How does a Chimney Sheep® draught excluder work?

A Chimney Sheep® draught excluder is made from highly durable and naturally breathable Herdwick wool, from a Herdwick sheep. The wool is treated with a unique ionic protect plasma which makes it 100% moth proof and aids with the longevity of the Chimney Sheep® (we have customers that have had the same ones for over 10 years!). It is then felted to create a unique flexible yet sturdy material. This makes the Chimney Sheep® perfect to plug the gap just above a fireplace.

The woollen pad of the Chimney Sheep® compresses to fit perfectly flues of all shapes and sizes making it far more efficient than any other chimney draught excluder on the market. Inflatable chimney blockers and chimney umbrellas require a small gap to be left in your flue to allow ventilation but because wool is naturally breathable, a Chimney Sheep® doesn’t require that gap. Instead, once inserted into your chimney flue the 4.43 tog rated Chimney Sheep® acts like a duvet, blocking 95% airflow into and out of your chimney, whilst naturally permitting sufficient ventilation. It works to prevent warm air from escaping up the chimney and stopping cold air from coming in via the chimney when not in use, reducing the ‘stack effect’ phenomenon.

It is as simple as that! Read more about the stack effect and how a Chimney Sheep® works here.

What are the benefits of using a Chimney Sheep® draught excluder?

The list is endless but here are a few of the main benefits:

• Reduces your energy bills – a Chimney Sheep® stops about 5% of your household heat from escaping, reducing your heating bill by £96 per year on average (based on the current Energy Price Cap of £1,928). You can estimate how much your home might save in energy costs by using our savings calculator.
• Reduces your carbon footprint – a Chimney Sheep® makes your heating more efficient, reducing your CO2 output by up to 250kg per year.
• Reduces wind noise – those horrendous howling winds coming through your chimney can be reduced and sometimes stopped altogether by plugging it with a Chimney Sheep® (you can turn your TV volume back down now…).
• Stops wildlife and debris falling in – no more surprises in the hearth, a Chimney Sheep® will catch it all and stop your curious cat getting stuck up the chimney too!
• Works in the summer – a Chimney Sheep® prevents hot air from entering your home and retains air-conditioned air, keeping your house cool in the summer.
• Reduces air pollution in the home – a Chimney Sheep® reduces the number of air changes in a property so considerably reduces the amount of air pollution that enters the home.

Does a Chimney Sheep® REALLY work?

It really does! Don’t take our word for it, here is all the evidence:

• We are the only chimney draught excluder to have a BBA Agrément Certificate. To achieve this the Chimney Sheep® had to go through numerous laboratory tests, on-site evaluations, quality management checks and product inspections, over several years, passing all the assessments to gain the award. The BBA is a worldwide credible industry body and the certificate means that Chimney Sheep® are recognised by building control, government departments, specifiers, and insurers as meeting the BBA’s standards of quality, safety and reliability. It provides you and them with reassurance of the product’s fitness for purpose.
• Rigorously tested by BSRIA and the University of Liverpool which showed that a Chimney Sheep® will stop around 5% of household heat from escaping and therefore save users around £96 per year on average (based on the current Energy Price Cap of £1,928), per chimney and up to 250kg of CO2 per year chimney, working to reduce energy bills going into winter.
• Hailed as one of Grand Designs host, Kevin McCloud’s ‘Green Heroes’.
• DIY Doctor 5* review – read the full review, here.
• Chimney Sheep® has been featured in the press quite a bit too, from the likes of The Guardian, The Times, Good Housekeeping and Ideal Home.

Are Chimney Sheep® sustainably made?

Absolutely. We are really passionate about the environment and sustainability. Everything from our sourcing of wool to our packaging is chosen with the environment in mind and the aim of our reducing our carbon footprint as much as we can. All Chimney Sheep® are made here in our factory in Workington, Cumbria, using Herdwick wool sustainably sourced from farmers around Cumbria. We collect the wool once a year which we call our ‘Operation Wool’ project. We pay the local farmers a fair price for this which is usually more than the market price and helps to support them.

The felt head of a Chimney Sheep® usually lasts about 10 years and is 100% wool which means it is completely biodegradable and compostable. The handles are made with recyclable plastic therefore are extremely durable and designed to last for decades. We have designed them so that when the felt head does wear out, you can just replace it with a new felt head and keep the same handle to reduce waste and the use of excess plastic. When the time comes and you have to say goodbye to your felt head, get in touch with us.

By using a Chimney Sheep® you are doing your bit to reduce your carbon footprint and we are really passionate about helping you to reduce your CO2 output even further. That is why we have set up our very own Community Interest Company, Buy Land Plant Trees, so that with each purchase a proportion of the profits will go towards planting trees on agriculturally poor land.