Joseph-MichelandJacques-Étienne Montgolfier, prosperous paper manufacturers (a high-tech industry at the time), experimented with lighter-than-air devices after observing that heated air directed into a paper or fabric bag made the bag rise.

There are a few different types of flue blockers available, of which the Balloon is the most popular," says Tim Pullen. Chimney caps are fitted with ventilation holes so there will still be an updraught up your chimney," says Sally Phillips. Draught proofing the flue will make a huge difference to the thermal efficiency and comfort of the house. Although fitting a chimney cap will help when it comes to preventing draughts and heat loss, using an additional draught excluder is still often a good idea.Just as when draught proofing a front door or your windows, there are many different products on the market designed to prevent heat loss from the chimney. The balloon rose because the air within was lighter and less dense than the surrounding atmosphere, which pushed against the bottom of the balloon.

At the level of microscopic particles, nature doesn’t have a preference for doing things in one direction versus doing them in reverse. Most flues are round, so inflating a balloon will comfortably fit and become an effective draught blocker. Some, such as The Chimney Balloon, feature small vents, while natural products made from wool are breathable by their very nature.You might’ve heard an explanation that goes like this: whenever you drop an egg, or melt an ice cube, or shatter a wine glass, you’ve increased the entropy of the world. The inventors constructed a balloon about 30 feet (9 m) in diameter made of taffeta and coated with a varnish of alum for fireproofing. The movement of every atom in this time-reversed egg would still be perfectly consistent with the laws of physics.

The balloon rose to between 5,200 and 6,600 feet (1,600 to 2,000 m) and stayed aloft for 10 minutes, traveling more than a mile (about 2 kilometers). Using a Chimney Umbrella to block off the chimney flue will significantly reduce the air flow through the chimney and can save you over 0. The Chimney Balloon is made from plastic, and is designed to be inflated, using a pump or by blowing into a pipe, to fill the chimney and prevent cold air from coming in and warm air from travelling up and out.While fireplaces might add plenty of charm and warmth to a house, chimneys can be a source of heat loss, drawing warm air out of a space.

The flight lasted 8 minutes and was witnessed by the French king, Marie Antoinette and a crowd of 130,000. She is now looking for her next project —something which is proving far harder than she thought it would be. Chimney balloons – a term sometimes used for chimney draught excluders – are often suggested as a method for draught proofing a chimney. When it reached around 250 feet [76 m] in altitude, the intrepid voyagers lowered their hats to salute the spectators.

There are also felt and wool flue blockers that are perhaps easier to install as you merely push them into place (no tiresome inflating). If you could film the motion of any particle, and then play that film back in reverse, what you’d see would still be perfectly consistent with the laws of physics.