Installation Guide

How to Install a Stovepipe Damper

Wood-burning stoves and fireplaces need a damper to control the amount of heat that escapes via the

stovepipe or chimney. A stovepipe damper is little more than a large butterfly valve inside the

stovepipe with an exterior handle you can turn to regulate the exhaust from the stove. You can install

a stovepipe damper sized to match the diameter of your stovepipe in just a few minutes with some

basic hand-operated tools.

Determine the diameter of the damper plate using a tape measure. Measure this distance from the un-

crimped end of the section of stovepipe. Mark the pipe at this location using an awl to make a slight

indent.

Insert a 1/4-inch drill bit into a power drill. Drill a hole in the stovepipe at the marked location.

Position the damper plate inside the stovepipe and slide the tip of the handle rod through the hole you

made in the outside of the pipe. Align the rod with the slots in the damper plate and slide the rod

through until the end touches the opposite side of the stovepipe. Hold the rod horizontally and rotate

the damper plate to center it within the pipe. Tap the end of the handle with a hammer to make a

slight dent in the opposite side of the stovepipe. Remove the damper plate and handle rod.

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How to Install a Stovepipe Damper Wood-burning stoves and fireplaces need a damper to control the amount of heat that escapes via the stovepipe or chimney. A stovepipe damper is little more than a large butterfly valve inside the stovepipe with an exterior handle you can turn to regulate the exhaust from the stove. You can install a stovepipe damper sized to match the diameter of your stovepipe in just a few minutes with some basic hand-operated tools.
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Locate the dent on the stovepipe opposite the drilled hole. Tap on the spot with an awl to reverse the dent, so that it bulges inward. Drill a 1/4-inch hole through dent in the stovepipe. 5 Re-insert the damper plate into the pipe. Slide the handle rod through the first hole, into the damper slots and then out through the second hole in the stovepipe. Rotate the rod until the bend in the rod slides through the slot in the plate.