Level 1 sweep and inspection to the NFPA 211 annual standard - flue, crown, cap, and flashing checked and photographed
Chimney sweep logs do not sweep chimneys. They loosen some creosote - which then falls where a brush and vacuum still have to collect it.
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterFamco Damper Repair: The Annapolis Owner’s Guide
We stock Famco-compatible damper parts on the truck and install replacements throughout Annapolis, typically for $240 to $480 depending on the model and what’s failed inside the assembly. The part itself usually lands between $90 and $210, with the rest being labor and the written photo record we include on every job. Most owners discover a damper problem the same way: they hear a rattle in the flue when the wind kicks up off the Severn, or they notice the handle spins without resistance when they try to close it.
That loose-handle symptom is usually the gear box or the linkage rod, not the damper plate itself. Famco builds their dampers with a cast-iron frame and a spring-loaded pivot, and in Annapolis the salt air does more damage to that spring than a decade of fires does. We see it regularly in homes from Eastport to Hillsmere: the spring corrodes, the plate sags open, and the chimney becomes a permanent draft hole.
Which Famco Models This Applies To
If your damper plate is round, you’re likely dealing with a Famco spin damper or their residential throat damper line. The distinction matters because parts don’t cross between them. The throat damper mounts in the firebox throat and uses a lever arm; the spin damper threads onto a rod and rotates with a worm gear. We’ve seen owners order a Famco spin damper replacement kit and discover at installation that their firebox throat damper needs a completely different linkage bracket. The compatibility gotcha is the rod diameter: Famco runs 5/8-inch rods on most residential units, but some older Annapolis installs from the 1980s and earlier used 1/2-inch aftermarket rods that now bind.
Level Two Chimney Annapolis is an independent service provider. We’re not affiliated with Famco, but we’ve installed and repaired their dampers across Annapolis for well over a decade because the brand holds up better than most in coastal air. For OEM versus aftermarket, our honest take: Famco’s own replacement gears and linkage rods are machined to tighter tolerance than the generic kits at the big-box stores, so we spec OEM for the moving parts. For the static components like the plate gasket or retainer clips, a quality aftermarket equivalent from Copperfield or Gelco does the job at roughly two-thirds the cost. We stock both and write the brand on your quote before we start.
How We Identify the Right Part
Most Famco dampers have a small stamped plate on the frame near the pivot. If the plate survived, it gives us the series number. If it didn’t, we measure the throat opening and the rod diameter, then match against Famco’s catalog. We do this identification on site, with the camera down the flue so you can see what we’re seeing. No guesswork, no returning a week later with the wrong part.
Signs Your Famco Damper Repair Is Failing
- Handle spins without resistance. The worm gear’s teeth have stripped or the spring inside the gearbox snapped. The plate itself can still be fine, but it won’t hold position. We replace the gear assembly, not the whole damper, unless the frame is cracked.
- Draft in the firebox when the damper is closed. The plate has warped or the gasket seat has corroded. In Annapolis, the salt content in winter air accelerates this corrosion around the seat edge. A warped plate almost always means replacement, not just a gasket swap.
- Loud rattle from the flue on windy nights. The spring that tensions the plate has weakened. You hear it when the wind gusts off the Chesapeake. This one’s benign for a season, but every gust is grinding the plate against its seat.
- Stiff or creaking lever when you operate it. The linkage rod is binding, often from mineral scale freeze from a prior chimney leak. Forcing it bends the rod. If it’s binding, leave it and call us. A bent rod against a cast-iron frame is how cracked frames happen.
- Visible rust particles dropping into the firebox. The frame’s protective coating is gone and the iron is flaking. Cosmetic in year one, but it tells us the spring and gear are next. We photograph it and log it so your next inspection shows the progression.
BeforeAfterReplacement Cost & What’s Included
For Annapolis homes, plan on $240 to $480 installed for a complete Famco damper repair. A gear or spring replacement alone runs $140 to $260. A full plate-plus-frame replacement on a larger firebox can reach $600, but that’s uncommon. The range comes down to which series you have, whether the frame is reusable, and how much disassembly the firebox requires. Every quote lists parts and labor separately, so you see exactly what the part cost and what the work cost.
What you walk away with: a written scope, a written warranty on the parts and labor, and the photo record required by Clause 4 of the Haven Standard. We photograph the failed part before removal, the new part before install, and the finished assembly after. The camera doesn’t guess. Neither do I. That record is yours whether the job took 20 minutes or the whole morning.
DIY or Call Us?
What you can safely check yourself: the handle feel, the visible plate position, whether rust is falling into the firebox. These tell us the symptom and speed up the quote. What you should not do is unbolt a Famco frame or force a stuck linkage. The spring inside a Famco gearbox is under compression, and a stripped bolt mid-removal can drop the plate suddenly. We’ve also seen DIY jobs where the frame was installed slightly out of square, which binds the plate on every cycle and wears the new gear within a season. Annapolis chimneys already deal with salt air and moisture cycling; a misaligned frame just gives rust a faster path.
If you’d rather not touch it at all, that’s why we carry the parts. Call (443) 274-4231 and we’ll match the part, quote the work in writing, and do the install properly the first time.
FAQs
A Famco damper typically lasts 15 to 25 years in Annapolis, with the spring being the first component to fail, usually between year 10 and 15 because of salt-air corrosion. The plate and frame can last longer if the chimney stays dry and the damper is exercised twice a year. Coastal homes with irregular use tend to see spring failure earlier than inland units. Call (443) 274-4231 for a free estimate and we’ll check the spring condition during the inspection.
Yes, in about 60% of cases we repair rather than replace, because the gearbox and spring are serviceable parts and often fail separately from the plate. The frame needs replacing only if it’s cracked or warped beyond shimming. We’ll pull the assembly, show you the broken component, and quote the repair versus replacement before we do either. Call (443) 274-4231 to schedule an inspection.
Most Famco damper repairs take 45 to 90 minutes once the part is confirmed, including the photo documentation and cleanup. If the frame needs replacement, plan on two to three hours because the firebox opening has to be dressed and the frame re-seated square. We bring common Famco replacement parts on the truck, so most jobs finish in one visit. Call (443) 274-4231 to describe your damper and we’ll confirm before we dispatch.
Yes. Our Annapolis trucks carry Famco gears, springs, linkage rods, and gasket sets, plus compatible aftermarket plates from Copperfield and Gelco for the static components. If your series requires an uncommon plate size, we order from our suppliers and return within three to five business days. Call (443) 274-4231 and we’ll check stock for your specific model while you’re on the phone.
Get Your Famco Damper Fixed in Annapolis
If your damper is rattling, drafty, or the handle just doesn’t feel right, call us at (443) 274-4231. We’ll match the part, quote the work in writing before anything starts, and hand you the photo record when it’s done. That’s how we’ve handled chimneys in Annapolis since 2009, and it’s how Corrine Halstead runs every job her crew takes on. Free estimates, live answers 24/7, and no work until you approve the written scope.
Written by Corrine Halstead, Owner, Level Two Chimney Annapolis at Level Two Chimney Annapolis, serving Annapolis and nearby areas.