First off: Thank you everyone for all the great info on the forum! I've been a lurker/learner for the past year or so and all the expertise has been invaluable!
Sorry for the long post but I am looking for ideas and advice for how to selectively shut off my OAK and/or control cold air flow into it.
When it is cold out and I'm not burning (yes, that seems counterintuitive), condensation/puddle/frost/ice/rust will form in the bottom of the unit (Opel 2) where the OAK intake is. The reason for the condensation is because there is only about 6-8 inches of duct between the side of the unit where the intake is, through the wall, to the outside. So basically I have a 4" hole in the wall with only a piece of sheet metal separating the inside from the outside, hence the condensation.
My solution so far has been to run outside when I’m done burning (about midnight and usually -10F) to put a piece of foam in the intake. This works wonderfully other than the running outside part. The alternative solution is to leave the foam in place and switch the intake baffle to use inside air. However, I’ve found that my specific set up seems to burn better on the OAK so I would like to keep it. In addition, I’m going to be installing a new wood stove in my basement (T6) and I would like to create a similar selectable in/outside air setup for that too. That way I have the option and can test to see what works better. I would rather do it now and not need it, than to wonder if I should have done it.
My thoughts are to use a good, positive sealing louver/baffle of some type either manual or powered (and in a perfect world temp actuated!!). I realize I will have to create this system myself but I’m having some trouble just finding a louver/baffle other than HVAC zone baffles that don’t really seal that well. For the basement maybe I could get by with duct in an inverted U as a trap but I’m thinking it would be best to have a louver/baffle on that too (just in case).
Thank you for any thoughts or parts sources!
-Derek
Sorry for the long post but I am looking for ideas and advice for how to selectively shut off my OAK and/or control cold air flow into it.
When it is cold out and I'm not burning (yes, that seems counterintuitive), condensation/puddle/frost/ice/rust will form in the bottom of the unit (Opel 2) where the OAK intake is. The reason for the condensation is because there is only about 6-8 inches of duct between the side of the unit where the intake is, through the wall, to the outside. So basically I have a 4" hole in the wall with only a piece of sheet metal separating the inside from the outside, hence the condensation.
My solution so far has been to run outside when I’m done burning (about midnight and usually -10F) to put a piece of foam in the intake. This works wonderfully other than the running outside part. The alternative solution is to leave the foam in place and switch the intake baffle to use inside air. However, I’ve found that my specific set up seems to burn better on the OAK so I would like to keep it. In addition, I’m going to be installing a new wood stove in my basement (T6) and I would like to create a similar selectable in/outside air setup for that too. That way I have the option and can test to see what works better. I would rather do it now and not need it, than to wonder if I should have done it.
My thoughts are to use a good, positive sealing louver/baffle of some type either manual or powered (and in a perfect world temp actuated!!). I realize I will have to create this system myself but I’m having some trouble just finding a louver/baffle other than HVAC zone baffles that don’t really seal that well. For the basement maybe I could get by with duct in an inverted U as a trap but I’m thinking it would be best to have a louver/baffle on that too (just in case).
Thank you for any thoughts or parts sources!
-Derek
