why outside air?

[ilmbg]

A question for all of you who know the stoves- why is 'outside' air supposed to be better than 'inside' air? I guess my thinking is not with it. I would think that drawing warmer inside air would be better because it does not have to warm it as much. I see outside kits, but where mine will be there is not a choice to have outside air. Isn't the air that it draws on its own enough?

 

[Stevebass4]

sure yours will do fine without an OAK (mine is the same way)

BUT my guess is because you are not taking warm air from inside the home to "feed" the fire. as fire needs lots of 02 to burn - much the same was an open fire place is not efficient because it will suck all the warm air up the chimney when it drafts

also the air itself does not need to be heated to burn better

 

[mtarbert]

Two reasons come to mind.
1) You are not taking warm air from inside your home
2) Outside air being colder is denser per unit volume

 

[Hanko]

one other reason for an out side air sourse is due to the fact that some structures are to tight for inside combustion air. In my shop for example i went with dense pack foam insulation. I only have two windows so there is not much air that can get in. The first fire I built sucked all the air out of the buiding so a negitive pressure developed. What happens next is the room fills full of smoke. An out side air sourse was my only fix. In a leaky house the wood stove will pull air where ever it can get it, so you will feel drafts around windows.