I have a 1300 sq ft square box basically, two stories. It was built in 1920 and has insulation blown in around early 80"s...the white stuff that shrinks...I am burning with a jotul castine and i have a gas furnace that was converted from the original coal burner about the size a volkswagon bug. I start a fire at six in the morning with the house at 57 and the house warms up to 75 by noon and stays warm the rest of the day... i go through about a cord of wood a year..it is fairly cold up here and long winters....my question is this i can feel the cold coming through in a few places, should i stop these or let that be my "fresh air intake"? I have carbon monoxide testers but they are the a/c plug in type and i am not so trusting of them....
Do I need an air exchange in my house?
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The odds are, even with caulking as many leaks as you can, there will still be a fair amount of outside air infiltration. However, if peace of mind is desired, and outside air kit can be added to the stove.
FWIW, replacing the old gas beast with a modern 92+% efficient gas furnace would be a good investment. You might also look at the ducting coming off this baby. Depending on the age, old coal furnaces typically were designed as gravity units. They put the returns on the outside cold walls and supplied the heat centrally. If the ductwork is still set up this way, it is inefficient and less comfortable. Forced air systems supply the heat at the perimeter cold walls and return it centrally.
FWIW, replacing the old gas beast with a modern 92+% efficient gas furnace would be a good investment. You might also look at the ducting coming off this baby. Depending on the age, old coal furnaces typically were designed as gravity units. They put the returns on the outside cold walls and supplied the heat centrally. If the ductwork is still set up this way, it is inefficient and less comfortable. Forced air systems supply the heat at the perimeter cold walls and return it centrally.
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