Will be using a Quadra-Fire 3100 or Cumberland Gap. Will a blower do anything that a ceiling fan is not already doing? Do either of these stoves use an outside air kit? And if so, how much does it help?
Outside Air Kit and blower necessary?
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logger
Minister of Fire
I chose not to get the blower for my stove. My buddy has one and it does nothing that my ceiling fan or a 2nd fan pointed at the stove cant do. Im not sure if its the same for your model. As far as an outside air kit (OAK), they are only needed when a setup has a poor draft. We have a long, straigh shot up with our pipe and excellent draft. Its really going to come down to those two things.. your set-up and draft.
OAKs are required for mobile home applications and are sometimes recommended for house with a negative draft issue or houses that have a very tight envelope.
There really isn't a down side to using one but in most applications they are not a requirement.
Note: just for reference - many stoves don't even offer an OAK option.
There really isn't a down side to using one but in most applications they are not a requirement.
Note: just for reference - many stoves don't even offer an OAK option.
I don't know yet if mine has an OAK option or not so I guess I'll check on that. Would a brand new construction house be considered tight enough to need an OAK? It seems like if an EPA fireplace needs it then a stove should too.
Construction of new housing can be hit or miss. Very dependent on the builder, so I couldn't even venture a guess. Keep in mind that zero clearance or fireplace type stoves are often fairly well sealed with the face plate to the facade. Without an OAK, many would starve for air if they were trying to pull if from the original fireplace envelope. A freestanding stove is breathing the same air that you are.
It looks like they offer an air kit for both stoves. I'll check with the builder and see if he thinks the house is tight enough to require one. I'm sure it's pretty tight, but it's also a pretty big house so it might not need it. If I go without one, can this be added fairly easily later?
Grisu
Minister of Fire
As it is a new construction I would think about including an OAK right away if you can bear the cost. It will certainly be easier than doing it afterwards. And as Jags said, there is really no downside to having one. In fact, instead of sending heated room air up the chimney you will use cold air from outside. It may not add that much in terms of energy savings but in a time when people put R-60 in their attic and chase the tiniest air leak why neglect the obvious?
chimneylinerjames
Feeling the Heat
Agreed. It will not hurt anything at all, it will only improve performance. Do it now while it is still under construction, it will be alot easier now.
Especially since I won't be doing it!
Ok, so drop the blower and add the OAK - sounds like a plan. Hopefully the OAK is cheaper and I can justify upgrading from the 3100 Millennium to the Cumberland Gap. I'll lose the ACC, but I'm probably to paranoid to walk off anyway.
jillybeansisme
Member
Yeah, I like my builder, but their mark-ups for upgrades are very high. I'll be getting a 13 SEER heat pump because the 15 SEER pump was a $7,000 upgrade. It would take me nearly 30 years to get that back.
I don't know if I can stomach a $1054 upgrade for the Cumberland. I'll have to sleep on it. Plan sign off is tomorrow. Anyone think this is worth the increase?
I don't know if I can stomach a $1054 upgrade for the Cumberland. I'll have to sleep on it. Plan sign off is tomorrow. Anyone think this is worth the increase?
Just one question...will you notice a grand over the lifetime of the product you want? That is up to you. Sleep on it then decide.
Grisu
Minister of Fire
Let me guess: The C Gap is the one with the porcelain mahagony finish? Because the base models of the 3100 and the C Gap are not that far apart.
Why do you need to sign off on the stove tomorrow already? As long as you build the hearth with not just the minimum clearances you can choose a different stove at any time once the house is built. Have you looked at manufacturers/models other than Quadra? How about an Enviro 1700 stove? A Hearthstone Shelburne or Manchester? A Lopi Leyden? Pacific Energy Spectrum or Neo 2.5? There are plenty of options.
Whatever you buy, they will all heat ok if they are the right size. But you need to look at it every day as long as you live there. It's up to you to put a $-figure on that.
Why do you need to sign off on the stove tomorrow already? As long as you build the hearth with not just the minimum clearances you can choose a different stove at any time once the house is built. Have you looked at manufacturers/models other than Quadra? How about an Enviro 1700 stove? A Hearthstone Shelburne or Manchester? A Lopi Leyden? Pacific Energy Spectrum or Neo 2.5? There are plenty of options.
Whatever you buy, they will all heat ok if they are the right size. But you need to look at it every day as long as you live there. It's up to you to put a $-figure on that.
The mahogany finish is what I want, but to be honest I just told them C Gap so they probably just quoted me the base model. I definitely priced the base mode of the 3100 as I don't like the step at all. How much is the mahogany finish? It is listed as an option on Quad's website but no price is given.
I am not installing the stove, it is being installed by the builder's sub-contractor therefore it is part of the plan. The only stoves he installs are the ones on his website which are Harman and Quads. I don't have a problem with that as I had already narrowed down the Quad as one of the few I liked. I could probably get him to install stoves from another manufacturer but given his mark up on things he already carries I don't see that improving the situation.
I am not installing the stove, it is being installed by the builder's sub-contractor therefore it is part of the plan. The only stoves he installs are the ones on his website which are Harman and Quads. I don't have a problem with that as I had already narrowed down the Quad as one of the few I liked. I could probably get him to install stoves from another manufacturer but given his mark up on things he already carries I don't see that improving the situation.
TMonter
Minister of Fire
I've been a Quad 3100i user for 10 years and have several friends with Quads. I can say with certainty, try it without the blower first. Talk to your stove shop and see if they'll let you try it without first and sell you the blower at the same price afterwards if you need it. My experience is that most stove shops are more than happy to accommodate doing this.
I have two other friends with 3100 series stoves and both took my recommendation of trying it without the blower. One didn't need the blower and the other thought he did. He still rarely turns it on as it turned out to be a draft issue with his stove and not a blower issue.
For the ACC versus ACT deal, I wouldn't worry about it. I've heard from both sides where some people love the ACC and some don't. In all honest with my ACT 3100I I rarely have to have the startup air on more than 2-5 minutes before I shut it off when the stove is hot. It really is only needed when the stove is cold or just a few coals are left.
As for OAK, I'd use the option if it's available. You won't save a lot of energy, but more energy in your house instead of up the chimney is always good.
Thanks TMonter. Get the OAK and not the blower seems to be the general consensus and since that reinforces my existing opinion I'll go with that. As for the ACC - to be honest I'll probably be starting this thing cold more than hot since I'll mostly use it nights and weekends when I'm home, at least at first. So it would be nice to have but at the same time I can't miss something I've never had so I won't let that sway my decision. I just have to decide whether or not the CG (which I haven't seen in person yet) is worth the extra money. I tend to agree with Jags and Grisu - that I'll be staring at this thing for many years so may as well get the nice looking one. Hopefully as I get used to trusting it (I've only ever had econo-fireboxes before so I've never been able to leave the house with a fire going) I'll get more use out of it, but even if I don't I still gotta look at it.
Highbeam
Minister of Fire
I'm a big OAK fan, it's not only applicable when there is a problem it is so that you aren't sucking out your heated, humidified, house air which must be replaced by outside air. Whether or not a blower is wise is a stove specific issue. I have been a victim of a stove blower that just made noise and little else, but the BK princess blower system is hugely effective. I always have a ceiling fan going in the stove room for vertical mixing but the heat output shoots up from the BK when the fans are engaged even on low. I never missed a lack of fan on my last stove a hearthstone.
I had a fireplace that had a blower one time and it made a pretty big difference, but it was way too loud. I removed it from the plan today and added the OAK. I expect not to need it but as was stated here, I can add it back easily enough. There will be a wall plug not 5' from it.
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