"Doug Miller" wrote in message
. ..
Jim wrote in :

Why would anyone C clamp all the fireplace flues open?

Those are dampers, not flues. The flue is the passageway for the exhaust
gases to leave
the house. The mechanism that opens and closes it is the damper.

Possibly due to a knuckleheaded family member who lights fires without
checking the
damper first. Or possibly due to laziness -- easier to just keep it open
all the time, especially
if the fireplace is used frequently.

Another possibility is that the house is tight enough that an open damper
in a fireplace *not*
in use is necessary to supply sufficient combustion air to one that *is*
in use -- could be that
none of them will draw properly unless there's at least one more open
damper somewhere.

Dats a tight house indeed.
Mine is like a sieve. I don't think HD nationwide has enough caulk or Great
Stuff.... which is not so great, imo....
--
EA



Should I just remove the clamps?

At least, remove them long enough to find out if the dampers operate
properly, and the
fireplaces will draw properly with the unused one(s) closed. If they do,
and if you can
remember to check them before lighting a fire, there's no reason to keep
them all open if the
fireplaces draw properly otherwise.