I have read here a few times about people having a problem with CO. Is this a common problem or isolated incidence? If you have an OAK shouldnt it exhaust out thru the OAK, In the event of a draft reversal?
Carbon monoxide question?
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Stove is at lower pressure that outside. Air comes down chimney. Air comes down oak. Air comes in window. Equalizes stove pressure with outside. I still can't see that reversing the CO from embers, unless, with the equalized pressure, that is just enough to reverse it.
All the posts I recall about CO were from people leaving the ashes inside the house after cleaning out the stove. IMHO, it's pretty hard to have a CO problem if your stove and chimney are properly maintained. Of course, you can get a blockage in the chimney from furry guys climbing in but the same applies to a furnace, etc.
In our province, CO detectors are mandatory if you have any burning appliance in the house (almost everybody). I consider them the same as a smoke detector - silent until you have a problem.
To answer your question on an OAK. Almost all stoves have an auxiliary air inlet. I guess if the chimney were blocked and you have a fire going, smoke & CO could get into the room, regardless of whether you have an OAK or not. In my experience, I've had the room filled with smoke from doing something really stupid and the smoke detector has gone off numerous times, but never the CO detector.
In our province, CO detectors are mandatory if you have any burning appliance in the house (almost everybody). I consider them the same as a smoke detector - silent until you have a problem.
To answer your question on an OAK. Almost all stoves have an auxiliary air inlet. I guess if the chimney were blocked and you have a fire going, smoke & CO could get into the room, regardless of whether you have an OAK or not. In my experience, I've had the room filled with smoke from doing something really stupid and the smoke detector has gone off numerous times, but never the CO detector.
JA600L
Minister of Fire
Co and smoke are totally different. Carbon monoxide is a tasteless odorless gas created from a lack of oxygen in combustion. This typically is created in a smoldering fire with the air cut back. Then things happen like draft reversal, blockage in the chimney, leaky stove pipe etc...
In my experience in what I do for a living (fire safety educator), reading a whole bunch of posts here at hearth.com and personal experience . . . CO can be an issue with woodstoves and burning wood, but it is not common . . . and as mentioned seems to be more of a concern with ashes left inside the home.
On a professional basis, we see far more CO calls involving gas appliances and heaters along with oil furnaces.
That said . . . I am a big proponent of having CO detectors in the home. They're much more affordable than they were 20 years ago and are more reliable today . . . plus my brother's life was potentially saved by one.
On a professional basis, we see far more CO calls involving gas appliances and heaters along with oil furnaces.
That said . . . I am a big proponent of having CO detectors in the home. They're much more affordable than they were 20 years ago and are more reliable today . . . plus my brother's life was potentially saved by one.
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