|
See also: damper, a part of Australian cuisine.
A damper is in general anything used for damping of vibrations or oscillations. Examples include an automotive shock absorber or a tuned mass damper.
In a duct or chimney, a damper stops or regulates the flow of air. A damper may be used to cut off central air conditioning (heating or cooling) to an unused room, or to regulate it for room-by-room temperature and climate control. In the case of cutting off air, it is often manual, turned by a handle on the outside of a duct. This may also be done in the summer to cut off airflow to an attached humidifier, which is only needed in the winter. Automatic dampers with electric solenoids or motors can be used to control airflow constantly, by having a thermostat in each room which operates the damper on the duct leading to it. This makes the system operate much like a radiator system with valves on the steam or water pipes.
In a chimney flue, a damper keeps weather (and birds) out and warm or cool air in. This is usually done in the summer, but also sometimes in the winter between uses. The damper may be accessible only be reaching up into the fireplace by hand or with a woodpoker, or sometimes by a lever that sticks out. On a woodburning stove or similar device, it is a usually handle on the vent duct as in an air conditioning system. Forgetting to open a damper before beginning a fire can cause serious smoke damage to the interior of a home, if not a house fire.
|
