twelve years.
THE INFLATABLE REUSEABLE FIREPLACE SEAL
What can we do today?
There are 33 million fireplaces in the United States.
THE INFLATABLE REUSEABLE FIREPLACE SEAL
There are 33 million fireplaces in the United States. 66% are
metal (zero-clearance models are far more popular than
masonry in new homes),
66 million barrels of oil per year are lost in the United States
due to fireplace energy losses,
The expected annual production of the ANWR Project is 300-
600 million barrels of oil,
Fireplace losses alone account for 10-20% of the future annual
ANWR oil production.
THE INFLATABLE REUSEABLE FIREPLACE SEAL
Total Fireplace Losses to Barrels of Oil
1 Barrel of Oil = 6 million Btu
1 kilowatthour = 3412 Btu
3500 kilowatthour / year of energy is lost up fireplace chimneys
Conversion to Btus: 3500*3412=11,942,000 Btus/year lost due to fireplaces
Conversion to Barrels of Oil: 11,942,000/6,000,000
=1.99 barrels of oil lost per household with an open fireplace
National Total: 33,000,000 homes with fireplaces * 1.99 barrels of oil
=66 million barrels of oil/year is lost due to open fireplaces
THE INFLATABLE REUSEABLE FIREPLACE SEAL
The Fireplace Plug will dramatically reduce the amount of energy
lost from fireplaces. It will significantly reduce the energy costs
of dwellings in both the summer and winter months.
It will also help reduce the urgency and dependence of drilling for
oil at ANWR. The installation of the Fireplace Plug would save 66
million barrels of oil a year.
By the time ANWR opens, the Fireplace Plug would save at least
1,452 million barrels of oil.
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THE INFLATABLE REUSEABLE FIREPLACE SEAL
THE INFLATABLE REUSEABLE FIREPLACE SEAL
THE INFLATABLE REUSEABLE FIREPLACE SEAL
THE INFLATABLE REUSEABLE FIREPLACE SEAL
REDUCE HEATING/COOLING BILLS
STOP NOXIOUS ODORS
STOPS COLD DRAFTS
STOP NOISE FROM AIRPLANES
SUPPORT ENERGY CONSERVATION
SAVE 100’S OF DOLLARS EVERY YEAR
THE INFLATABLE REUSEABLE FIREPLACE SEAL
THE INFLATABLE REUSEABLE FIREPLACE SEAL
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