OAK or not?

Ok...for all of you who own JOTUL'S...in there instructions(USA). Jotul does not promote or recommend OAKs unless required by CODE.

I made the one for my Napoleon NZ3000 for under 40 bucks. Using the exact same material (acutally BETTER material) than Napoleon sells in their kit! Aluminum dryer vent for the outside, I made an anti-varmint screen out of expanded stainless steel mesh, couple pieces of 3" galvanized stove pipe and an elbow, and a 10' piece of aluminum flex pipe. Voilla!

Thanx overkill but look at my post above yours...I have a Jotul.

That is hard to understand why they do not promote something that can actually help your house stay warmer for less energy. That doesn't make sense to me.

Yea...anyone have enlightenment on this???

Regardless of stove Manufacturer, the principles stay the same... Which leads me to agree with this…

I'm confused Dexter...did you see my post about Jotul not wanting us to utilize OAKs unless code requires it?

Yes... I read it. But did you read what Scotty wrote?

Heat your home better, easier, and more efficiently?

What manual did this come from? Your Olso? I cant see anyone telling you to NOT do something that will benefit the stove, home, and its inhabitants?

This topic gets beat constantly. Are you looking for a reason not to do it? Go one year without one and then install one the 2nd year. The results speak for themselves. Air goes out your chimney. That air is replaced through the leaky drafty spots in your home (bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen, windows, doors, etc). Your sending the warm air you already heated (took energy) up the flue and sucking the cold air in (more energy needed to heat this air).

This is from the F500 manual : I see where they Advise it. ???

8.2 Outside Air Kit 154335 In certain installations it may be necessary to provide outside air to your Jøtul F 500 wood stove. Guidelines to determine the need for additional combustion air may not be adequate for every situation. IF IN DOUBT, IT IS ADVISABLE TO PROVIDE OUTSIDE AIR.. The outside air kit includes an adapter to mount onto the stove that will accept the fresh air pipe. Installation will require some additional materials: A. The appropriate length of metallic pipe for a conduit of the outside air (4” (100mm) diameter). B. A rain/weather resistant cap for the outside of the house. C. A rodent screen - that is no larger than 1/4”(6,4mm) mesh. Outside air may be required if: 1. The Jøtul F 500 does not “draw” steadily, smoke rollout occurs, fuel burns poorly, or back-drafts occur whether or not there is combustion present. 2. Existing fuel-fired equipment in the house, such as fireplaces or other heating appliances, smell, do not operate properly, suffer smoke roll - out when opened, or back-draft whether or not there is combustion present. 3. Opening a window slightly on a calm (windless) day alleviates any of the above symptoms. 4. The house is equipped with a well-sealed vapor barrier and tight fitting windows and/or has any powered devices that exhaust house air. 5. There is excessive condensation on the windows in the winter. 6. A ventilation system is installed in the house. If these or other indications suggest that infiltration air is inadequate, additional combustion air should be provided from the outdoors. Outside combustion air can be provided to the appliance by the following means

I wonder if some manufacturers don't like them because if the outlet (inlet?) gets obstructed somehow, they get blamed for the stove not working properly. I think "thechimneysweep" said something somewhere that when they get such a call, that's the first place they look. It probably is a potential trouble source and possibly one reason some my not want to install one if they have no compelling reason to do it (like the law, for example!)

I think the reason that OAK is controversial is that their value depends so much on individual circumstance, and some circumstances may legitimately not call for it, although I'd guess that 90% of the time it's a good idea.

For me, I will have one, but one thing I won't do for sure is put the intake in the crawlspace. It's way to hard to get to! And I will want to inspect the intake from time to time.

I don't necessarily think that would be the problem. Besides, that should be a yearly inspection part anyway. I put an anti-varmint screen in my OAK to keep that very thing from happening. Still, I will check it (probably every time I sweep the chimney) for obstruction just as a precautionary measure. I overkill EVERYTHING. Hence my screenname.....

You know Dexter...I read that also and than on their site it is as I described above...Hmmmm I think the common sense will prevail...if I need it...I will put it in.

OK, so here is a question: How is that smoking squirrel on your avatar gonna get a light if you have a vermit screen on that OAK?

StihlHead, he's so stoned he doesn't even know whether that damm thing is lit or not!

Did you say stoned? Let me think about that for a minute...

AAAAAAAAAAALRIGHTY, THEN!

And we're talking about how ugly the BK is?