To all of those who are quick to give an opinion about outside air kits please be weary. I have read a lot of negative comments about oak and how they dont work or matter. However, I had just recently bought a p68 and had it installed on dec 1. The stove was installed downstairs in the finished basement of a dutch colonial house with the finished basement, 1st and 2nd floor with center stairs for both floors. The house was built in 1951 with updated windows and I just stuffed the attic with insulation this past spring. The house is not noticeably drafty. Anyways, at the time of the install the installers who have been a family wood stove/pellet business for years talked me out of the oak. For me it was not the money but rather the way they had explained it’s terrible looks (a dryer vent pipe next to the exhaust pipe) and the supposed “facts” that they gave me about how it would not be a great benefit as everyone makes them out to be. I was wondering at first who he was talking about when he mentioned “everyone? The blogs, the manufacturer? The installers stated that the only reason that they use them is for clearence purposes on the install. They stated that although there is better efficiency obtained by the stove and it is easier to get it cleared during inspection ( hummmm, safety?) that the benefits are hardly recognizable. So I said ok, thinking that if I decided later to install one I could just do it myself since it is the same as installing an dryer vent and it would be cheaper if I did the work opposed to a pro installer. So I began to use my stove which was great in every way. The heat was great and maintenance was a breeze. I didnt have any of the problems that I had read everyone talking about on this website even though I was worried about the PENNINGTON PELLETS that I had bought before I saw what a fiasco that they had been the year before. ohh by the way I just noticed when I poured some pellets into the hopper that there was a 5” piece of wood chunk in the bag of PENNINGTON PELLETS but thats another story for me and PENNINGTON to duke it out. Anyways, the stove was great but as time went on approx. 2 weeks I did notice a “draft” near my feet downstairs where the stove was installed. I also noticed drafts on both sets of stairs and noticed that upstairs was not getting warm and figured that it was just too far away from the stove. I also figured that the “draft” was actually the cold air dropping and the hot air rising and displacing the cold air. I was surprised about the strength of the draft on both stairs however. It was just more then I expected but maybe it was normal, how do I know. So after 2 months of constantly using the stove for the main heat source I began to think with every cold draft that I felt whether the oak would matter in my house. I finally decided to install it myself about one week ago and it was actually pretty easy, taking only a few hours of drilling,caulking and fitting. After I was done I turned it on and got ready to compare the results with and without the outside air kit since I had used the stove for a month and had a good idea of what it was capable of. The results were so drastic that i noticed them right away. The “drafts” on the stairs were greatly diminished and the heat of the stove spread upstairs much quicker and heated even the 2nd floor which it had not done before. The heat from the stove was greater which was obvious. I had the heat on 3 and 1/2 and the fire was still huge and it heated the 2nd floor on a 20 degree night to 71 degrees. In the past even with the heat cranked up to 6 I could not get it over 68. I honestly believe and now have, although not scientific, some obvious evidence that in my case the oak made a hugh difference in heat output, efficency, increase in heat radiation and travel throughout the house in areas where I could never feel the heat before. I do think that air is allowed now to move more freely and farther into the house and so areas are able to heat up that never use to get heat and areas that did get heat are hotter. I am not sure if it has something to do with the resistence that is being overcome by having the oak but the difference is undeniable. SO to all of those with opinions that seem to make sense, there are a lot of factors that end up influencing the final outcome which in my case speaks for itself. And to all of those who are questioning whether or not to put an oak in their home I would just tell you to look at my results and look at their own particular situation and decide. Good luck..
Outside Air Kits? My Results
- Thread starter please302
- Start date
-
Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.
We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.
We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
- Status
crausch
New Member
OAK-'e'-Doke...thanks for sharing your experience. I am glad to hear that it worked out for you. I am still trying to decide. I feel I will eventually install one, but not in to big a rush.
mtalea
Feeling the Heat
Nice story, For me I say RUN THE OAK.....I did and will NEVER switch back....my kit didnt require a second hole...I have the fresh air intake around the 3" exhaust,that is the kit made for mine....1 pipe exits the house,intake stops 6" or so outside the house as the 3" continues horizontal for 1 ' and then goes vertical.
Awesome.....So to all run it...it will benefit every stove.Its logic people.
Awesome.....So to all run it...it will benefit every stove.Its logic people.
crausch
New Member
mtalea:
That is the vent setup that I wished I had gone with. I didn't know about it when I bought mine. I have heard others speak of condensation on the OAK. It would seem to me that with your setup (like the Selkirk- Direct-Temp) the intake air may get pre-heated as it is drawn in around the 3" exhaust. Is my assumption true? Do you see any condensation with your type of OAK?
That is the vent setup that I wished I had gone with. I didn't know about it when I bought mine. I have heard others speak of condensation on the OAK. It would seem to me that with your setup (like the Selkirk- Direct-Temp) the intake air may get pre-heated as it is drawn in around the 3" exhaust. Is my assumption true? Do you see any condensation with your type of OAK?
mtalea
Feeling the Heat
I've used them with and w/o on both of my pellet stoves, frankly I really can't tell a difference. I use an OAK on all my stuff (including the boilers) because I know in theory they should make a difference... I just haven't noticed one. But since they are cheap and easy, why not use them?
Xena
Minister of Fire
I would think all stoves without an oak would induce a
noticeable draft at floor level - yeah, some people may
not notice it, but some people don't notice much unless
it smacks em in the face. Seriously, if you don't have
an oak and you hold your hand down on the floor you
should be able to feel the cool draft that the stove is
pulling in.
Test: If you have a window nearby you can connect a temporary
hose to the intake then out the window (make sure to block off the rest
of the open portion of the window with something).
The floor level draft should then be gone.
noticeable draft at floor level - yeah, some people may
not notice it, but some people don't notice much unless
it smacks em in the face. Seriously, if you don't have
an oak and you hold your hand down on the floor you
should be able to feel the cool draft that the stove is
pulling in.
Test: If you have a window nearby you can connect a temporary
hose to the intake then out the window (make sure to block off the rest
of the open portion of the window with something).
The floor level draft should then be gone.
tonyd
Feeling the Heat
mtalea
Feeling the Heat
possible but best way to check I know of is to use a candle and watch which way the flame leans....of course place candle (short candle) at floor level
Xena
Minister of Fire
erikbrooks
New Member
I've got an Accentra insert pellet stove, and the fireplace it is installed in has an ash cleanout: a hole in the floor of the fireplace that goes down vertically about 8", then on a horizontal to the outside, where there is a grate.
I'm noticing a fair amount of cold draft in my house, and I am thus considering installing an outside air kit [OAK]. I figure this would be a convenient way to access outside air, and test to see if it makes a difference.
Anyone have any experience using this for access to outside air?
I'm noticing a fair amount of cold draft in my house, and I am thus considering installing an outside air kit [OAK]. I figure this would be a convenient way to access outside air, and test to see if it makes a difference.
Anyone have any experience using this for access to outside air?
Xena
Minister of Fire
www_godzilla
Member
Matalea.....With your stove installed in the corner like that. Are you able to still be 2 inches from the edges? I here you can't.
erikbrooks
New Member
Xena
Minister of Fire
pelletNJ said:
I repeat, floor level draft disappeared after oak was installed.
Please read post #7. You can do a test run to see the differences
that may apply to your application.
Good idea to do before drilling another hole in your home.
I have another reason to use outside air line. When I'm cleaning the stove with my old electolux vac it has a top vent where I can put a hose into it. The other end I put it into the outside air line to vent the vac outside. This eliminates any possibility of getting dust in the house. I do enough cleaning that I don't need to add to it. I haven't permanently mounted the line to my stove so its easy to take off when I need to vac. Personally I have't seen much difference with the oak attached to my 25-pdvc.
vgrund
Feeling the Heat
I ordered an OAK with my Mt Vernon AE insert. Just do the math... Cubic feet of air in the house against the CFM of exhaust fan and time running. Mine worked out to a complete change of all of the expensively heated air in the house every 2 hours and 40 minutes.
Victor
Victor
vgrund said:
I guess I dont really understand by "complete change of heated air"
Anyway I havn't installed an OAK yet and very new so still learning about performance. I have a quad classic bay insert and have not noticed alot of drafts anywhere. A matter of fact when I put my hand on the OAK inlet, I dont feel much draw?? I do have a ash cleanout in the fireplace that goes to the basement which is located in the washroom right above the oil burner that is still being used for the downstairs zone. The cleanout is open because that is where I ran an extension cord for the stove and the thermostat wire(which eventually comes back upstairs in the kitchen). My question is do you think I'm getting all my air through the cleanout from the washroom and could possibly suck some co2 from that vent/damper thing thats on my oil boiler pipe? It would be really easy to put an OAK kit down the cleanout and out the wall of the washroom(of course away from the dryer exhaust). Any thoughts??? thanks
vgrund
Feeling the Heat
What I mean is, estimated time to exhaust the volume of all the air in the house up the pellet stove chimney. If it is not being drawn directly from outside, it is being drawn from outside through the inside. It's pretty freaky.
Random Example:
( 3000 Ft^2 * 8 Ft Ceilings ) = 24,000 Ft^3
24,000 Ft^3 / 160 CFM = 150 Minutes = 2 Hours 30 Minutes
You may not feel drafts without an OAK, but it simply must be impacting efficiency.
Victor
Random Example:
( 3000 Ft^2 * 8 Ft Ceilings ) = 24,000 Ft^3
24,000 Ft^3 / 160 CFM = 150 Minutes = 2 Hours 30 Minutes
You may not feel drafts without an OAK, but it simply must be impacting efficiency.
Victor
tonyd
Feeling the Heat
Yes I have a draft I would sure like to get rid of. I thought it was from air being pulled from the convection blower.
I say the same thing. On my quad insert with the side panel off i put my hand over the intake hole where you attach the oak and feel no draw at all. How will it pull air 20 ft down a chimney? I'm not trying to be negative. just trying to understand. I do want one. Where can I find an adapter (attaches to the back of the stove} for my quad castile without buying the whole kit? Thanks Tony
I say the same thing. On my quad insert with the side panel off i put my hand over the intake hole where you attach the oak and feel no draw at all. How will it pull air 20 ft down a chimney? I'm not trying to be negative. just trying to understand. I do want one. Where can I find an adapter (attaches to the back of the stove} for my quad castile without buying the whole kit? Thanks Tony
vgrund said:
Thanks....make sense now. Stove needs air/no OAK/steals heated air....DUh....why didnt I think of that.?!?@!
O.K...the examples in the manual (for full chiney reline(which I have)) say to go to up the chiney with the OAK. Should be the same if I go down the cleanout......across the room ...outside the wall right? Outside air is outside air!! Why not much draw from the stove opening....just the way it is?
vgrund said:
Thanks....make sense now. Stove needs air/no OAK/steals heated air....DUh....why didnt I think of that.?!?@!
O.K...the examples in the manual (for full chiney reline(which I have)) say to go to up the chiney with the OAK. Should be the same if I go down the cleanout......across the room ...outside the wall right? Outside air is outside air!! Why dont I have much draw from the stove opening....just the way it is?
pelletNJ said:
Not sure how close an approximation of your situation this is, but I had installed many years ago a piece of standard hot-air furnace pipe through one of the joist spaces, at the time, for use as a dryer outlet from the center of the basement. The pipe is about 12' long, 5" diameter. Since the pellet stove replaced our old woodstove, located center of the main floor, no where near an outside wall, I decided to utilize this as my OAK. I made up an adapter to swage the pipe down to 4" dryer duct, then down again to attach the 2" air inlet pipe upstairs to the stove (Englander 25-PDVC).
I wouldn't know what to expect without an OAK, as this is required for this stove, not an option. If you have a similar pipe from the old fireplace, I'd go with that for sure...
- Status
Similar threads
